91�Թ�

The following article is a guest post written by Thea Louise Dai, an alumna of the Spring 2022 China Scholars Program. In April 2022, Thea met Wendy Wen, an alumna of the Spring 2022 Stanford e-China Program. Currently, Thea Louise is a junior at Castilleja School in Palo Alto, California, and Wendy Wen is a junior at Beijing National Day School in Beijing, China.

In April 2022, I met Wendy Wen through a collaboration between the China Scholars Program (CSP) and Stanford e-China. Five months later, we are working together to prepare the first synchronous Zoom discussion at Project 17—a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization we founded dedicated to initiating global dialogue through synchronous discussions about the 17 (SDGs) of the United Nations.

The CSP and Stanford e-China collaboration was no doubt my most stimulating academic experience to date. The two programs held four joint discussions on various climate issues over the course of several weeks. With the rare opportunity to bridge geographical and cultural divides, I finally had a chance to apply everything I had learned about China’s history, policies, and current events throughout the program in conversation with actual Chinese students, from whom I learned new perspectives. Although we only had to participate in one of the synchronous discussions, I found myself looking forward to each meeting and rearranging my schedule to attend all four.

Wendy recalls that she had a similarly eye-opening experience during the meetings. She noted, “I have always believed that the world’s largest challenges can be solved through global collaboration. After every discussion with the CSP, I left feeling inspired to know that such collaboration is possible, even for high school students.”

After meeting each other through a breakout room conversation, we immediately connected on the need for a global discussion platform targeted towards youth perspectives. Essentially, we hoped to capture the value of our experience with 91�Թ�, and we wanted to make it even more accessible and on a larger scale. We also wanted to clear a pathway for participants to take the next steps to create tangible change on the SDGs after our discussions.

As a result, we conceptualized Project 17 in part to partner with the chapter system of the (UNA-USA) so that high school and college students have the unique opportunity to connect with UNA-USA officials and members across the United States. Our vision is for all participants to be able to share their perspectives on the SDGs to inform the UNA-USA chapter system. We’re also working with Stanford e-China Instructor and CSP Instructor Tanya Lee of 91�Թ� to publish the SDG-related research and reflections of participants on larger platforms.

Project 17 hosts four annual synchronous Zoom discussions, each focused on a particular group of SDGs: Planet, People, Prosperity, and Peace & Partnership. Our first discussion about the planet will take place in November 2022 and run for two hours. Interested students can complete the on the Project 17 website to apply for an opportunity to hear from SDG advocates, learn from NGO leaders, and participate in breakout room discussions with youth leaders around the world. High school and college students based in any country are eligible to participate.

In the span of four months, Project 17’s outreach efforts have reached 51 cities, 47 schools, and five different countries. Participants will build connections with students from different backgrounds and develop a global mindset by engaging with new perspectives. In addition, participants can contribute to asynchronous discussion boards and the Project 17 blog, receive bimonthly newsletters about the SDGs, and receive certified service hours eligible for the .

By incorporating these opportunities into our organization, we hope to create an experience similar to the invaluable experiences that Wendy and I had through the CSP and Stanford e-China. Inspired by 91�Թ�’s impact, we are incredibly excited to start an initiative similarly promoting international and cross-cultural collaboration. Please note that Project 17 is not a Stanford 91�Թ� program.

For more information, visit Project 17’s website () or contact Project 17 at contact@projectseventeen.org.

From July 25 through 28, 2022, 21 educators from across the United States and China gathered online for the 2022 East Asia Summer Institute for Middle School Teachers, a teacher professional development seminar offered by 91�Թ� in partnership with the . NCTA is made possible by the Freeman Foundation. Over four days of rich content lectures, discussion, and experiential learning, institute participants deepened their background knowledge on Asia and the Asian American experience and began to rethink and revamp their curriculum plans for the 2022–23 school year.

This year’s participants were from many U.S. states, including Alabama, California, Hawaii, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Washington. For the first time, three teachers from China—from Jiangsu and Guangzhou provinces—also took part in the institute. The teachers represented a wide range of teaching subjects, from history, social studies, language arts, and literature, but all sought to strengthen their teaching through a clearer, more nuanced understanding of key episodes in the history of East Asia and the Asian American experience.

