91勛圖

Authors
Carey Moncaster
News Type
Blogs
Date
Paragraphs

Back in the late 1930s and early 1940s, when it was still relatively novel to use photographs in the press to inform and influence public opinion and policy, Marion Post Wolcott captured images of life in rural America to galvanize support for the New Deal. She was hired as a photographer for the Farm Security Administration (FSA), a federal agency dedicated to improving the lives of Americas most impoverished farmers. Her images vividly exposed the social and economic conditions wrought by the Great Depression and Dust Bowl, and included tenant farmers, migrant workers, cotton pickers, among others, all living in poverty and racially divided communities.

Only the second woman hired on the project, Marion traveled backroads for weeks on end alonea brave and determined assignment for a young, white woman at that time. She was influenced early by a traveling mother who pioneered birth control clinics with Margaret Sanger and a loving relationship with her Black caregiver, and was later exposed to progressive ideas, art, and education in New York City and Austria as Hitler rose to power. These experiences helped Marion view inequity and injustice through the lens of race, class, and gender, and her interest in photography deepened as a way to illuminate complex issues and influence social change.

Image
Marion Post Wolcott in 1940
As she traversed the states, hauling her heavy camera, film, light meters, tripods, and flash bulbs, she connected with women and children, entered homes and fields, changed flat tires on creekbed roads, finding creative ways to earn the trust of the people she photographed. In addition to scenes depicting specific, candid moments in U.S. history, her images also captured enduring racial tensions, class discrepancies, and reflections of shared humanity.

At the height of her photographic career, Marions professional life suddenly ended in 1942, after she met her husband Lee Wolcott, an assistant to Secretary of Agriculture Henry Wallace and recent widower with two young children. Amid the frenzy of McCarthyism, the Wolcotts opted to leave D.C. and try their hand at farming. Marion put down her camera to focus on the demanding roles of farm wife and mother to her growing family.

Years later, leaving the farm for her husbands USAID posts in Iran, Egypt, Pakistan, and India, Marion picked up her camera again to capture social and political images. Upon retirement back in the United States, she continued photographing people and activities of personal interest such as anti-war protests and other social movements. Some of these images have been included in exhibits and media as FSA photographs became increasingly featured in present-day discussions. Her FSA film negatives remain archived in the U.S. Library of Congress and her prints are included in major collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Smithsonian Institute.

Despite late recognition, Marion often reflected on and grappled with the hard choices women of her generation faced as they tried to balance raising a family with a professional career. A few years before her death in 1990, as a keynote speaker at a Women in Photography Conference, Marion said to her audience:

Women have come a long way, but not far enough. Ahead still are formidable hurdles. Speak with your images from your heart and soul. Give of yourself. Trust your gut reactions. Suck out the juicesthe essence of your life experiences. Get on with it; it may not be too late.

Marion Post Wolcott is my grandmother and her photographs have been the wallpaper of my life. A tenant farmers child with bowed legs from rickets walking down a path of parched earth, migrant vegetable pickers and coal miners, African Americans in fields of cotton and jitterbugging in a juke joint, bountiful landscapes of America the Beautiful (officially requested to reassure and inspire the public), and shots taken for contrast of wealthy patrons at the horseraces and private beach clubsthese are just a few of her images creating a gallery in my home. Marions great-granddaughters now ask questions about the scenes and I hear my grandmothers voice, sense of adventure, humor and deep care as I relate her stories. Despite her compromises and even some regrets, her example of a bold, engaged, and independent woman helped pave the way for generations to come.

