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Applications opened recently for the Fall 2022 session of the 91�Թ� Scholars Program for Japanese High School Students (also known as “Stanford e-Japan”), which will run from the end of September 2022 through the end of February 2023. The deadline to apply is August 12, 2022.

Stanford e-Japan
Fall 2022 session (September 2022 to February 2023)
Application period: July 1 to August 12, 2022

All applications must be submitted at  via the SurveyMonkey Apply platform. Applicants and recommenders will need to create a SurveyMonkey Apply account to proceed. Students who are interested in applying to the online course are encouraged to begin their applications early.

Accepted applicants will engage in an intensive study of U.S. society and culture and U.S.–Japan relations. Government officials, top scholars, and experts from 91�Թ� and throughout the United States provide web-based lectures and engage students in live discussion sessions.

Stanford e-Japan is offered by the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (), 91�Թ�. Stanford e-Japan is generously supported by the , Tokyo, Japan.

For more information about Stanford e-Japan, please visit .

To stay informed of news about Stanford e-Japan and 91�Թ�’s other student programs,  or follow us on , , and .

91�Թ� offers separate courses for U.S. high school students. For more information, please visit the Reischauer Scholars Program (online course about Japan), the , and the .

“Be careful with the scissors,” my grandma would remind me once more. The blistering heat of the Tokyo summer radiated through the living room mercilessly, temporarily distracting me from my task at hand. My eight-year-old hands, glistening with sweat, carefully cut through an empty plastic bottle. I would neatly cut through the grooves of the water bottle, making sure not to leave any sharp ridges, per my grandma’s instructions. After some additional modifications of my own, the mini-trash can was complete. This would be used in various places in my grandparents’ house from the bathroom to the kitchen sink, providing the plastic bottle with years of repurposed life. When I ask my grandma why she won’t simply buy a new plastic container for the same purpose, she would predictably respond: “Mottainai kara” (translation: Because that would be mottainai).

This word, mottainai, which most closely translates to “wasteful,” is a staple of Japanese culture. It is commonly used to express one’s sentiment of wastefulness. It can be used in various contexts from feeling wasteful about food being thrown away to the feeling of regret after wasting time. Awareness of mottainai has been a constant throughout my entire life. I recall my favorite childhood bedtime story being Mottainai Baasan—the story of a baasan, or grandma, who found creative ways to reduce and repurpose waste. Her simple yet riveting creativity ingrained into me an instinct of reducing waste from a young age. I would stuff old shirts into my pillow case to adjust my pillow height; tape pencils sharpened down to less than an inch to the back of a pen to be able to use them to the very end; water down almost empty tomato sauce cans and shake it with the lid closed to be able to use every last bit of the sauce—all were ideas inspired by Mottainai Baasan.

While I had always taken mottainai for granted, I never questioned why Japan as a society practices mottainai so diligently. Through Stanford’s Reischauer Scholars Program (RSP), I was able to explore this familiar concept of mottainai through an academic and historical lens, recontextualizing a mindset I grew up with into what I now realize is a combination of Shinto principles and the result of Japan’s efforts to reconstruct the country following their loss in World War II.

This collective awareness of and desire for self-betterment and respect for one another casted mottainai in a brand-new light. Such realizations allow me to appreciate my family’s culture in a way that ties into grounded historical events.

In particular, books such as Edwin O. Reischauer and the American Discovery of Japan by George Packard explained questions I had long wondered about, specifically regarding key differences in Japanese and Korean culture. As it turns out, America learned from certain setbacks they faced when Westernizing Japan and reshaped its approach in Korea, resulting in many of the differences between Japanese and Korean culture we observe today.

Furthermore, having participated in public Japanese education for over a decade, the opportunity to study Japan under an American lens was incredibly insightful. Whether it be biases I began to realize between Japanese and American teachings or the different approaches to introducing topics involving both countries, connecting different perspectives began to feel like a four-dimensional puzzle spanning time and cultures. The opportunity to immediately discuss my thoughts with other students in RSP culminated into multiple “aha!” moments that have stuck with me since. These thoughtful discussions with my peers stood out as a central part of my experience in the program. For additional context, my experience with RSP coincided with the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite such distractions, RSP allowed me to learn in an engaging and captivating manner. Since the program was originally designed to be in an online setting long before COVID, a strong sense of community was already baked into the experience, and I was able to learn directly from my classmates around the world in an efficient and organized manner.

