Applications are now being accepted for the 2026 Stanford/SPICE East Asia Seminars for Teachers in Hawai‘i (Stanford SEAS Hawai‘i). This free professional development program offers Hawai‘i educators a unique opportunity to deepen their knowledge of East Asia and strengthen their classroom teaching. Stanford SEAS Hawai‘i is administered by the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE) with generous support from the Freeman Foundation. Twenty teachers will be selected to participate in a fellowship running from late March through July 2026.

The application form is available at https://forms.gle/pPgP5GKb19m2QogX8, and the deadline to apply is February 23, 2026.

Open to high school teachers across Hawai‘i, the fellowship includes a series of expert-led virtual seminars held from March to June, followed by a three-day, in-person teacher institute in Honolulu in July 2026. Program content examines East Asia, U.S.–Asia relations, and the Asian diaspora in the United States, with particular attention to Hawai‘i’s historical and contemporary connections. Participants will also receive a wide range of teaching resources and take part in discussions focused on both content and pedagogy to support effective classroom instruction.

Past participants have described the program as both intellectually enriching and professionally affirming. Rukhsanna Guidroz, a teacher at Seabury Hall on Maui, reflected on her experience: “My purpose for participating in Stanford SEAS Hawaii was to find community and inspiration in my work as an educator. I absolutely feel that these goals were achieved. I found both in the passionate teachers I met and the thought-provoking lectures we experienced together. Hearing different perspectives—both historical and personal—helped broaden my understanding of East Asia, while the exchange of ideas introduced me to new teaching strategies that I’m excited to bring into my own classroom.”

Casey Hulten, a teacher at Kea‘au High School on Hawai‘i Island, echoed this enthusiasm: “I was blown away by the amount of information I learned and how it interweaves with our Island history. The combined knowledge of all the speakers was unbelievable. I feel so blessed to have been part of this enriching opportunity.”

For additional information about Stanford SEAS Hawai‘i, including participant benefits and program expectations, visit the program webpage. Applications must be submitted by February 23, 2026.

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In addition to Stanford SEAS Hawai‘i, SPICE 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
• Virtual East Asia Seminar for High School Teachers in California
• Community College Programs

Applications are now open for Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan (SeEJ), a free online course conducted in English to foster Japanese students’ creative thinking and innovative problem-solving skills to address social issues. SeEJ is offered twice a year in the fall and spring through a collaboration between SPICE and the non-profit organization e-Entrepreneurship in Japan. It is open to Japanese-speaking students, in or from Japan, in their first and second years of high school. The spring 2026 course will be taught by Natalie Montecino and will run from April 2026 through August 2026.

The application form is now available at https://forms.gle/FQDX6NNqj28KKAE37. The submission deadline is March 1, 2026, at 11:59 PM Japan Time.

Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan offers students an opportunity to engage with scholars and entrepreneurs from Stanford University and beyond through live virtual classes, which are held twice a month on Sundays. The course will culminate in an individual research paper and a final group project. Students who successfully complete the course will receive a Certificate of Completion from SPICE and NPO e-Entrepreneurship.

Former students consistently point to SeEJ’s interactive and collaborative design as a defining feature of the program. As Karen Watanabe shares, “I really enjoyed the interactive nature of SeEJ, especially the group discussions,” noting that these exchanges helped develop communication and teamwork skills while offering perspectives she hadn’t considered before. Nina Kasamatsu echoes this sentiment, adding that “interacting, sharing, and being able to bounce ideas off of each other has been the greatest aspect of SeEJ,” emphasizing how peer feedback and collaboration through group projects deepened both learning and personal growth. Together, these reflections highlight the program's innovative, discussion-centered approach, where collaboration and dialogue are central to the learning experience.

For more information about Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan, visit the program webpage. Interested high school students should apply online by March 1, 2026.

Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan is one of several online courses offered by SPICE.

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This article was written by Dr. David Grossman, founding Director of BAYCEP and SPICE, and draws on a conference paper that he presented in 1978. The updated excerpt and photos (taken in 1974 in the People's Republic of China) were reprinted with permission from Dr. Grossman. Dr. Grossman was the Director of SPICE from 1976 to 1988. This is the first of several articles—focusing on the 50-year history of SPICE—that will be posted this year. 