91勛圖 will feature a selection of Marion Post Wolcotts photographs in an ongoing series along with organizing questions for educators. The themes will relate to those prefaced herethe challenging conditions that spurred the dynamic and far-reaching programs of the New Deal including significant investments in national infrastructure, social security, and public welfare, as well as efforts to change attitudes and inspire compassion toward fellow Americans. The photographs also raise discussions about the influence of an historians perspective. For the featured photo in this article, the following questions are recommended:
 

  1. This photo was taken when Jim Crow laws were being enforced in the South after the Civil War. What were Jim Crow Laws? What did you first notice in the photo? How does the caption help you understand what was happening at this time in U.S. history? What do you think Marion Post Wolcott was trying to capture in the photograph? How does the photograph help to increase your understanding of written descriptions of Jim Crow laws in your U.S. history textbook?
  2. What is the significance of the Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court?
  3. What is the significance of the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court? 
  4. What acts brought Jim Crow laws to an end?
  5. What has been the role of the Supreme Court in shaping the history of segregation in the United States?
  6. Do you think the photo relates to African American lives today and/or to related social movements? Why or why not?

Read More

screenshot of dr. clayborne carson's video lecture
Blogs

Civil and Human Rights: The Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy

91勛圖 recommends the use of a short lecturetitled Civil and Human Rights: The Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy by Dr. Clayborne Carsonfor high school and college levels.
Civil and Human Rights: The Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy
image of professor in his office
Blogs

Growing Up Navajo

Dr. Harold Begay, Navajo Nation Superintendent (Select) of Schools, Department of Din矇 Education, shares reflections on his life.
Growing Up Navajo
screenshot of an instructor and a student
Blogs

Stanford Alumni Cultivate Future Social Entrepreneurs in China

91勛圖 seeks to expand its offerings to students and teachers in China.
Stanford Alumni Cultivate Future Social Entrepreneurs in China
All News button
1
Subtitle

91勛圖 will feature a selection of Marion Post Wolcotts photographs in an ongoing series along with organizing questions for educators.

Authors
News Type
Blogs
Date
Paragraphs

(MBA, Harvard), former Visiting Lecturer, Hitotsubashi University Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy, is an advisor to Stanford e-Hiroshima. His parents, Ryuji and Nanako, are supporters of Stanford e-Hiroshima, which is an online course that 91勛圖 offers to high school students in Hiroshima. Taught by Rylan Sekiguchi, Stanford e-Hiroshima was launched in 2019 with the support of the Hiroshima Prefectural Board of Education. 91勛圖 is grateful to Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki for his vision and leadership and Superintendent Rie Hirakawa for her unwavering support.

Ryuji Yamada adjusts the window shades to savor the view that grows elusive to his aging eyes. If you gaze towards Diamond Head from the Yamadas condominium, kite surfers glide in and out of your perspective in some random Brownian motion; their paths, pace, and direction seem chaotic. They all share the same wind, waves, and current, but the skill of the rider to look ahead and channel the energies around them sends them on very different and wonderful journeys. 

I was just 14 living in Hiroshima and still a minor when the bomb dropped. My brother was only one year older but considered an adult and was sent on work detail for defense preparations. He had to walk through ground zero to come home. My father had a meeting at City Hall, but the ferry was cancelled. We all survived, but the blast sent us in very different directions.

They rebuilt the community with their personality, spirit, and bare hands, but I was pushed inward to my studies. I needed to comprehend the natural force that had wrought so much destruction.

In the sixties, foreign exchange was scarce, and I was one of the first scientists that the Japanese government sponsored to do research abroad. At Cornell, Robert Wilson guided my career and brought me along to establish what became Fermilab in 1967. We built Fermilab as an oasis of fundamental research in the Illinois prairie. We thought that the pursuit of knowledge would unite us. Wilsons famous defense in April 1969 of Fermilab to Congress seems even more relevant today.

Are we good painters, good sculptors, great poets? I mean all the things that we really venerate and honor in our country and are patriotic about. In that sense, this new knowledge has all to do with honor and country, but it has nothing to do directly with defending our country except to help make it worth defending.[1]


Nanako Yamada also grew up in Hiroshima, but her greatest challenges were still ahead of her. In the 70s, there were few role models for women in building identity outside of the home in middle America. But when it became apparent that our second child was uncontrollable in his adolescent years, I decided to lead by example and went back to school to rekindle my love for learning. At Northern Illinois University, Helen Merritt guided me through a career in art history, and we authored several books together.

Our specialty was kuchie woodblock prints from the late 19th to early 20th century. They offered a glimpse into a culture in flux. Western influences disrupting Japanese culture after Commodore Perrys black ships forced the opening of Japan.

