SPICE’s Rylan Sekiguchi Interviewed by Education About Asia
Sekiguchi was the 2021 recipient of the Franklin R. Buchanan Prize for his curriculum development work on "What Does It Mean to Be an American?"
For 25 years, Education About Asia Editor Dr. Lucien Ellington has interviewed the winners of the Franklin R. Buchanan Prize, awarded annually to recognize an outstanding pedagogical, instructional, or curriculum publication on Asia designed for K–12 and college undergraduate instructors and students. The 2021 winner was SPICE’s Rylan Sekiguchi for the online curriculum package What Does It Mean to Be an American? This was the third time that Sekiguchi has won the Prize.
Developed by the Mineta Legacy Project in partnership with SPICE, this free educational curriculum offers six lessons for educators, high school students, and college students to examine what it means to be American. The six lessons focus on immigration, civil liberties & equity, civic engagement, justice & reconciliation, leadership, and U.S.–Japan relations.
The six standards-aligned lessons use primary source materials, interactive exercises, and personal videos that connect to students’ lives and showcase a diverse range of American voices—from young adults to former U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, whose replies to “What does it mean to be an American?” are highlighted here.
The full interview can be found here.