The opportunity to learn the context and history behind various aspects of Japanese culture that I grew up with and previously took for granted was a priceless experience. Being able to understand why certain cultural quirks exist as well as how they came to be and in what ways they impact modern Japanese society renewed my outlook while deepening my appreciation for Japan.

In March 2022, 91�Թ� released Introduction to Issues in International Security, an online lecture series that was developed in consultation with the Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC). Four CISAC scholars are featured in accessible video lectures that aim to introduce high school students to various global security issues.

Dr. Ignacio Ornelas Rodriguez, high school educator, historian, and researcher, was an advisor to the first cohort of high school students to engage with the lectures. Ornelas guided students from San Jose and Salinas through the video lectures and accompanying curriculum. Students took the initiative to complete the series and assignments on top of their regular schoolwork.

Ornelas’s efforts culminated in the inaugural International Security Symposium that was held on May 26, 2022. The four CISAC scholars gathered online with the first cohort of students. The objectives of the symposium were to offer students a chance to interact with leading scholars in the field of international security and to learn from the scholars about careers in the field.

The scholars, who are featured in the lecture series and who were present during the symposium, are:

Dr. Martha Crenshaw, Senior Fellow, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (Terrorism and Counterterrorism)

The Honorable Rose Gottemoeller, former Deputy Secretary General of NATO and Frank E. and Arthur W. Payne Distinguished Lecturer at Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (International Security and North Korea’s Nuclear Program)

Dr. Norman Naimark, Professor of History and Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution and the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (Ethnic Cleansing and Genocide)

Dr. Megan J. Palmer, Executive Director of Bio Policy and Leadership Initiatives at 91�Թ�, Adjunct Professor in the department of Bioengineering, and Affiliate of the Center for International Security and Cooperation (Biosecurity)

During the symposium, the scholars shared key turning points in their careers and how they came to be in their fields of expertise. This was followed by student presentations in breakout sessions, where the students were given the opportunity to present on one of the four topics covered in Introduction to Issues in International Security.

In the breakout session on ethnic cleansing and genocide, Professor Naimark was impressed by how the students had absorbed the most important lessons of the material on mass atrocities: 1) that ethnic cleansing and genocide are an important part of human history, and 2) that these are phenomena that need to be studied and understood in order to prevent them from repeating in the future.

The student participants from Salinas were recently featured in an article in . Alisal High School student Ashley Corral commented that the series “brought awareness to COVID, mass atrocities and weapons,” and “it was really helpful that students from Salinas Valley could have that opportunity.” Another student, Bilha Piceno said, “It lets me see if this is something that I’m interested in."

The lecture series encourages students to think about international security not only on a broader level, but also how they can contribute to the safety of the world as global citizens starting with their own communities. Given the success of the first symposium, CISAC and 91�Թ� hope to expand on the lecture series, which is part of their DEI-focused efforts, and reach more underrepresented minority students.

91�Թ�’s relationship with the dates back to 1988 when David L. Grossman, Founding Director of 91�Թ�, departed Stanford to become the Director of the Consortium for Teaching Asia and the Pacific in the Schools (CTAPS) at the EWC. In 1995, Grossman left the EWC to join the faculty and administration of the newly established Hong Kong Institute of Education, now the Education University of Hong Kong. Namji Kim Steinemann became his successor and CTAPS became the AsiaPacificEd Program for Schools, which Steinemann directed until her retirement in 2019. I had the pleasure of giving sessions for CTAPS and AsiaPacificEd during its summer institutes from 1989 to 2009.

Over the years, 91�Թ� has continued its connection to the EWC through its work with the EWC’s past presidents like Michel Oksenberg, former Senior Fellow at the Asia-Pacific Research Center, 91�Թ�, and most recently with EWC who took office in January 2022. She is the first woman, Native Hawaiian, and Hawaii resident to be chosen for this role. On June 6, 2022, I met with President Vares-Lum to discuss a teacher summer institute that 91�Թ� will host at the EWC in July 2022 and mentioned my desire to continue 91�Թ�’s long history with the EWC.