What to accept, what to reject. What to cherish and what to disavow. Even when you think you stand still, you are always changing, and hopefully growing. Captured in the woodblocks is a narrative. Some cautionary, some celebratory, but all are educational if your eye and mind are willing to engage.

When we heard about the 91勛圖 program for Hiroshima, we were honored to stand by the Hiroshima Board of Education and continue the legacy of exploration and learning. Technology allows the new generation to not only be buffeted by social media but to also make profound connections to community, both near and far. Hopefully the students can find their own Robert Wilsons and Helen Merritts. We were blessed to make these relations, but we would have never found them without exploring and engaging. We didnt have a grand plan, but we never stopped looking. We look forward to seeing what wonderful things they will find.


Stanford e-Hiroshima is one of 91勛圖s local student programs in Japan.

To stay informed of news about 91勛圖, and follow us on , , and


[1] Fermilab; [access date: February 5, 2022].

Read More

Photo of student honorees holding plaques
News

91勛圖 Honors Top Students from 20202021 Regional Programs in Japan

Congratulations to the eight student honorees from Hiroshima Prefecture, Kawasaki City, Oita Prefecture, and Tottori Prefecture.
91勛圖 Honors Top Students from 20202021 Regional Programs in Japan
Headshot of Risa Ishii and Takaho Iwasaki
Blogs

Journey into the World of Entrepreneurship: Stanford e-Hiroshima Guest Speakers, Risa Ishii and Takaho Iwasaki

Stanford e-Hiroshima is an online course for high school students in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, that is sponsored by the Hiroshima Prefectural Government.
Journey into the World of Entrepreneurship: Stanford e-Hiroshima Guest Speakers, Risa Ishii and Takaho Iwasaki
Stanford e-Hiroshima is an online course for high school students created by 91勛圖 and Hiroshima Prefecture
News

Stanford e-Hiroshima, 91勛圖s Newest Online Course for High School Students: Sharing Cranes Across the Pacific

Stanford e-Hiroshima seeks to underscore the importance of helping high school students understand the interdependence between Japan and the United States.
Stanford e-Hiroshima, 91勛圖s Newest Online Course for High School Students: Sharing Cranes Across the Pacific
All News button
1
Subtitle

Ryuji and Nanako Yamada share reflections on their lives in Hiroshima and their American mentors.

Authors
Gary Mukai
News Type
Blogs
Date
Paragraphs

The following is Part 7 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, and Part 6.

Since December 8, 2020, 91勛圖 has posted six articles that highlight reflections from 49 students on the question, What does it mean to be an American? Part 7 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勛圖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勛圖.

Since the website launched in September 2020, 91勛圖 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; Mineko Todd, Teacher, Waiakea High School, Hawaii; Aya Shehata, Hilo High School, Hawaii; and Kathryn Tolbert, a former editor and reporter at The Washington Post for their support with this edition. The reflections below do not necessarily reflect those of the 91勛圖 staff.

Kylie Copeland, California
What makes one an American is not based on their ethnicity or the color of their skin, but rather their devotion to life, liberty, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness. These unalienable rights and their importance have been repeated in many pieces of American literature. These rights have shown to not hold as much value when concerning race. As a White-Vietnamese woman, I have endured experiences where I have been treated like I dont fit an American profile, even though my morals are those that align with the unalienable rights. It is important to understand that one who is American is one who is determined to fight for liberty, and fight for freedom, and fight for those who are affected daily by these important rights.

Janessa Dillion, California
American ideals are among of the most falsely advertised concepts I have had to face growing up. I was taught that there is pride in being an American and what the country stood for. Liberty and justice for all is a lie when our own justice system would condone slavery and police brutality. Our founding fathers constructed a country benefiting only the people that they thought mattered. America is not broken; it is how it was intended to be and now its up to the youth (the leaders of the future) that recognize this to not fix it but to deconstruct what we currently have in place. I am proud to be an American because I get to create a better future and thats where my patriotism lies.