Prior to World War II, the systematic study of Asia in American schools was rare. Studies of school textbooks found that the few references to Asia were marked by paternalism and stereotypes at best, and by racism and imperialist assumptions at worst. Following U.S. involvement in World War II and the Korean War, there was a notable increase in Asian studies at the collegiate level. At the pre-collegiate level, however, this growing attention to Asia was largely reflected in the addition of a Cold War dimension to the civics curriculum. In this context, China was typically studied as a geopolitical adversary, portrayed even more negatively than the Soviet Union.

In February 1972, a dramatic shift occurred in the tone of U.S.–China relations as a result of President Richard Nixon’s surprise visit to China. This watershed moment generated a surge in public demand for more current and reliable information about China and created new opportunities for reconsidering how China might be taught in American schools.

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While the roots of the Bay Area China Education Project (BAYCEP) can be traced to earlier initiatives, the pivotal moment in its development was the June 1972 Wingspread Conference, “China in the Schools: Directions and Priorities.” Previous meetings addressing China education had been convened by professional organizations such as the Association for Asian Studies (AAS), but what distinguished the Wingspread Conference was its timeliness. The three sponsoring organizations—the National Committee on U.S.–China Relations, the Center for War/Peace Studies, and the Johnson Foundation—shared a widely held belief that the moment was ripe for a focused effort to improve education about China in American schools.

One of the central themes of the Wingspread discussions was a critique of prevailing models of scholar–teacher interaction, particularly the assumption that scholars should serve merely as visiting lecturers. Conference participants urged China scholars to become more attentive to the needs of teachers and school systems and to conceive of their work as part of a reciprocal, two-way process. In perhaps the most influential proposal to emerge from the conference, Yale historian Jonathan Spence called for the development of a cohort of “scholar consultants” who would be both substantively knowledgeable and pedagogically sensitive. This idea would become a cornerstone of BAYCEP.

Ultimately, BAYCEP was the only program to emerge directly from the Wingspread Conference. As early as August 1972, Stanford professor John Lewis convened a meeting of San Francisco Bay Area educators and scholars focused on “Teaching China in the Schools.” This group subsequently submitted a proposal to the National Endowment for the Humanities under the auspices of the National Committee on U.S.–China Relations. The proposal was successfully funded and outlined a pilot project designed to strengthen humanities teaching in Bay Area schools by creating new mechanisms of cooperation between university scholars and pre-collegiate educators. It emphasized the educational value of Chinese history, society, and culture for enhancing multicultural education and sought to organize locally available resources on China through consultancy relationships, training programs, and curriculum materials that could later be adapted for use in other communities and fields of study.

The transition from this broad mission statement to a fully functioning program was not linear. Stakeholders debated the project’s target audience, the selection of appropriate content, and staff qualifications. Acceptance of a China-focused initiative in schools was by no means assured; at one point, a district superintendent rejected participation on the grounds that the project constituted “Communist propaganda.” The underlying challenge was to design a China-focused program that was both curriculum-relevant and pedagogically sound.

In this regard, BAYCEP’s most innovative component was the development of an associate, or “scholar intern,” program intended to strengthen links between universities and schools. Graduate students and recent graduates in Chinese studies or related education programs were appointed as project associates. These associates underwent intensive training and mentoring to familiarize them with effective pre-collegiate teaching methods and available instructional resources, which were notably scarce at the time. They then worked directly with teachers through professional development workshops, helping translate scholarly knowledge into classroom practice.

Although BAYCEP was not initially conceived as solely a curriculum development project, the need for instructional materials soon became apparent. In collaboration with university scholars and classroom teachers, the project first produced guides to recommended resources on China. As these guides proved necessary but insufficient, BAYCEP later developed instructional units on topics such as the Chinese language, family life, education, sports, and stereotyping. As with the professional development workshops, careful attention was given to both substantive content and pedagogical effectiveness.

True to its original mission, BAYCEP emerged as a model for linking university scholarship with pre-collegiate education. In subsequent years, parallel projects focusing on Japan, Latin America, Africa, and Eastern and Western Europe were initiated. Together with BAYCEP, these initiatives were brought under a common umbrella in 1976, enabling collaboration and cross-fertilization across area studies. This umbrella program—the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE)—continues to operate to this day.