The summer institute is the culmination of two online professional development programs (2020–21 and 2021–22) for high school teachers across Hawaii that is supported through a grant from the Freeman Foundation. It is called the Stanford/91�Թ� East Asia Seminars for Teachers in Hawaii or Stanford SEAS Hawaii and is managed by Rylan Sekiguchi.

Stanford SEAS Hawaii aims to build teachers’ content knowledge of East Asia by connecting them with scholars at 91�Թ�, the University of Hawaii, and other local institutions in Hawaii. The participating teachers—Stanford/Freeman SEAS Hawaii Fellows—also receive teaching resources from 91�Թ� and share pedagogical strategies to support their teaching in the high school classroom.

91�Թ� is grateful to the Freeman Foundation for its generous support of Stanford SEAS Hawaii and EWC President Vares-Lum for her commitment to continuing the EWC’s long history of working with 91�Թ�. Photo above (left to right): Gary Mukai and the Freeman Foundation’s President Graeme Freeman, Senior Program Officer Alec Freeman, and Office Manager Robin Sato.

91�Թ� continues to expand its regional programs for high school students in Japan. This year marked the launch of the Stanford e-Kobe program, which joins the previously established programs, Stanford e-Hiroshima, Stanford e-Kawasaki, Stanford e-Oita, and Stanford e-Tottori.

These online courses are a collaboration between 91�Թ� and local government and school officials in Japan and challenge students to think critically about global themes related to U.S. society and culture and U.S.–Japan relations.

All five courses have now finished their 2021–2022 term. This summer, two top students from each program will present their final research projects and be honored at a virtual event hosted by 91�Թ�, 91�Թ�. Congratulations to the ten honorees below on their excellent academic achievement!

Stanford e-Hiroshima (Instructor Rylan Sekiguchi)

Student Honoree: Minori Imai
School: Hiroshima Prefectural Kuremitsuta High School
Project Title: All Lives Are Important

Student Honoree: Yui Miyake
School: Hiroshima Prefectural Hiroshima High School
Project Title: U.S. Prison System: How the Country’s History of Racial Inequality Drives the High Rate of Incarceration in America

Stanford e-Kawasaki (Instructor Maiko Tamagawa Bacha)

Student Honoree: Sayaka Kiyotomo
School: Kawasaki High School
Project Title: How Can We Improve Junior and Senior High School English Education in Japan?

Student Honoree: Anne Fukushima
School: Tachibana High School
Project Title: How Are Invisible Disorders Accepted in the United States and Japan?

Stanford e-Kobe (Instructor Alison Harsch)

Student Honoree: Nonoha Toji
School: Kobe University Secondary School
Project Title: How to Foster Entrepreneurship in School Days: Between U.S. and Japan

Student Honoree: Cullen Hiroki Morita
School: Kobe Municipal Fukiai High School
Project Title: The Different Work-Life Balance in Japan and America

Stanford e-Oita (Instructor Kasumi Yamashita)

Student Honoree: Rina Imai
School: Usa High School
Project Title: Learn 91�Թ� War and Peace Through the Naval Air Base Bunkers in Oita

Student Honoree: Yuki Nojiri
School: Hofu High School
Project Title: I Want to Live in the Second House of the Three Little Pigs

Stanford e-Tottori (Instructor Jonas Edman)

Student Honoree: Sakurako Kano
School: Tottori Keiai High School
Project Title: Being Proactive

Student Honoree: Yuki Yamane
School: Tottori Nishi High School
Project Title: The Effect of Collectivism and Individualism on Education

The 91�Թ� staff is looking forward to honoring these ten students in a virtual ceremony on August 9, 2022 (August 10 in Japan). Each student will be given the opportunity to make a formal presentation to members of the Stanford community, the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco, and the Japanese community in the San Francisco Bay Area.

91�Թ� also offers online courses to U.S. high school students on Japan (Reischauer Scholars Program), China (China Scholars Program), and Korea (Sejong Korea Scholars Program), and online courses to Chinese high school students on the United States (Stanford e-China) and to Japanese high school students on the United States and U.S.–Japan relations (Stanford e-Japan).