Evan Ingerick, Pennsylvania
I take being American for granted. Im a third generation Japanese American. My great-grandmother is a war bride from Japan. I live in rural Pennsylvania. I have heard stories from my grandpa about being bullied about his skin and race. To me, times have changed where kids arent as prejudiced. When I think of being American, I think of all the freedoms we have. For me, it is freedom of speech, religion, the ability to choose courses for my choice of a career. I can play all sports. I can do anything anyone else can. If I question what being an American is, I wonder if our democracy is eroding because of all race-related riots, immigration problems, voting systems problems in the news today. These things concern me.

Justin Katayama, New York
While the Japanese tend to be bound to their idea of peace, Americans tend to believe that they are the ones who can bring about justice by raising their voice. While the Japanese believe the same thing, they dont speak out because they prioritize harmony. Because Japan is very conservative, there is not as much conflict. While I am of Japanese ancestry, I was born and raised in America. I was raised to have the mentality that my opinion matters and that I should speak out when I believe I should. Being an American means that my voice isnt bound by anything and that it will always be heard by someone.

Mailiokawailelenani Mckeague, Hawaii
Living around 2,000 miles away from what I think is the true America, the term American has never been more than the title of the country I live in. I say the Pledge of Allegiance every morning and watch the news every night, yet there is rarely any mainstream media on Hawaii, where I live. There is a big debate on whether Hawaii is a part of America since it was illegally overthrown. With my father being Japanese and Hawaiian and my mother being from Brazil, there seems to be a big gap between where I fit into this idea of being an American. Yet to me, that seems exactly what it means to be American. To be American means to live in a diverse community of people who may not feel like they fit in but they call America home nonetheless. 

Daniela Mu簽oz, California
Even though we live in a land of freedom, oftentimes being American means having the necessity to fight for equality and justice. People see America as such a perfect country. In reality, a lot of people have had to fight hard to have the opportunities that they have today. My parents are immigrants who came to the United States for better opportunities. They followed their American dream to accomplish things that they wouldnt have been able to accomplish in their home country. I have Mexican roots and I sometimes think that I will never truly feel the full experience as an American, but I will contribute to traditions and help better the community. It is the significance of maintaining our traditional culture regardless that is important to me.

Nyla Gaeta Nedrow, California
Since its foundation, the United States has been recognized as a pioneer for change. As Americans, I think its our duty to keep pushing for progress in areas such as equity and fairness. Our country is far from perfect but when we stand united towards a common goal, anything is possible. From the American Revolution to our most recent election, the American people have proven again and again that we can be agents for change. Being an American means having a nuanced understanding of our countrys past and present. Just because we are asking for improvement does not mean we love our country any less. If anything, I think it means quite the opposite. We ask for improvement because we want the best for our country and for its people.

Hokulani Thomas, Hawaii
When I think about what it means to be an American, I think about diversity. Our country is made up of all different kinds of people from all over the world. From where I am from, which is Hawaii, being mixed race is completely the norm. You could take a walk around town and meet and see people of all different backgrounds. And while to this day there is still prejudice and hate over some cultures and races, in Hawaii we have love and aloha for one another, and we celebrate and support one anothers cultures. So when I think about what it means to be an American, I think about diversity, and how we are getting more and more accepting of different cultures every year.

 

Read More

headshots of eight high school students
Blogs

What Does It Mean to Be an American?: Reflections from Students (Part 6)

Reflections of eight students on the website What Does It Mean to Be an American?
What Does It Mean to Be an American?: Reflections from Students (Part 6)
headshots of eight high school students
Blogs

What Does It Mean to Be an American?: Reflections from Students (Part 5)

Reflections of eight students on the website "What Does It Mean to Be an American?"
What Does It Mean to Be an American?: Reflections from Students (Part 5)
eight students headshot
Blogs

What Does It Mean to Be an American?: Reflections from Students (Part 4)

Reflections of eight students on the website "What Does It Mean to Be an American?"
What Does It Mean to Be an American?: Reflections from Students (Part 4)
Hero Image
All News button
1
Subtitle

Reflections of eight students on the website What Does It Mean to Be an American?