Beyond its immediate contributions to China education, BAYCEP’s enduring legacy lies in its redefinition of the relationship between universities and pre-collegiate schools. By institutionalizing the role of the scholar consultant and embedding graduate students and recent graduates within K–12 professional development, BAYCEP moved beyond episodic outreach toward a sustained, collaborative model of knowledge exchange. Its emphasis on pedagogical relevance, mutual learning, and curriculum integration anticipated later approaches to public scholarship and teacher professionalization in area studies. The success of BAYCEP also demonstrated that international and cross-cultural education could be both academically rigorous and responsive to local educational contexts, even amid political uncertainty. As the foundational program within what became SPICE, BAYCEP served not only as a prototype for subsequent regional initiatives but also as a durable model for translating university-based scholarship into meaningful educational practice—an approach that continues to shape international education well beyond its original historical moment.

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The following is Part 12 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, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, and Part 11.

Since December 8, 2020, SPICE has posted 11 articles that highlight reflections from 88 students on the question, “What does it mean to be an American?” Part 12 features seven additional reflections. The reflections below do not necessarily reflect those of the SPICE staff.

The free educational website “What Does It Mean to Be an American?” 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, SPICE’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 SPICE.

Emma Estrada, California 
For me, being an American means utilizing all the opportunities provided by the country to the people. Being able to fulfill your hopes and dreams that seem impractical to accomplish. There is a meaning behind people coming to this country. It’s because they are in search of a fresh start and our nation’s liberty and individualism allows them to have one. America has many different cultures and beliefs to explore, and everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Being an American also means looking towards the future while remembering the past. There have been many people who came before us who sacrificed and fought for this country so that we could say that we are American. Living in this country allows us to not only correct but create new history to help improve our nation.

Miki Harris, California
To be American is to accept that I will never pass as one race. It is to accept that people may make a game out of guessing my ethnicity. It is to accept that I may feel out of place in family gatherings and countries of my ethnic origin.

But to be American is to realize the unique variation of people around me and celebrate it. It is learning cultural history in African American studies, trying my friend’s homemade tamales, or simply people-watching in the school hallways.

For me, having the freedom to decide where I fit and who I am is what it means to be American. How could I ever feel out of place when there is no one place to begin with?

Bo Ichiki, California
While living in Japan, I felt an overwhelming catalog of systematic milestones for success—attend a nice elementary school, get good grades, take extracurricular activities, attend a nice middle school, and eventually get accepted for a job at a successful company, known as ōte kigyō (大手企業). For me, being American is the governing of one’s own life. Here, society seems only to shadow who we are, and leave the outline and colors for ourselves to picture—good or bad. The freedom can result in too much for one to handle. In Japan, crime rates are much lower than those of the U.S., and the disparity of wealth is much smaller; there are fewer poverty-stricken citizens or incredibly rich individuals. In the U.S., there is less guidance on the “proper” way to become successful, which leads to the inconsistency that proves to be either the gift of abstract and unique innovations or the curse of poverty and being misled. Being American allows citizens to draw a new path to the good or to the bad. Being American grants the right of control.

Claire Ishimatsu, California
When I think of America, I think of freedom, particularly the freedom to learn about my culture. As a fifth-generation Japanese American, I grew up in a very American household where being Japanese wasn’t a large part of my life. Seeing my friends speak a second language and celebrate cultural holidays inspired me to explore my ancestral heritage. I learned that my grandparents were incarcerated in the Japanese American Incarceration Camps during World War II. They lived during a time when it was “wrong” to be of Japanese descent so they distanced themselves from their native tongue and traditions. Nonetheless, they remained proud Americans with some even fighting in the war against Japan. Hearing their experiences made me grateful for the freedoms I have today. Now my family celebrates Japanese holidays and traditions. I’m also taking Japanese at my high school, and slowly, the language has started to fill my house like it did a century ago. Being American means having the freedom to learn about and embrace my Japanese identity.