To stay informed of 91�Թ� news,  and follow us on , , and .

As a young student in San Jose in the 1960s and early 1970s, I used to see Norman Mineta on occasion in San Jose’s Japantown. Once at Jackson Barber Shop in Japantown, Norm was on the barber chair. After he left, barbers Takeo and Atsuo Fukuda asked me if I knew who he was. I didn’t, and Takeo told me that he was Norman Mineta, vice mayor of San Jose. That was the first time that I sat next to him, and the last time (photo above) was on September 20, 2019, just a few months prior to the pandemic.

Since that day at Jackson Barber Shop, I recognized Norm whenever I saw him in Japantown, in the San Jose Mercury News, and in the national news. Whenever I met with him as mayor, congressman, or secretary, I was struck by how he remembered members of my family in San Jose. His capacity for empathy is something that I have admired since my youth and aspire to in my adulthood. Norm’s passing on May 3, 2022 prompted me to recall our work together on several education-focused projects that were deeply personal to him and to me.

Norm’s life story—including his family’s incarceration in Heart Mountain Relocation Center by the U.S. government during World War II—is eloquently captured in the remembrance, “,” which was written by , Professor Emeritus, 91�Թ�. Norm’s life is also brilliantly captured in the film, , by Dianne Fukami and Debra Nakatomi, Mineta Legacy Project. According to Fukami and Nakatomi, the film is about injustice and redemption, and Norm’s burning desire for all people to be treated equally. That desire was influenced greatly by his childhood incarceration experience. I often heard Norm talk about the anguish and heartbreak he felt as a 10-year-old when his family was taken from their San Jose home in 1942 and he was forced to leave behind his dog, Skippy.

In the early 2000s, I consulted with him about 91�Թ�’s curricular work on a comprehensive curriculum unit that focused on the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II and a teacher’s guide for the film, Uncommon Courage: Patriotism and Civil Liberties, directed by gayle yamada. The curriculum helps to raise public awareness concerning the history and the lessons of civil rights violations or civil liberties injustices experienced by certain communities—something that Norm experienced first-hand as a child. The teacher’s guide helps teachers to set the context for and to debrief the viewing of the film that tells the story of the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) during World War II and the Allied Occupation of Japan. Approximately 6,000 MIS soldiers, primarily Japanese American, fought for the United States in the Pacific, interrogating Japanese prisoners, translating documents, intercepting communications, and infiltrating enemy lines. Many of the soldiers volunteered from the incarceration camps. While developing the guide, I spoke to Norm about many of the MIS soldiers whom he knew and also about his experiences as an intelligence officer in Japan and Korea in the 1950s.

When I was a board member of the , Norm (as one of the founding members of the Memorial) supported the development of educational resources on the Memorial in Washington, DC, which I developed back in the early 2000s with Kerry Yo Nakagawa, Director, . Norm’s quote is inscribed on one of the walls of the Memorial. It reads,

In addition, my colleague, Rylan Sekiguchi, and I had the honor of working in collaboration with the —specifically with Norm, Dianne Fukami, Debra Nakatomi, and Amy Watanabe—on the development of a comprehensive web-based curriculum called “” Inspired by the life and career of Norm, the six themed lessons are: Immigration, Civil Liberties & Equity, Civic Engagement, Justice & Reconciliation, Leadership, and U.S.–Japan Relations. Norm also joined Sekiguchi and members of the Mineta Legacy Project in introducing the curriculum at several venues, including the U.S.-Japan Council annual conference in Tokyo (November 2018); National Council of History Education conference in Washington, DC (March 2019); Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California (April 2019); and the National Council for the Social Studies annual conference in Austin, Texas (November 2019). Note: The photo above was taken at the National Council of History Education conference, Washington, DC; Secretary Norman Mineta with Nakatomi (left) and Fukami (right) and Sekiguchi.

Lastly, in spring of 2021, I was asked by Stanford’s Center for East Asian Studies for recommendations for a keynote speaker for the CEAS commencement. The first person who came to mind was Norm, and he accepted CEAS’s invitation. I will always remember his important words—that there are two things to always cherish and to hold dear to your heart no matter what the situation. These are your name and integrity.

