The fourth year of the Stanford/SPICE East Asia Seminars for Teachers in Hawaiʻi (“Stanford SEAS Hawai‘i”) culminated in a stimulating three-day in-person summer institute that took place from July 10th to July 12th at the East-West Center. This year’s cohort included 20 public and private high school teachers—Stanford/Freeman SEAS Hawai‘i Fellows—from across Hawai‘i.

The institute began with welcoming comments from Dr. Mary Hattori, Director of the Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center. In her comments, Hattori also extended greetings from the East-West Center President Suzanne Vares-Lum. Each day focused primarily on a specific East Asian country (China, Japan, and Korea) and the Fellows explored key historical events and themes through lectures by professors at the University of Hawai‘i and local community leaders. Coupled with the content knowledge from the lectures, SPICE staff introduced SPICE curricula and resources on East Asia so that teachers can readily incorporate the content knowledge in their classroom teaching in engaging and varied ways. This year’s summer institute also included the history of East Asian and Southeast Asian migration to Hawai‘i.

Below are the names of the 2024 Stanford/Freeman SEAS Hawai‘i Fellows:

Jody K. Africa Aguilar, Maui High School (Maui)
Haunani Akina, Kaʻu High and Pahala Elementary School (Hawai‘i)
Joshua Cawley, Island School (Kaua‘i)
Jodie Chock, Kalāheo High School (O‘ahu)
Julyne Clarke, St. Joseph High School (Hawai‘i)
Rachael Denessen, Kamehameha Schools Maui (Maui)
Pinochio Dulig, Kaʻu High and Pahala Elementary School (Hawai‘i)
Pinky Grace Francisco, Kaʻu High and Pahala Elementary School (Hawai‘i)
Scott Gruzinsky, Leilehua High School (O‘ahu)
Karina Hernandez, Konawaena High School (Hawai‘i)
Michael Ida, Kalani High School (O‘ahu)
Gloria Ilagan, Kealakehe High School (Hawai‘i)
Sarah Kalawe, Hilo High School (Hawai‘i)
Johana Kamelamela, Keaʻau High School (Hawai‘i)
Dorothy Morris-Ross, Leilehua High School (O‘ahu)
Kealii Mossman, Kamehameha Schools Maui (Maui)
Daniella O’Malley, Island School (Kaua‘i)
Athena Tsakos, Kealakehe High School (Hawai‘i)
Patricia Tupinio, Leilehua High School (O‘ahu)
Carl (David) Wright, Jr., Kapolei High School (O‘ahu)

Multiple perspectives and awareness of biases

The themes of “multiple perspectives” and “awareness of biases” in studying history and analyzing historical sources featured strongly during the summer institute. The Fellows had a chance to hear from scholars and community leaders on the analyses of key historical events as well as detailed accounts of lesser-known histories of East Asian countries and their relations with the United States.

For example, on Day One, Professor Emeritus Ken Ito led teachers through “Two Stories from 1946: Survival and Atrocity” about ordinary Japanese citizens’ lived experiences after the U.S. atomic bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Through a presentation of the documentary film Removed by Force by local community leaders Carole Hayashino, Ryan Kawamoto, and William Kaneko, teachers also learned about a little-known chapter of local World War II history— the story of the 1,500 Americans of Japanese ancestry who were forcibly removed from their homes in Hawai‘i but not incarcerated. The Fellows were encouraged to consider layers of history and varying perspectives that may not have been featured prominently in history books, particularly through a curriculum demonstration led by Rylan Sekiguchi of the SPICE unit Divided Memories: Comparing History Textbooks. By analyzing textbooks from China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United States, teachers assessed the biases in presenting historical narratives and how to teach students to use critical thinking skills to analyze history and historical perspectives.

Day Two of the summer institute focused on Korea. The Fellows reviewed key episodes of 20th-century Korean history through a lecture by Professor Harrison Kim and explored Korean American identity and community from the perspective of Dr. Stephanie Han, who also shared many of her own personal experiences. Following the talks, teachers engaged in an interactive debate activity, which I led, during a curriculum demonstration of the SPICE unit Inter-Korean Relations, where they argued for or against the unification of North and South Korea based on their analysis of the economic merits. They also took a closer look at the lived experiences of a North Korean teenage refugee in South Korea through a graphic novel, which provides a glimpse into the processes and challenges of fleeing North Korea and settling in South Korea. In a reflective discussion, many teachers commented that some of their students, especially immigrant students, also experience similar challenges in their own schools and that they would be able to empathize with the North Korean teenage refugee’s struggles.

On Day Three, teachers delved deeply into U.S.–China relations spanning more than 100 years through a lecture by Professor Shana Brown, followed by an analysis of the history of East and Southeast Asian immigration to Hawai‘i—and the socio-economic status of diasporas from these countries in contemporary Hawai‘i—by Professor Emeritus Jonathan Okamura. The Fellows had a chance to reflect on the diverse groups of students in their classrooms and schools and the ways in which to teach them about the history of immigration to Hawai‘i. A curriculum demonstration on Chinese American history delivered by Jonas Edman provided an avenue for teachers to think about immigration further. Teachers also exchanged numerous teaching resources with one another, sharing best practices and their own experience of what worked well in the classroom.

History as a collection of lived experiences

Throughout the summer institute, teachers surveyed the richness of East Asian history through lived experiences of individuals, not only through key watershed events. They examined and reflected on the consequences of events in history and how they shaped the lives of ordinary people whom students seldom learn about in school. Many Fellows shared how they appreciated learning about these stories, facts, and narratives that are often omitted in American secondary school curricula or overshadowed by the master narrative in history books. Dr. Gary Mukai, Director of SPICE, recognized and lauded the Fellows as he reflected on each Fellow’s contribution to the institute during his closing remarks.

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The institute also included a reception. Special guests included Graeme Freeman (photo above), President of the Freeman Foundation, which generously supports Stanford SEAS Hawaiʻi. Graeme spoke about the Freeman Foundation’s mission of helping to enhance the teaching of East Asia through programs such as the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia and Stanford SEAS Hawaiʻi and expressed his gratitude to the Teacher Fellows for the tremendous impact their learning has on their students. Graeme was joined by Director of Operations and Programs Shereen Goto and Office Manager Robin Sato, both of the Freeman Foundation.

In the month following the institute’s conclusion, each Fellow created an original lesson plan that incorporates content that was introduced during Stanford SEAS Hawaiʻi. The SPICE staff awaits in anticipation of seeing how content from the seminar will reach hundreds of secondary school students throughout the Hawaiian Islands.

Rylan Sekiguchi, Manager of Stanford SEAS Hawaiʻi, and Sabrina Ishimatsu, SPICE Event Coordinator, organized the institute, which was facilitated by Sekiguchi. SPICE is grateful to East-West Center President Suzanne Vares-Lum for her continued support of Stanford SEAS Hawai‘i and SPICE’s efforts to support teachers throughout Hawai‘i.

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