Jibhum Lee, Hawai‘i
clank...clank…clank

One hundred and seventy six years ago, immigrants from many countries as well as from other parts of the United States took on a perilous journey to California. They were drawn to the California Gold Rush. Accompanying them were rhythmic “clanks”—the sound of their tools, wagons, and buckles. At each step, a “clank” gave a powerful beat as they headed toward their destination. Being an American does not mean having a navy-blue passport with the gold-leafed “United States of America.” When I was young, I compared my green-covered Korean passport with the dark blue my eyes drowned in, thinking to myself, “When will I have that?” These things are arbitrary in comparison to the rhythmic beat every American carries—the sound of passion and trust in finding their North Star. “American” is a label too small for the people who make up this country. Yet, the “clanks” made by those who immigrated and struggled to keep their place in America are passed through generations. What unites us is this beat: sometimes loud and oftentimes soft, but always steady.

Sofia McGullam Ornelas, California
The United States has a rich history of asking the complex question: What does it mean to be an American? The answer to this question has varied according to the time, place, and context of when it has been asked. For example, there have been times in American history that excluded ethnic minority groups from full citizenship rights. Our country is a mosaic of different ethnic groups who have collaborated to improve civil rights. The diversity of the United States informs the idea that anyone can come here and make a better life for themselves, despite a history of certain federal administrations preventing immigration from various countries. Americans can and should point out systemic flaws and implement legislation that can provide protections for minority groups. For example, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. witnessed economic and racial inequities and drew attention to how unjust society was for people of color in the United States. The Civil Rights Movement led to the historic passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Ultimately, the meaning of being an American is always working to better this country for all its citizens while still proudly identifying and acknowledging one’s heritage.

Ryan Tonkovich, California
Most countries are founded on geographic, ethnic, and religious heritage. Not America. Unlike anywhere else, America is founded on ideas. It is these ideas that unite us as Americans and not some shared ancestral lands or a shared ethnic or religious heritage. For nearly 250 years, people have come to America seeking economic opportunity or fleeing poverty, war, and persecution. Because nearly every race, ethnicity, and religion is represented in America, it is not these elements that bind us as Americans. Rather, it is our fundamental beliefs. It is our belief in democracy, in freedom of speech, in freedom of assembly, in religious freedom, in equal protection under the law, in a nation of laws, and in “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” that defines us as Americans. 

My time in the Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan program was transformative. I came in with a jumble of passions and questions about the world and left with lifelong friends across the world, invaluable mentoring, and a clear vision.

Every session was a journey in and of itself. It combined strong individual and team preparation, presentations to and from amazing guest speakers, and reflective discussions at the end. This constantly pushed me and my peers to grow into better critical thinkers, speakers, listeners, and team players; high expectations yielded high results. I was amazed by the diversity of the guest speakers and the topics we dove into: design thinking, AI & philosophy, sustainability, and more. Each gave me new world perspectives and challenged me to think in ways I hadn’t before. I began pondering upon questions such as “How does this choice impact the world around me?” “Does philanthropy benefit the rich more than the underprivileged?” “How can we navigate a world of AI?” This in turn has helped me view entrepreneurship as something inherently social, a means of designing thoughtful solutions to real problems and ultimately making a positive difference in the world.

One of my most memorable moments was the final group presentation, where we advocated for a charitable organization that would receive a donation if picked by the judges. My group chose The Ocean Cleanup and devoted ourselves to understanding the socio-environmental consequences of plastic pollution, as well as presenting it in a way that would resonate with our audience. I vividly remember calling my group members past 2am one night out of pure excitement and motivation, giving feedback on each other’s slides and encouraging one another. We ended up winning! But even more than that, I am truly grateful for the relationships that SeEJ has gifted me.

In fact, as one of the few students living in the United States, I was so honored to share a screen with people from Okinawa to Hokkaido. So much so that I decided to create a Canvas announcement titled “SeEJ Hangout in Tokyo!!!!” Mission accomplished: I got to spend a few hours with my peers in person (in Shibuya!) after three months of Zoom boxes, which was an incredible and unforgettable experience.