Authors
Gary Mukai
News Type
Blogs
Date
Paragraphs

Rylan Sekiguchi has been selected as a cohort fellow for the program (M&S)an initiative to attract remote workers, especially returning kama妡ina (晨硃滄硃勳妡勳 residents), to create a more innovative, resilient, and sustainable 晨硃滄硃勳妡勳. The rationale for the establishment of M&S is based on the following.

Brain drain is an enduring challenge for 晨硃滄硃勳妡勳 as we lose key talent and family members to economic opportunities on the continent. M&S focuses on brain gain to grow and diversify 晨硃滄硃勳妡勳s economy so that local folks can come home and never have to leave in the first place.

A recent , 晨硃滄硃勳妡勳s Population Drain Outpaces Most StatesAgain, in Honolulu Civil Beat features comments by M&S Director Nicole Lim. In the article, she notes, The overall goal is really brain gain. How to tie people into 晨硃滄硃勳妡勳 for the good of 晨硃滄硃勳妡勳.

Selected from thousands of applicants, Sekiguchi is one of 50 in the second M&S cohort contributing to the community through volunteer projects and developing personal and professional relationships with people from diverse backgrounds. Sekiguchi is working primarily with the , which is led by Executive Director Vicky Holt Takamine, a respected kumu hula (master teacher of hula), well-known Native Hawaiian advocate, and valuable proponent of M&S in the local community.

The Movers and Shakas program is based on three key pillars.

  • Learn: Cultural education helps cohort fellows understand the historical and current context of 晨硃滄硃勳妡勳, allowing them to build stronger personal relationships and connect more deeply with 晨硃滄硃勳妡勳.
  • Contribute: Volunteering allows cohort fellows to contribute their unique professional skillsets and experiences to local nonprofits and startups while learning about 晨硃滄硃勳妡勳 from community leaders in a reciprocal relationship.
  • Connect: Community building centers around the two-way sharing of knowledge, ideas, and culture to foster strong bonds between individuals, within the cohort, with volunteer partner orgs, and with the general public.
     

Following a recent visit to the Bishop Museum, designated as the 晨硃滄硃勳妡勳 State Museum of Natural and Cultural History, Sekiguchi reflected on his experience. Though I was born and raised in 晨硃滄硃勳妡勳, it wasnt until I moved to the continent as a student at 91勛圖 that I began to truly recognize my connection to this place. After being away for 19 years, M&S has been an incredibly meaningful experience for me and an extraordinary opportunity to reconnect with 晨硃滄硃勳妡勳. Its also been inspiring to connect with my M&S cohort mates, many of whom also have personal connections to the state. Someday, I hope to connect my 91勛圖 work more closely with the M&S community.

rylan sekiguchi

Rylan Sekiguchi

Full Bio

Read More

91勛圖 Instructor Kasumi Yamashita speaks with Native and Indigenous educators
Blogs

Indigenous Voices: Educational Perspectives from Navajo, Native Hawaiian, and Ainu Scholars in the Diaspora

This article recaps a June 18, 2021 webinar that featured three Native and Indigenous scholars and includes recommendations for using the webinar recording in classrooms.
Indigenous Voices: Educational Perspectives from Navajo, Native Hawaiian, and Ainu Scholars in the Diaspora
rylan sekiguchi
News

91勛圖s Rylan Sekiguchi Is the 2021 Franklin R. Buchanan Prize Recipient

Rylan Sekiguchi was announced this week as the recipient of the 2021 Franklin R. Buchanan Prize for his authorship of What Does It Mean to Be an American?
91勛圖s Rylan Sekiguchi Is the 2021 Franklin R. Buchanan Prize Recipient
Stanford Professor Karen Wigen gives a virtual seminar for Stanford SEAS Hawaii
News

Teachers in Hawaii Connect with Stanford Scholars

Twenty-four high school educators comprise the inaugural cohort of Stanford/Freeman SEAS Hawaii Fellows.
Teachers in Hawaii Connect with Stanford Scholars
Hero Image
All News button
1
Subtitle

Movers and Shakas is an initiative to attract remote workers, especially returning kama妡ina, to create a more innovative, resilient, and sustainable 晨硃滄硃勳妡勳.