The institute’s guest speakers also came from diverse backgrounds, being university professors, curriculum specialists, and school educators with expertise on a specific aspect of Asia or the Asian American experience and/or pedagogy. Interwoven between the captivating content lectures were classroom-focused lesson demonstrations and pedagogy-focused discussions facilitated by 91�Թ� curriculum designers. “We make sure we balance subject-matter content with pedagogical discussions in all of our teacher professional development seminars,” noted Jonas Edman, who managed the middle school institute. “We want to help middle school teachers integrate the knowledge gained from the scholars directly into the classroom.” To that end, summer institute participants each received complimentary literature and 91�Թ� curriculum units to help them bring Asia and the Asian American experience alive for their students. The institute’s key topics and speakers were:

July 25: The Silk Road
Clayton Dube, Director, USC U.S.-China Institute, University of Southern California, “Silk Road—Goods, Ideas, and People on the Move”
Rylan Sekiguchi, 91�Թ�, “” curriculum demonstration

July 26: Religions and Philosophies of East Asia
John Kieschnick, the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Professor of Buddhist Studies, 91�Թ�, “Buddhism: Ancestor Worship, Karma, and Vegetarianism”
Jonas Edman, 91�Թ�, “” curriculum demonstration

July 27: Tokugawa Japan
Uldis Kruze, Professor, College of Arts and Sciences, University of San Francisco, “Edo Japan 1600–1868”
Karen Tiegel, The Nueva School, “” curriculum demonstration

July 28: Asian Voices and Asian American Experiences
Takami Nieda, English Department, Seattle Central College, “The Color of the Sky is the Shape of the Heart in the Classroom”
Gary Mukai, 91�Թ�, “Early Japanese American History”
Jonas Edman, 91�Թ�, “,” “,” “” curriculum demonstrations

Applications open today for the Stanford/91�Թ� East Asia Seminars for Teachers in Hawai‘i (“Stanford SEAS Hawai‘i”), a free teacher professional development opportunity for Hawai‘i educators who wish to enhance their teaching of East Asia. Offered by the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (91�Թ�) with the generous support of the Freeman Foundation, Stanford SEAS Hawai‘i will select 25 teachers to participate in a nine-month fellowship from November 2022 to July 2023.

The application form is now live at . The deadline to apply is October 14, 2022.

This year, all high school teachers across the state are eligible to apply. Selected teachers will strengthen their content knowledge of East Asia by learning from experts in a series of private virtual seminars during the 2022–23 academic year (November–April) and at a culminating three-day in-person teacher institute in Honolulu in July 2023. Throughout the program, participants will explore and examine various aspects of East Asia, U.S.–Asia relations, and the Asian diaspora in the United States, including Hawai‘i. To help support their teaching of East Asia in the classroom, participants will also receive extensive teaching resources and participate in discussions about content and pedagogy.

“We’re extremely excited that we’re able to offer this program for a third year,” remarked program manager Rylan Sekiguchi. “We hope to keep building on the program’s success and continue connecting Hawai‘i teachers with experts at 91�Թ�, the University of Hawai‘i, and beyond. We can’t wait to start recruiting our next cohort of fellows.”

For more information about Stanford SEAS Hawai‘i, visit the program webpage. To apply, submit the by October 14.

To be notified of other professional development opportunities, and follow 91�Թ� on , , and .

In addition to Stanford SEAS Hawai‘i, 91�Թ� offers teacher PD opportunities virtually to teachers nationwide and locally in California to middle school teachers, high school teachers, and community college instructors. For more information on those programs, please visit the webpages below.

• East Asia Summer Institute for Middle School Teachers
• East Asia Summer Institute for High School Teachers
• Community College Programs

Stanford e-Japan enrolls exceptional high school students from Japan to engage in an intensive study of U.S. society and culture. The Reischauer Scholars Program enrolls exceptional high school students from the United States to engage in an intensive study of Japanese society and culture. Both courses underscore the importance of U.S.–Japan relations. is the current supporter of Stanford e-Japan, and the Japan Fund at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI) is the current supporter of the RSP.