During the keynote address, my mind periodically drifted back to my first encounter with Norm at Jackson Barber Shop. Today, May 30, 2022, Memorial Day, I walked past the location of where Jackson Barber Shop once stood. I recalled the first time that I saw Norm and remembered Atsuo and Takeo, who are shown in the photo (1950s) above where Takeo (near the window) is cutting my father’s hair and Atsuo is cutting the hair of one of my father’s best friends. Takeo and Atsuo’s family was in the same block as my father and his family in Poston War Relocation Center in Arizona. Takeo used to cut my hair, and I remember talking with him about one of my relatives, Hachiro Mukai, who was drafted into the U.S. Army from Poston and was killed in action in France. Norm wanted Hachiro’s story (and others like it) to be transmitted to future generations. I will always remember that and his support of 91�Թ�’s educational efforts over the years. Note: Photo of Jackson Barber Shop, courtesy Chiyo Fukuda.

At the COPANI XX conference in San Francisco, I shared the photo of Jackson Barber Shop with Norm and we shared not only some sadness about the bygone years of many Japantown businesses but also some laughter too, as he said that I still needed a haircut.

In 2015, 91�Թ� launched Stanford e-Japan, an online course for high school students in Japan that is generously supported by the , Tokyo, Japan. The two key objectives of Stanford e-Japan are to introduce the students to U.S.–Japan relations and to also encourage the students to consider studying in the United States. Since then, many Stanford e-Japan alumni have spent time or are spending time studying at U.S. colleges as exchange students and as four-year undergraduates. The two Stanford e-Japan instructors are Waka Brown (spring course) and Meiko Kotani (fall course). On May 13, 2022, Brown organized and facilitated a session that introduced her students to opportunities to study abroad.

The session began with comments by Chizuru Sasada, Senior EducationUSA Advisor of Fulbright Japan; Vincent Flores, EducationUSA Regional Educational Advising Coordinator for Northeast Asia and the Pacific; and Kaede Ishidate, an intern at EducationUSA and student at Harvard University. is a U.S. Department of State network of international student advising centers in many countries and territories that provides free advice and comprehensive information to prospective students wishing to study at U.S. colleges and universities. Sasada and Flores offered advice on studying abroad and noted, “There’s nothing like ‘being there!’” and fielded questions from the Stanford e-Japan students on topics such as college application essays, balancing extracurricular activities, and letters of recommendation.

After the comments by Sasada, Flores, and Ishidate, the Stanford e-Japan students were offered the opportunity to meet with Japanese students who are currently studying at colleges abroad in breakout groups. The breakout groups were led by the following college students:

• Ryusei Best Hayashi (University of California, Berkeley) is majoring in Business Administration and Political Science and was a participant in the Stanford e-Japan Spring 2020 course. He is half-Mexican and half-Japanese, and was born in Mexico. He studied at Aoba-Japan International School, Tokyo.
• Anna Matsumoto (91�Թ�) is studying Mechanical Engineering. She is a Yanai Tadashi Scholar and is from Tokushima, Japan. She attended Tokushima Bunri High School, Tokushima. The New York Times featured her in an in 2021.
• Ayano Shirakawa (University of British Columbia, Canada) participated in the Stanford e-Japan Spring 2019 course and is studying at UBC Sauder School of Business majoring in Commerce and minoring in Law & Society. She was born and raised in Kobe, Japan, and attended the Canadian Academy.
• Keilyn Tai (Brigham Young University) grew up in Hong Kong before moving to Japan to attend high school at Shibuya Makuhari Senior High School, Chiba, Japan. She participated in the Stanford e-Japan Fall 2020 course. She is considering Computer Science as a major.
• Hannah Tauchi (University of California, San Diego) is majoring in Bioengineering with a focus on biotechnology. She participated in the Stanford e-Japan Spring 2017 course and was a student at Futaba High School, Tokyo. She is a Yanai Tadashi Scholar.
   