Authors
Gary Mukai
News Type
Blogs
Date
Paragraphs

December 7, 2021 marked the 80th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. On the occasion of the anniversary, , Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, University of Tokyo, gave a lecture on Pearl Harbor to high school students enrolled in 91勛圖s Stanford e-Japan, which is taught by Instructor Meiko Kotani. Yaguchi has been an advisor to both Stanford e-Japan and 91勛圖s Reischauer Scholars Program (RSP), an online course about Japan and U.S.Japan relations that is offered to high school students in the United States and is taught by Instructor Naomi Funahashi. From 2004 to 2009, I worked with Yaguchi during the Pearl Harbor: History, Memory, and Memorial summer institutes for American and Japanese teachers that were hosted by the AsiaPacificEd Program for Schools, East-West Center, Honolulu.

Prior to Yaguchis lecture, Kotani compiled questions from her students to share with Yaguchi, and he used them to conceptualize his lecture. The students were also required to view a lecture by Stanford Emeritus Professor Peter Duus on the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Yaguchi informed the students that he would be introducing diverse perspectives on the Pearl Harbor attack and also encouraged students to think about the questions that they had written while he delivered his lecture. He encouraged them to consider two questions that he devised based on the students questions: Why do you ask such questions? and What do the questions tell you about how you think of the past and today? Yaguchi noted, I am kind of spinning the table around.

Yaguchi set the context for his talk by giving a brief geographic and historical background of Pearl Harbor. He pointed out that for ancient Hawaiians, the name of the harbor now known as Pearl Harbor was Pu妡uloa, regarded as the home of the shark goddess, Ka妡ahuphau. Following the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, the U.S. Navy established a base on the island in 1899. Over the years, Pearl Harbor, along with the Naval Base San Diego, remained a main base for the U.S. Pacific Fleet after World War II. He also noted that Pearl Harbor is the most popular destination in Hawaii for American visitors.

Yaguchi pointed out that the excellent questions from the students were primarily about the United States and Japan. He posed the question, But is Pearl Harbor really only about the U.S. and Japan? and encouraged students to critically consider the following points, which were the five key points of his lecture.

  1. We need to see history in a longer and wider perspective.
  2. History is not only about powerful nation states.
  3. History is not only about (mostly male) politicians and leaders making decisions.
  4. Pearl Harbor means different things to many people.
  5. We need to see Pearl Harbor from multiple anglesespecially from the perspectives of race and gender (non-white, non-Japanese, non-male)those who have been making/writing history.
     

He followed up each point with specific questions. For example, What does Pearl Harbor mean to the indigenous people of Hawaii or the Native Hawaiians?; and Was Pearl Harbor an attack on the United States or Was Pearl Harbor an attack on Native Hawaiians as well? were follow-up questions to point number four. Yaguchi pointed out that he was born and raised in Hokkaido, the northern-most main island of Japan, and to his surprise one of the students mentioned that he lives in Kushiro, a city in Hokkaido that is Yaguchis ancestral hometown. Since the Ainu are an indigenous people from the northern region of Japan, particularly Hokkaido, Yaguchis questions prompted some students to think about parallels between the Ainu and Native Hawaiians.

At the University of Tokyo, I really encourage students to think about why you learn history in specific ways. Who decides what you need to study?

The five key points of his lecture led to many questions during the question-and-answer period. One student asked, Is there anything that you keep in mind when teaching Japanese about American history or specific events such as Pearl Harbor? Yaguchi replied, At the University of Tokyo, I really encourage students to think about why you learn history in specific ways. Who decides what you need to study? I also encourage students to be critical of the education that you receive. University years are a time for you to reassess what you learn We living in Japan or educating in Japan tend to connect Pearl Harbor as the beginning and the atomic bombs as the ending or the cause and the effect. And this is a very common way of framing history. People in the United States do not necessarily think so.