SeEJ allowed me to embark on a journey of self-discovery as well. Through the individual research paper and 2-minute video on a social issue of choice—core pillars of SeEJ—I discovered my passion for nuclear disarmament. Growing up listening to my hibakusha (atomic bomb survivor) grandfather’s childhood stories, I never fully realized the power of his voice and my own. (Photo below courtesy of Erin Tsutsui.) Through SeEJ, I was able to name this passion and imagine a concrete path forward. Now, I commit myself to dismantling the mindset and weaponry that allows war to exist, as I am building a youth-led initiative that mobilizes and educates youth to spread hibakusha stories by utilizing digital media and grassroots engagements.

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None of this could have been possible without the generosity and dedication of our instructor, Dr. Makiko Hirata, and the incredible lineup of guest speakers who graciously shared their time, stories, and wisdom with us. They instilled in us empathy, bravery, tenacity, and a deep responsibility to care for our people and planet; I now see myself and my peers as visionaries, each with our own unique background and goals.

I thank Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan for teaching me that at the core of social entrepreneurship is community and humanity. One of our guest speakers, Ms. Megan Carroll, taught us a South African word that embodies this spirit: ubuntu—“I am because we are.”

Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan is one of several online courses offered by SPICE.

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At Eikei University of Hiroshima (EUH), with its academic mission to contribute to society through engaging with timely and relevant societal issues, explore practical and innovative solutions to these issues, and foster a cadre of young potential change-makers, we are exposed to a wide range of knowledge- and skill-based courses that harness the competencies needed for the realities waiting outside the school. The Social Entrepreneurship – Human-Centered Design for Sustainability and Impact course, developed by SPICE and instructed by Dr. Mariko Yang-Yoshihara, is an excellent intensive program that amplifies and reinforces the school’s focus and goals while providing students with a different perspective on comprehending the socioeconomic world and its stakeholders through understanding oneself.

This course directed us to explore how a human-centered approach can address sustainability challenges within communities. We gained highly valuable skills and insights into social innovation through intensive lectures, interactive discussions, and hands-on workshops. The hybrid learning format allowed us to engage with our three special guest speakers, who are globally active contributors to the field of social entrepreneurship. At the same time, the later sessions immersed us in fieldwork with our assigned local Design Thinking Partners (DTPs)—professionals and entrepreneurs dedicated to creating positive impact in the Hiroshima/Setouchi region. This combination of global and local perspectives, along with the support of our student assistants (SAs), made the entire learning journey vibrant, engaging, and memorable.

One of the takeaways I still carry are prompt questions that were asked of us even before the course started: What drives you? What is your belief and purpose? What is your ‘why’? For me, this self-examination laid the foundation for understanding the human-centered approach. I realized that entrepreneurship is never about the hope of making profits, but about identifying what society truly needs and responding to it with a purpose—the whys that give direction to the work we do, the force that pushes us forward, shaping the impact we aim to create. Additionally, through our DTPs, I also learned that human-centered design revolves around uncovering ‘unmet needs’ rather than simply identifying or restating explicit goals. This realization not only enriched the outcomes and the overall experience of our fieldwork but, more importantly, recalibrated the angle at which I see and engage with the world around me with empathy. 

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What made this 10-session intensive course special is the way it catered to the needs of all students. The SPICE course invited a diverse group of students and student assistants from across Japan (Hiroshima, Kumamoto, Osaka, Shizuoka, and Tokushima) and the world (India, Liberia, Mexico, Philippines, Senegal, Slovakia, and Vietnam). The course was carried out in English, but some teams interviewed the DTPs in their native language, Japanese. Every student was asked to create a safe and inclusive space to learn in the best way possible, and this encouraged each team to choose the language that ensured richer discussion outputs. This aided better communication for all; however, it posed a challenge to me since I was assigned to a team with varied language backgrounds and, by default, I had to serve a role of a mediator. With a short background in learning the native language, I was intimidated and worried about not being able to contribute meaningfully.

Nonetheless, with the encouragement of Mariko-sensei and the support of my teammates, this challenge turned into one of my proudest breakthroughs since coming to Eikei. I gradually grew more confident using Japanese, overcame a long-standing insecurity, stepped out of my comfort zone, and rekindled the power of teamwork, persistence, and appreciation. Looking back, I came to realize that this was an unmet need of mine—at the heart of what human-centered design thinking strives to uncover. With the trust I received from Mariko-sensei, what initially felt like a source of anxiety transformed into one of the most rewarding aspects of this intensive course.