On August 8, 2022, an award ceremony was held to honor 91�Թ�’s Spring and Fall 2021 Stanford e-Japan student honorees and 2022 Reischauer Scholars Program student honorees. The honorees performed at the highest levels of their courses as determined by Stanford e-Japan Instructors Waka Takahashi Brown and Meiko Kotani, Reischauer Scholars Program Instructor Naomi Funahashi, and the research paper review committees.

Spring 2021 Stanford e-Japan Program Honorees
Yura Amaya, Toyama Chubu High School, Toyama
Akira Fukutomi, Yaeyama High School, Okinawa
Yuto Kimura, Waseda University Senior High School, Tokyo

Fall 2021 Stanford e-Japan Program Honorees
Yohei Kiguchi, Chiba Prefectural Chiba Senior High School, Chiba
Mio Kobayashi, Shirayuri Gakuen, Tokyo
Tomoka Matsushima, Senri International School, Osaka

Honorable Mentions: Ayuki Ichikawa (Keio Senior High School, Kanagawa), Risei Ko (Ikeda Senior High School attached to Osaka Kyoiku University, Osaka), Saya Miyake (Keio Girls High School, Tokyo), and Moe Shimizu (Shibuya Senior High School, Tokyo)

2022 Reischauer Scholars Program Honorees
Cindy DeDianous, Scarsdale High School, New York
Yurika Sakai, Greenwich High School, Connecticut
Riyana Srihari, Nueva School, California

Honorable Mentions: Sora Shirai (Hanover High School, New Hampshire) and Colin Cham (Nueva School, California)

The program began with welcoming comments from the Honorable Hajime Kishimori, Acting Consul General of Japan in San Francisco. “I would like to recognize this year’s honorees for their outstanding academic performance and to congratulate all the participants for completing the programs. I believe that through these programs, your understanding of Japan and the United States has been deepened, and I hope that it will inspire you to consider your future study and career involving Japan–U.S. relations.” He continued, “I am glad that we have platforms such as the Reischauer Scholars Program and Stanford e-Japan where young people from both countries learn about each other’s country and mutual history and have a chance to engage in direct exchanges."

Following Acting Consul General Kishimori, Chikano Shiroma, Deputy Secretary General of the Yanai Tadashi Foundation, made opening comments. She noted, “First of all, I would like to congratulate the Reischauer Scholars Program and Stanford e-Japan students who are participating today… Our Foundation has supported Stanford e-Japan since 2018, so I am happy to be able to hold this ceremony in person in Japan… Our Foundation’s President, Mr. Tadashi Yanai, is also the founder of Uniqlo and also President of Fast Retailing, the holding company of Uniqlo and other fashion brands. The Yanai Tadashi Foundation supports talented Japanese high school students to have the opportunity to pursue higher education at universities in the U.S. and U.K. so that they can contribute to the future development of Japan worldwide.” She continued, “Our main business is a scholarship program for Japanese students who wish to enter universities in the U.S. and U.K.—universities that are ranked among the top 60. We have provided scholarships to approximately 200 students. Among them are many students who have taken the Stanford e-Japan program so if you seek to apply for universities in the U.S. or U.K., we encourage you to apply for our scholarship program… Our Foundation hopes that what you learn about the relationship between Japan and the U.S. through Stanford e-Japan will be helpful in your future careers, and we hope for your international success in the future.”

Following the welcoming and opening comments, Brown, Kotani, and Funahashi gave introductions of their courses. The student honorees made presentations based on their research papers and expertly fielded questions from the audience. While listening to the presentations, I reflected on the tremendous impact that Brown, Kotani, and Funahashi have had on their students over many years. The RSP and Stanford e-Japan are about to enter their 20th and 8th years, respectively. Many of the alumni are now engaged in various fields related to U.S.–Japan relations and continue to give back to both programs by being guest speakers or mentors to the current students. Also, in their comments, Brown, Kotani, and Funahashi profusely thanked their guest speakers, many of whom have remained unwavering in their support since the launch of the programs.