While listening to Yaguchis lecture, I reflected upon , which is the University of Tokyo President Teruo Fujiis statement of the guiding principles of the University of Tokyothe ideals to which the university should aspire and the direction it should take, under the title Into a Sea of Diversity: Creating the Future through Dialogue. In his lecture, Yaguchi extended the reach of UTokyo Compass to Stanford e-Japan high school students throughout Japan. Kotani and I were most appreciative the ripple effect of UTokyo Compass that he provided through his lecture. Kotani stated, I am so grateful to Professor Yaguchi for introducing my students to not only diverse perspectives on Pearl Harbor but also for engaging them in questions related to epistemology.

UTokyo Compass prompted me think about the importance of ones moral compass, or a persons ability to judge what is right and wrong and to act accordingly. Through Stanford e-Japan and the RSP, Kotani, Funahashi, and I hope to encourage high school students to remember to navigate their academic and professional careers with their own moral compass. In addition, as a compass always follows true north, I think that leaders should follow a set of unwavering personal values, including integrity. The students in Stanford e-Japan and the RSP are among the best and brightest in Japan and the United States and future leaders. I encourage them to singlehandedly change the world, to be changemakers.

KotaniMeiko WEB

Meiko Kotani

Instructor, Stanford e-Japan
Full Bio

Read More

gate to University of Tokyo
Blogs

A Gateway to Collaboration: 91勛圖/Stanford and CASEER/University of Tokyo

The 91勛圖/StanfordCASEER/UTokyo Lecture Series provides a platform to share current educational research and practice.
A Gateway to Collaboration: 91勛圖/Stanford and CASEER/University of Tokyo
collage of honoree headshots
News

Winners Announced for the Spring 2021 Stanford e-Japan Award

Congratulations to our newest student honorees.
Winners Announced for the Spring 2021 Stanford e-Japan Award
Japan Day honorees Zoom image
News

Japan Day: Recognizing Top Students in Stanford e-Japan and the Reischauer Scholars Program

Congratulations to the 2020 Stanford e-Japan and 2021 RSP honorees.
Japan Day: Recognizing Top Students in Stanford e-Japan and the Reischauer Scholars Program
All News button
1
Subtitle

Professor Yujin Yaguchi introduced diverse perspectives on Pearl Harbor to 27 high school students in Stanford e-Japan.

Authors
News Type
Blogs
Date
Paragraphs

91勛圖 recommends the use of a 13-minute lecturetitled Civil and Human Rights: The Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy by Dr. Clayborne Carsonfor use at the high school and college levels. Dr. Carson is the Martin Luther King, Jr. Centennial Professor Emeritus at the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law, FSI, at 91勛圖. In the video lecture, Professor Carson not only discusses Martin Luther King, Jr. as a civil rights leader but also examines his larger vision of seeing the African American struggle as a worldwide struggle for citizenship rights and human rights.

A free classroom-friendly discussion guide for this video is available for download on the website above. The organizing questions that are listed in the guide are:

  • What are civil and human rights?
  • What were the significant achievements of the Civil Rights Movement?
  • What is Martin Luther King, Jr.s legacy in terms of civil and human rights?
  • How are Martin Luther King, Jr.s vision, ideas, and leadership still relevant today?
  • How is the American Civil Rights Movement similar and different from other rights-related movements?


91勛圖 also recommends the resources on the following websites for use in classrooms.

  • supports a broad range of educational activities illuminating Dr. Kings life and the movements he inspired. Dr. Carson is the founding director of the Institute.
  • works to realize Martin Luther King, Jr.s vision of the world as a large house in which we must learn somehow to live with each other in peace. Dr. Carson is the director of the Project.