Reflecting on the breakout sessions, the Stanford e-Japan students shared takeaways from their discussions about the college admission process. These included:

• Scholarship opportunities such as the
• Extracurriculars and internship programs
• Mental health and life-study balance
• Initiative-taking
• English abilities
• Liberal arts colleges vs. research universities
   

In closing, Brown underscored the importance of the takeaways, encouraged her students to explore new opportunities, and also reassured them that it is okay if they as high school students do not yet know what they want to do in their lives. She also noted the importance of a good “college fit.” Reflecting upon the session, she noted, “I am so grateful to Sasada-san, Vincent, Kaede, the Yanai Scholars, and Stanford e-Japan alumni for the insight that they provided my students. I wish that I had such invaluable advice when I was a high school student.”

Reflecting on the session, Ishidate noted, “I was very impressed by the students from the Stanford e-Japan program who were all highly motivated and eager to ask questions about study abroad opportunities in the U.S. It was encouraging to see that they have access to the right resources and even more, that they have the mindset to expand their horizons and pursue their goals. While I was only able to speak with them for a short amount of time, I myself felt inspired by the students to continue my own academic journey!”

The following is Part 8 of a multiple-part series. To read previous installments in this series, please visit the following articles: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, and Part 7.

Since December 8, 2020, 91�Թ� has posted seven articles that highlight reflections from 57 students on the question, “What does it mean to be an American?” Part 8 features eight additional reflections.

The free educational website “” offers six lessons on immigration, civic engagement, leadership, civil liberties & equity, justice & reconciliation, and U.S.–Japan relations. The lessons encourage critical thinking through class activities and discussions. On March 24, 2021, 91�Թ�’s Rylan Sekiguchi was honored by the Association for Asian Studies for his authorship of the lessons that are featured on the website, which was developed by the Mineta Legacy Project in partnership with 91�Թ�.

Since the website launched in September 2020, 91�Թ� has invited students to review and share their reflections on the lessons. Below are the reflections of eight students. I am grateful to Dr. Ignacio Ornelas, Teacher, Willow Glen High School, San Jose, California, and Aya Shehata, Hilo High School, Hawai’i, for their support with this edition. The reflections below do not necessarily reflect those of the 91�Թ� staff.

Renn Guard, North Carolina
Americans often have the privilege of being a part of many communities that help define themselves as complex, unique individuals. The past few years have demonstrated that our communities define America, a prospect that can be both concerning and hopeful. After the 2021 Atlanta spa shooting, many questioned what “Asian American” has meant and what it could mean. I observed the Asian American community connect over both their pain and frustration with the current state of the country and their hopes for a brighter future. Outside the Asian American community, many other groups, both intersecting and not, also came to sit in solidarity, reminding me that American values are rooted in communities that uphold understanding, inclusivity, and respect.

Emi Hiroshima, California
By many, America is known as the “Land of Opportunity.” Certainly, this is what my great grandparents thought when they immigrated to the U.S. from Japan in the early 1900s. Although some may say it’s a less than ideal place to live, I think it provides more opportunities than other countries for those willing to try. In some countries, it is difficult for a woman to pursue certain careers or even to receive an education. They aren’t given the opportunity to even try. I believe America has a long way to go in terms of gender equality or equality for all, but women are surrounded with more chances because of others who pushed for women’s rights throughout history. In America, we are not guaranteed success, but we are provided the opportunity to always try.

Keona Marie Matsui, Hawai’i
To me, being American means being free. I am free to embrace my Japanese and Filipino heritage. I am free to learn and celebrate other cultures. I am free to express myself through my physical appearance and my words. I am free to speak another language and learn many more. I am free to take advantage of the opportunities in America. But being an Asian American means that I’m stuck between identities. I was born in America, half Filipino and half Japanese, but I wasn’t born in either country. I don’t speak Tagalog or Japanese fluently; I speak English. I’m not blonde-haired or blue-eyed. I grew up in Hawai’i, surrounded by people with similar situations. Our unique experiences and identities are what make up America—and what makes us American.