SPICE's course on Social Entrepreneurship with Eikei University of Hiroshima is one of SPICE’s local student programs in Japan.

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The following reflection is a guest post written by Millie Gan, an alum of the Spring 2025 Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan Program. Earlier this year, Millie launched Teenage Business Contest Japan, a platform for encouraging social entrepreneurship among teens.

Japan is a place people love to visit, featuring bullet trains, temples, and sushi. Up close, I saw shrinking rural towns, an aging population, and customs fading from daily life. I wanted to do something that wasn’t just talk. The questions that kept coming up were: Who will have the creative ideas necessary to address these issues? And how can we best encourage and empower them?

This summer in Tokyo, the Teenage Business Contest Japan (TBCJ) 2025 invited high school students from across the country to develop business ideas that would help revitalize Japan’s communities. What started as a project organized by students evolved into a nationwide platform where young people could address problems that are typically left to politicians and businesses. As a participant in the Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan (SeEJ) program, I planned and built TBCJ in parallel with my SPICE coursework, applying classroom concepts—such as problem framing, rapid testing, and iteration—to real-world challenges.

SeEJ shaped the way I worked: start small, learn fast, and ship. I taught myself Python and JavaScript for websites and games, but for the contest I needed a different kind of tool. I used the Kotae.ai platform to launch TB-Chan, an AI helper on our website. Building it took minutes; training it took discipline. Every morning, I updated TB-Chan with new information—rules, schedules, government datasets, and simple “nudge” prompts—so students, media, and sponsors got instant, consistent answers. Without TB-Chan, we couldn’t have handled the volume of questions.

I was very thrilled that my SeEJ instructor and mentor, Dr. Makiko Hirata, presented the opening speech during the contest. Her message that young people can solve even the most complex challenges if they are given the chance set the tone for the day and encouraged everyone who was there. Getting TBCJ off the ground wasn’t glamorous. Working with government agencies entailed months of preparation; demonstrating impact to institutions demanded patience; securing funding from major companies required persistence. In the end, we raised over ¥3 million and built credibility the old-fashioned way: by delivering. The contest drew reporters—including from The Nikkei and the BBC—and more than 300 online articles followed. Importantly, the work didn’t end on stage. After the event, finalists began collaborating across schools and regions, and the University of Tokyo invited all four finalist teams into its WE AT CHALLENGE Business Program for coaching and potential funding.

A story about Japanese soccer guided me throughout. For years, there were few strikers—too risky, too exposed—until kids watched international players who took the shot. The talent was always there; what was missing was the example. On our stage, every finalist was a striker: a student who led without a guarantee. I also had to be one. Organizing a national contest as a teenager meant acting before certainty existed, and letting action create momentum.

That is the link between TBCJ and SPICE: SeEJ is not just theory; it is a bridge to action. It teaches you to listen carefully, test quickly, and improve openly. TBCJ proved that teens aren’t only future leaders—they are present-tense builders. With the right tools, data, mentors, and faith, young people can connect ideas to implementation and turn problems into opportunities.

The message I hope readers take away is simple: let’s be the strikers. Take the shot. Others will follow.

Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan is one of several online courses offered by SPICE.

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On August 2, 2025, Minamata High School once again opened its doors to celebrate the beginning of a new year of the Stanford e-Minamata Program. The familiar sense of anticipation in the auditorium was met with something new as well: the confidence of a community and a program stepping into its second year. If last year’s guiding spirit was resilience and renewal, this year carries the feeling of growth and leadership, an acknowledgment that the seeds planted in 2024 are already beginning to bear fruit.

In his opening remarks, Mayor Toshiharu Takaoka reaffirmed the city’s dedication to supporting young people through this international partnership, while Dr. Gary Mukai, Director of SPICE, offered words of encouragement that were both lighthearted and deeply meaningful to the eager students in the room. Reminding students that mistakes are not just acceptable but essential to learning, Dr. Mukai underscored the courage and curiosity at the heart of leadership development. His message, paired with the mayor’s steady vision, set a hopeful tone for the year ahead.