Takayuki Enomoto, Teacher at Waseda University High School in Tokyo, kindly made arrangements to host the Stanford e-Japan honorees at Waseda University High School. Reflecting on the event, he noted, “As someone who shares a common goal in educating young people, the 91�Թ� team receives my respect and appreciation for nurturing our students with a broad perspective in U.S.–Japan relations… The e-Japan students will certainly make a significant difference in the future.” Following the formal event, the student honorees—most having met each other in person for the first time—had the chance to enjoy lunch together and visit sites in Tokyo. It is the hope of Brown, Kotani, and Funahashi that the Japanese and American student honorees will someday have the chance to gather in person when it is safer to do so.

91�Թ� is grateful to President Tadashi Yanai for his generous support of Stanford e-Japan and to Chikano Shiroma and Daisuke Kato of the Yanai Tadashi Foundation for their regular correspondence and encouragement. 91�Թ� is also thankful to the Japan Fund committee at FSI for its generous support of the Reischauer Scholars Program. These courses and the ceremony would not have been possible without them.

The Reischauer Scholars Program’s next application period will begin September 5, 2022. Stanford e-Japan’s next application period will begin November 15, 2022.

 

After the end of World War II, more than 45,000 young Japanese women married American GIs and came to the United States to embark upon new lives among strangers. The mother of Kathryn Tolbert, a former long-time journalist with The Washington Post, was one of them.

Kathryn noted, “I knew there was a story in my mother’s journey from war-time Japan to an upstate New York poultry farm. In order to tell it, I teamed up with journalists Lucy Craft and Karen Kasmauski, whose mothers were also Japanese war brides, to make a short documentary film through a mother-daughter lens. was released in August 2015 and premiered on BBC World Television. To show the experiences of many more women like our mothers, I spent a year traveling the country to record interviews, funded by a Time Out grant from Vassar College, my alma mater.”

is the result of her interviews. The Oral History Archive documents an important chapter of U.S. immigration history that is largely unknown and usually left out of the broader Japanese American experience. In these oral histories, Japanese immigrant women reflect on their lives in postwar Japan, their journeys across the Pacific, and their experiences living in the United States.

91�Թ� developed five lessons for the Japanese War Brides Oral History Archive that suggest ways for teachers to engage their students with the broad themes that emerge from the individual experiences of Japanese war brides. The lessons are: (1) Setting the Context; (2) Japanese Immigration to the United States; (3) The Transmission of Culture; (4) Notions of Identity; and (5) Conflict and Its Analysis. 91�Թ� also developed a teacher’s guide for the film, Fall Seven Times, Get Up Eight: The Japanese War Brides, that helps teachers set the context for the film and provides guided viewing activities and debriefing activities. The lessons and teacher’s guide can be found at the webpage below.

The following reflection is a guest post written by Stanford e-Hiroshima alum Rio Sasaki, who served as one of three high school peace messengers from Hiroshima Prefecture in 2021–22.

---

Hello. I am Rio Sasaki, a 19-year-old woman living in Hiroshima, Japan. Today, I want to share about my experience as a Hiroshima Nagasaki Peace Messenger.

Do you know the Hiroshima Nagasaki Peace Messengers program? It was started in 1998, and since then, Peace Messengers have visited the United Nations every year to appeal for the abolition of nuclear weapons and the realization of a peaceful world. Hiroshima Nagasaki Peace Messengers collect signatures against war and do peace-promoting operations. We have submitted more than two million signatures so far. We visited the UN Headquarters in New York City, the United States, until 1999, and since 2000 we have been visiting the UN Office at Geneva, Switzerland, where the Conference on Disarmament will be held.

Last year, in my third year of high school, I was chosen as a Hiroshima Nagasaki Peace Messenger. The reason why I wanted to be a Hiroshima Nagasaki Peace Messenger was because my grandparents are hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) and I wanted to tell the truth of their story to posterity as the last generation that can hear the voice of hibakusha. Moreover, I was inspired by the story of a young woman who fought to protect democracy in Hong Kong. Then I thought to myself, “I want to make a difference in the world, too.”