Read More

headshots of eight high school students
Blogs

What Does It Mean to Be an American?: Reflections from Students (Part 6)

Reflections of eight students on the website What Does It Mean to Be an American?
What Does It Mean to Be an American?: Reflections from Students (Part 6)
Zoom screenshots of EPIC fellows
Blogs

2021 Education Partnership for Internationalizing Curriculum Symposium

On Saturday, May 22, 2021, 91勛圖s Jonas Edman moderated two panels during the 2021 EPIC Fellowship Program Symposium for community college educators.
2021 Education Partnership for Internationalizing Curriculum Symposium
Banner
Blogs

What Does It Mean to Be an American?: A Web-based Curriculum Toolkit

What Does It Mean to Be an American? is a free educational web-based curriculum toolkit for high school and college students that examines what it means to be an American developed by the Mineta Legacy Project and Stanfords 91勛圖 program.
What Does It Mean to Be an American?: A Web-based Curriculum Toolkit
All News button
1
Subtitle

91勛圖 recommends the use of a short lecturetitled Civil and Human Rights: The Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy by Dr. Clayborne Carsonfor high school and college levels.

Authors
News Type
Blogs
Date
Paragraphs

Moving from Tokyo to California in second grade, I knew very little about my home country. I may have looked and spoken Japanese, but the more time I spent in the United States, the more I felt like my identity strayed away from my Japanese cultural roots. For most of my life, I was hesitant to proudly call myself a Japanese American simply due to the lack of knowledge I had about my home country.

That was until I stumbled upon Stanfords Reischauer Scholars Program (RSP), an online program that introduced Japanese history, society, culture, and the U.S.Japan relationship. With its focus on deepening cross-cultural knowledge, this was the perfect opportunity to reconnect with my cultural roots.

On the first day of the RSP, I was astounded by the diversity of the students that were present. Students in the program were from all around the country, each showing unique individual interests and strengths that they added to the class. Alongside these friendly and committed students led by our brilliant instructor Ms. Naomi Funahashi, the RSP provided a motivated and collaborative environment to learn about my home country. The activities in our virtual classes included not only the review of insightful readings that we were assigned, but also the once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to meet top scholars and experts in U.S.Japan relations and ambassadors. Having had the chance to converse with these speakers, we were introduced to significant ideas and insights about the U.S.Japan relationship that developed my diverse perspective on the topic.

Throughout the course of the program, the inclusive environment of the virtual classrooms allowed us to comfortably share and challenge ideas we would bring up. With each of us from very different backgrounds, we were able to have insightful conversations about the cause of isolationism in Japan, the effect of industrialization on the Japanese economy, and many other concepts about Japanese history and culture.

With each new perspective that my peers would view the topic from, I was given a broader understanding of each concept we covered, expanding my knowledge about my home country.

To me, the most memorable days of the RSP were the joint virtual classrooms with the Stanford e-Japan program. Through these joint classrooms, we had the opportunity to converse with Japanese high school students, where we were able to deepen our mutual cross-cultural understanding. From the bunkasai, to the undokai, to juku, these joint classrooms gave us the opportunity to learn more about the exciting Japanese culture and contemporary society from a primary source. With nearly no opportunity to speak with Japanese students outside of my family during my time in the United States, I was able to take away many valuable insights I keep to this day thanks to the unique opportunity given by the RSP. With each meeting with these students, I was given a clearer image of what it truly meant to be Japanese.

Read More

high school girl standing amidst park greenery
Blogs

Finding My Place in the RSP & the U.S.Japan Relationship

The following reflection is a guest post written by Kristine Pashin, an alumna of the Reischauer Scholars Program, which will begin accepting student applications on September 6, 2021.
Finding My Place in the RSP & the U.S.Japan Relationship
Brandon Cho at Todaiji Temple, Nara
Blogs

A Journey Through Time: The RSP as a Gateway from the Past to My Future

The following reflection is a guest post written by Brandon Cho, an alumnus of the Reischauer Scholars Program.
A Journey Through Time: The RSP as a Gateway from the Past to My Future
Naomi Funahashi after receiving the 2017 Elgin Heinz Teacher Award
News

91勛圖s Naomi Funahashi receives 2017 Elgin Heinz Teacher Award

91勛圖s Naomi Funahashi receives 2017 Elgin Heinz Teacher Award
Hero Image
All News button
1
Subtitle

The following reflection is a guest post written by Hikaru Sean Isayama, a 2020 alumnus of the Reischauer Scholars Program.

Subscribe to United States