That spirit was quickly brought to life by Minamata High School students Asuka Umekawa and Yudai Hirata, who delivered their opening remarks in English. Their poise and determination captured the excitement of their classmates, and their eagerness to bridge local and global perspectives embodied the purpose of the program itself. Their words were not only a reflection of their own commitment, but also a reminder of the potential within this year’s entire cohort.

Photo below: Yudai Hirata, August 2, 2025; photo courtesy Minamata High School.

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As the program enters its second year, the three themes of environment, emerging technologies, and U.S.–Japan relations remain at the core. Yet, like any thriving endeavor, e-Minamata continues to evolve. This year introduces a new sustainable agriculture module in collaboration with a regenerative farmer in Saga Prefecture, offering students a direct look at innovations shaping the future of Japanese agriculture. Alongside this addition, an expanded roster of guest speakers—some familiar, others new—will broaden the perspectives brought into the classroom.

The 25 students who make up this year’s cohort include first-, second-, and third-year students, creating a dynamic mix of voices and experiences. Their curiosity mirrors that of last year’s inaugural participants, many of whom continue to apply the program’s lessons in their studies, community activities, and even their plans for higher education. The continuity between these groups makes clear that the program is more than a single-year opportunity, it is building a culture of inquiry and leadership that extends beyond the classroom.

Looking ahead, one of the most anticipated elements of this year’s program will be the introduction of a community showcase. Students will work together to identify local challenges and opportunities in Minamata City, and at the end of the year, present their proposed solutions publicly. This new feature not only empowers students to see themselves as problem-solvers, but also invites the broader community to engage with their ideas. In doing so, the showcase promises to deepen the connections between classroom learning and community vitality.

The program’s growth would not be possible without the continued support of many partners. The leadership of Mayor Takaoka and Minamata City Hall remains steadfast. The Minamata Environmental Academia has taken on an expanded role, now guiding much of the program’s coordination. Within Minamata High School, Principal Yasunori Takaki, Vice Principal Fumiko Niibu, and Planning Manager Saho Yagyu continue to provide invaluable support. And while Mr. Hiroki Hara, who was instrumental in the program’s early development, has since relocated to Tokyo, his contributions remain an important part of the program’s foundation.

This year’s opening ceremony revealed the unfolding of student journeys and the steady expansion of a program that is becoming an anchor in Minamata’s ongoing story of renewal. The courage of Asuka and Yudai, the curiosity of their peers, and the unwavering support of local leaders and partners all point to a larger truth: Minamata’s youth are stepping forward not just as students, but as leaders whose perspectives will shape their community and extend far beyond it. The Stanford e-Minamata Program is an invitation to grow, to lead, and to imagine a future rooted in resilience, innovation, and connection.

Stanford e-Minamata is one of SPICE’s local student programs in Japan.

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My archival research at Stanford University has focused on the legal and civil rights advocacy of key Mexican American leaders and institutions, including civil rights scholar Ernesto Galarza; voting rights attorney and co-author of the California Voting Rights Act Joaquin Avila; and the organizational records of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. (CRLA). These legal organizations have played a critical role to advance the civil and voting rights of Latino communities, utilizing litigation as a strategic tool to secure equal protection under the law and promote equitable political representation through legislation. The collections offer extensive documentation of decades-long legal struggles and grassroots advocacy, illuminating both national and transnational dimensions of Latino American civil rights movements.

My research has also included conducting oral history interviews with prominent legal and civil rights leaders, such as General Counsel Thomas A. Saenz, current MALDEF President; José Padilla, former CRLA Executive Director; Ambassador Vilma Martinez, former General Counsel of MALDEF; and the only oral history ever conducted with the late Joaquin Avila, voting rights attorney and former General Counsel of MALDEF. These interviews, which are archived and publicly available through the Stanford Department of Special Collections and the Stanford Historical Society, offer invaluable firsthand accounts of the legal strategies, institutional histories, and personal commitments that have shaped Latino civil rights advocacy over the past several decades.