Jyoti Souza, Hawai’i
That is a complicated question. Some glorify being American because they immigrated from impoverished home countries. Others are ignorant to this country’s history and its current situation, or they simply do not care. For me, this country acted as a home for my grandparents who immigrated from poverty in South America. Though I am grateful for America’s seemingly open arms, it has changed vastly or never changed at all. More people are fighting against laws and bias in our government. The LGBTQ+ community asks for more freedom, African Americans demand justice, and people opposed to an election attack the White House. Some people call themselves American because of their skin color and label any others as outsiders or invaders. On the surface, being American seems like freedom and justice for all, but deep inside, it’s anything but.

Sharika Thaploo, Ohio
Growing up as a first-generation immigrant in America, the idea that America was built on the great enlightenment ideals of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” was drilled into me. But to me, America meant assimilation through what I had learned from my experience in this country. I initially believed that to succeed and prosper socially I would have to discard parts of my identity that were essential to my culture. I spent time adjusting to what I believed it meant to be American. But gradually, I saw the way my identity as an Indian American affected all my decisions and my worldview. To me, being an American is bringing ideas and cultural identities into this country to make yourself and the people around you better.

Taelynn Thomas, California
I view the term “American” as an identity. American is a label that represents that you are proud of what America is as a whole and that you stand with this country. A part of identifying as American means being aware that America, as a country, is not perfect and there are still challenges people face based on their race, social status, and more. This is not to say that we don’t try to fix issues in our society. There are programs that provide help for people with lower income. So, no, America isn’t perfect. But the American people can help change it in a positive way. So, when someone asks me what it means to be American, I say an American is a person who is proud of this country but still understands that we need change and is not afraid to help change this country for the better.

Hector Vela, California
Being American is a title but, to me, it’s an idea. In our history, many ethnicities from across the world came to the “land of the free,” but at times weren’t treated that way. So, we changed our mindset to include many ethnicities and make it an ideal place for anyone. We evolved because people recognized the flaws and we fixed them. It is up to us to expand the acceptance of different cultures and make a safe place for future generations. What will we do to shape America into something we can be proud and happy of? To say, “I am a proud American,” we must embrace our differences and use them to make America an ideal and safe place for everyone now and in the future.

Katherine Xu, Ohio
For me, the inherent beauty and ongoing question of being an American is embodied in our country’s motto: E pluribus unum (out of many, one). We are a group of individual “I’s” who have agreed to band together as a “we.” However, the issue has been to constantly question who is (or is not) included in that “we,” and how we redefine and reimagine it. Overall, we’ve succeeded in developing a better comprehensive knowledge of ourselves and acceptance of one another. However, we have historically wavered and are now at a crossroads: will we progress toward a broader meaning of “we” or will we regress to a narrower one? That is essentially the question—with all of its aspirations and fears—at the core of what it means to be an American, both personally and collectively.

 

91�Թ� is currently accepting applications for the Fall 2022 term of the China Scholars Program, an intensive, college-level online course on contemporary China for U.S. high school students. The China Scholars Program (CSP) is open to rising 10th, 11th, and 12th graders across the United States.

91�Թ� China Scholars Program for high school students
Fall 2022 session (late August through December)
Application period: April 25 to June 15, 2022

Designed to provide high-achieving high school students a rich and comprehensive online learning experience, the CSP offers college-level instruction provided by scholars from 91�Թ� and other top-tier colleges and universities that is unparalleled in other distance-learning courses for high school students. During the synchronous virtual classroom sessions, students engage in live discourse with Stanford professors, leading scholars from other universities and organizations, and former diplomats. This unique opportunity to learn directly from noted scholars at the cutting edge of their fields is a distinctive element of the China Scholars Program. Students who complete the course will be equipped with a rare degree of expertise about China and international relations that may have a significant impact on their choice of study and future career.

“This program has been one of the most enriching and fun ones I’ve gotten the chance to participate in,” said Sana Pandey, a recent alum of the program. “I’m beyond grateful to have had the opportunity. Especially during the chaos of COVID and the initial phases of quarantine, CSP was an amazing anchor and a way to make sure I was intellectually engaged while the rest of the world seemed to stagnate. I honestly loved every second.”

More information on the China Scholars Program is available at . Interested high school students should apply now at . The deadline to apply is June 15, 2022.

To stay updated on 91�Թ� news, or follow us on , , and .

The China Scholars Program is one of several online courses offered by 91�Թ�, 91�Թ�.