The most shocking event in my year as a Peace Messenger was the world suddenly being in a situation in which nuclear weapons may be used in war. We—the Hiroshima Nagasaki Peace Messengers—held urgent fundraising activities for Ukraine and collected signatures against the war. After that, we went to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo with the signatures we collected and handed them to State Minister for Foreign Affairs Odawara. Then, I conversed with Prime Minister Kishida at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum as a Youth Communicator for a World without Nuclear Weapons. I did not think an ordinary high school student like me would have a chance to talk to the prime minister of a country. I was very nervous, but it became a memorable day for me. In this way, my experience as a Hiroshima Nagasaki Peace Messenger had a huge effect on my life. Photo to the right: Rio Sasaki in Nagasaki speaking as a peace messenger.

I participated in the Stanford e-Hiroshima program when I was in the first year of high school and learned about the United States and the world. Being able to finish this curriculum lent me great confidence. In particular, my life changed by meeting my Stanford e-Hiroshima instructor, Mr. Rylan Sekiguchi. I challenged myself to become a Hiroshima Nagasaki Peace Messenger when I was a second-year high school student, but I was not chosen and felt very discouraged. However, Mr. Rylan encouraged me to keep my chin up. The next year, I applied a second time, and I was chosen. If it had not been for Mr. Rylan’s support, I wouldn’t be who I am. Participating in Stanford e-Hiroshima and meeting Mr. Rylan Sekiguchi were extremely important events in my life.

I am now a first-year student at Hiroshima City University majoring in International Studies. Moving forward, I hope to continue advocating for peace in my community and around the world. From now on, I plan to polish my English skills to continue promoting peace activities to the world.

Stanford e-China has been an incredible academic experience from day one.

My journey with the program started with the interview, which was an enjoyable and memorable experience. I was greeted by a warm smile the moment I entered the Zoom room, and Ms. Carey Moncaster showed genuine interest in learning about me as a person. Rather than focusing on my experiences or achievements, she wanted to know more about my personality, interests, and dreams. Ms. Moncaster and the director of 91�Թ�, Dr. Gary Mukai, have remained passionate advisors and generous mentors to many students even after the course, including me. Over the last year and a half, they were always there when I needed advice on how to proceed with a project or wisdom on dealing with a difficult situation.

The sense of community permeated the course itself, which was designed to be highly interactive. The expert speakers gave insightful lectures, followed by long sessions of Q&A. I can still remember my excitement at being able to ask Mr. Roy Ng, our fintech speaker, three questions after his seminar, where he explained how blockchain could help us reach the unbanked. In fact, my current obsession almost perfectly mirrors that topic—exploring how Central Bank Digital Currencies can help facilitate financial inclusion to mitigate inequality. That session made me realize that social entrepreneurship and tech-based solutions will be key players in upholding justice.

The Q&A was also a chance for my cohort to learn from each other. We bonded over our productive, collaborative, and enthusiastic discussions, and many of us stayed in touch after the course. Over the last year and a half, I have grown to be close friends with my fellow honoree, Jason Li. After meeting in person when he visited Shanghai, we decided to co-found a platform to connect students across the globe. Inspired by the diverse community of brilliant students we saw at Stanford e-China, we developed SPOT. The acronym stands for Student Projects Organized Together, and we hope to bring together an international network of passionate youth. We believe that together, we undertake global initiatives that make tangible impacts. Our website is .

Last but not least, e-China has helped me with my work in social justice. Design Thinking has not only aided in my endeavors with SPOT but also in my other initiatives, including the Law Association for Crimes Across History (LACAH) mock trial, where we put perpetrators of atrocities on the stand (lacah.net). Dora Gan from my e-China cohort is actually a member of our Youth Council! Design Thinking’s methodical approach helped us scale up rapidly, and we were recently honored by the EARCOS Global Citizen Grant.

Throughout high school, I have learned a lot from a wide range of outstanding programs. I have also met many other fabulous peers through them. However, it is not every day that a course leaves such a significant impact, continuing to play a role in my life long after its conclusion. Stanford e-China is truly an exceptional experience. I am very thankful to have been a part of the first cohort.