During the past 15 years of conducting research at Stanford, I have been consistently inspired by the dedication of lawyers and advocacy organizations working to improve the lives of marginalized communities. One formative moment occurred when I first encountered archival photographs from the 1950s of former braceros, legally contracted guestworkers. The Bracero Program was a binational labor agreement between the United States and Mexico that brought over two million braceros to the United States from 1942 to 1964. These images offered powerful visual narratives of migration, labor, and hope—stories reminiscent of iconic photographs of immigrants arriving at Ellis Island. However, these photographs pointed to a different but equally significant point of entry: The U.S.–Mexico border. This research solidified my commitment to public scholarship and the importance of making archival materials accessible to broader audiences.

Through my research in the Stanford Department of Special Collections and ongoing collaboration with the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE), as well as through teaching and public engagement, I have developed initiatives aimed at bridging the gap between academic research and public history. I founded the Bracero Legacy Project to share these important histories with wider audiences and have continued this work by designing ethnic studies curricula for school districts and organizing educational events that highlight the contributions and experiences of Latino communities in the United States.

This commitment to public history culminated most recently on June 10, 2025, when I co-organized, alongside Monterey County Supervisor Luis Alejo, a public commemoration marking the 50th anniversary of the banning of the short-handled hoe—a tool that had long symbolized exploitation in agricultural labor. Used for over a century by farmworkers of multiple ethnic backgrounds, the short-handled hoe required workers to remain stooped over for long periods at a time, leading to chronic injuries and long-term disability. Labor leader César Chávez himself suffered from debilitating back pain as a result of such work. The tool was officially banned on April 7, 1975, following the tireless advocacy of local farmworkers Sebastian Carmona and Hector De La Rosa, who, with legal representation from CRLA attorneys Marty Glick and Mo Jourdane, successfully brought the case before the California Supreme Court. The Mercury News opinion piece, [May 30, 2025], “Farmworker victory ending use of ‘El Cortito’ 50 years ago,” noted that the victory provided an “empowering lesson.”

The anniversary event brought together over 200 people and distinguished guests including Glick, Jourdane, and other CRLA alumni, as well as iconic figures such as labor and civil rights leader Dolores Huerta and playwright Luis Valdez, who spoke about the “long civil and labor rights movements.” I also invited the legendary music group Los Tigres del Norte, who hold a special cultural resonance in the Latino community. Their music shaped my immigrant upbringing, reflecting the complexities of navigating bicultural identity, bilingualism, and persistent anti-immigrant sentiment. Their songs—such as “La Jaula de Oro,” “Somos Más Americanos,” “Campesino,” and their tribute to César Chávez—articulate the lived experiences of immigrant communities and assert a counternarrative of dignity, resilience, and resistance in the face of marginalization.

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Jorge Hernández, co-founder of Los Tigres del Norte, has often spoken about the group’s first U.S. performance at Soledad Prison in 1968—the same year Johnny Cash played at Folsom State Prison. Since then, they have received multiple Grammy Awards, sold out Madison Square Garden, and, this past summer, were honored with a namesake street in Brooklyn. During the Monterey County event, Supervisor Alejo and the Board of Supervisors presented Los Tigres del Norte with a lifetime achievement award recognizing not only their musical legacy but also their decades-long advocacy on behalf of immigrant and Latino communities. Photo above: Dr. Ornelas (third from the left) pictured with Los Tigres del Norte band members (left to right) Luis Hernández, Hernan Hernández, Jorge Hernández, Eduardo Hernández, and Óscar Lara | photo credit: Pep Jimenez.

As part of our continued collaboration, I have invited Los Tigres del Norte to visit the Department of Special Collections at Stanford to study Ernesto Galarza’s personal papers and bracero correspondence. In particular, we will examine Galarza’s documentation of the 1963 “Tragedy at Chualar,” in which 32 braceros were killed in a devastating collision between a makeshift bus and a train. Galarza served as the principal investigator of the accident, and the archival record he left offers profound insights into the structural neglect and human cost of exploitative labor systems. Our hope is to draw from these materials to inspire a new song that honors the 32 bracero lives lost and continue to educate the public about this overlooked chapter in U.S. history.

This kind of scholarly interdisciplinary and community-based collaboration underscores the vital role of archives and public scholarship in shaping collective memory and advancing civil rights education. As I continue my work with SPICE and within the Stanford Department of Special Collections, I remain committed to collaborating with scholars across disciplines and transnationally to deepen public understanding of Latino American history and to ensure that these stories are not only preserved but heard.

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