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Aylie Guyodo Oyama
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The following reflection is a guest post written by Aylie Guyodo Oyama, an alumna and honoree of the Fall 2023 Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan Program. Aylie is a disability rights advocate and is currently a student at the British School in Tokyo, Japan.

I am beyond thrilled to pen down my thoughts and gratitude for the incredible learning opportunity I’ve had during the Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan (SeEJ) program. My experience has been nothing short of amazing, from the instructors and my fellow classmates to our guest speakers, the teaching methods, and more. All of these elements made my educational journey such an inspiring and meaningful one.

I first joined the program with the aim of deepening my understanding of the world’s issues that have both global and local significance in our lives through the lens of an entrepreneur. It far exceeded my expectations. I learned that the term social is inextricably linked with the concept of entrepreneurship. Most importantly, I developed a sense of global citizenship and responsibility, which has changed the way I see the world and approach different perspectives and solutions. It helped me appreciate how vital it is to live in alignment with what matters most to us as a person, as a member of our community, and as a responsible global citizen. I learned that entrepreneurship is about what you are passionate about in helping others and bringing about positive change. It means recognizing the interconnectedness of our actions with the well-being of communities, the environment, and society at large. This program has instilled in me the importance of ethical decision-making, sustainability, and the pursuit of ventures that prioritize positive contributions to the world and in others’ lives.

The course aligned perfectly with my passion for helping others. Being a disability advocate is something I’m very passionate about. I chose to share my experience of living with a non-apparent disability in the hope that it will help others. I was an aspiring ballet dancer for as long as I can remember. A few years ago, however, I sustained a severe injury, making me rely on a wheelchair and leaving me with a lasting disability. Accessibility became a significant struggle for me. It really changed me completely as a person. This challenging experience provided me with a glimpse into the reality faced by disabled individuals and broadened my perspectives on attitudes and approaches to issues related to disability.

I am therefore on a mission to make a positive impact, foster understanding, support those facing adversity, and improve the lives of disabled individuals for the better. I hope to raise awareness and help flip the narrative toward viewing disability as ability and seeing people with disabilities as contributors to society.

My individual research paper, which is a major component of the SeEJ program, explored disability inclusion and particularly inclusive entrepreneurship as one possible solution and a key pathway to providing equal opportunities and participation for people with disabilities. I am also a big believer in the power of technology and innovation, especially disability tech, and I believe that social innovation can really transform people’s lives, particularly by improving accessibility and social inclusion. This was the central theme of the final group project that my classmates and I chose to work on. We had a lot of fun working as a team to come up with our vision for a more inclusive future and pitch our cutting-edge assistive technology prototype to “investors” to empower the community of visually impaired and blind people and provide them with newfound independence, safety, and confidence in navigating the world.

With the deep opportunities that the SeEJ program has given us, I have come to greatly appreciate the individuality and diversity of others. Working with people of different backgrounds helps to foster deeper interpersonal understanding and collaboration and creates conditions that are conducive to creativity.

Moreover, I really enjoyed the different workshops and group projects, as they were highly interactive and engaging. The step-by-step human-centered design thinking process was such an eye-opener for me. I realized how empathy and collaboration are critical in the process of understanding and meeting the needs of others, as well as prototyping, testing, and getting constant feedback to improve your solutions.

Overall, I am leaving the program with so many powerful insights and a determination to apply those valuable takeaways on my ongoing path to achieving my goals and dreams and growing as a person. One of my favorite inspiring quotes was from Sukemasa Kabayama, one of our guest speakers and co-founder and CEO of Uplift, who gave us this advice: “Be comfortable with the uncomfortable so that we see life as more interesting and richer!” If this resonates with you like it did with me, I enthusiastically recommend the Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan program!

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Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan honorees with their instructors
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Ceremony Held for the Top Students in the 2022 Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan Courses

Applications for the fall 2023 course are due on September 8, 2023.
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Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan honorees with their instructors
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Fostering the Entrepreneurs and Innovators of Tomorrow

On August 11, 2021, SPICE honored the top students in the 2020 Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan Program in a virtual ceremony.
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Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan student Naho Abe in Mexico City
Blogs

Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan: Fostering Innovative Ways to Address Social Issues

The following reflection is a guest post written by Naho Abe, an alumna of Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan.
Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan: Fostering Innovative Ways to Address Social Issues
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High school student Aylie Guyodo Oyama reflects on her transformative educational experience in Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan, and on connecting entrepreneurship with her passion for helping others.

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The update below also appears on SPICE’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion page, where we post periodic updates about SPICE’s DEI-focused work.


SPICE serves as a bridge between FSI and K–12 schools and community colleges. As noted in fall 2020, the SPICE staff has agreed to do more to help move our local community, nation, and the world to achieve racial justice. SPICE works in three areas: (1) curriculum development; (2) teacher professional development; and (3) online course offerings. Below are a few recent efforts that SPICE has made with the goal of achieving racial justice.

Curriculum: SPICE launched an interactive website called “What Does It Mean to Be an American?” in 2020. It focuses on topics like civil liberties & equity, civic engagement, and justice & reconciliation and includes videos called “What Does It Mean to Be a Young Black Man in America?” and “What It Means to Be Muslim American.” Student reflections on the website continued to be featured in articles on March 16, 2021, May 18, 2021, and July 20, 2021. This article series will continue in 2021.

SPICE is collaborating with the Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) to introduce underrepresented minority high school students to issues in international security and increase awareness of career opportunities available in international security.

Teacher Professional Development: Given the pandemic, SPICE has transitioned its teacher professional development seminars to online webinars.

SPICE worked with community college educators who participated in the Education Partnership for Internationalizing Curriculum (EPIC) program of Stanford Global Studies. On May 22, 2021, SGS hosted the 2021 EPIC Symposium and SPICE staff moderated two panels.

SPICE offered a webinar, “Indigenous Voices: Educational Perspectives from Navajo, Native Hawaiian, and Ainu Scholars in the Diaspora,” for teachers on June 18, 2021.

From June 28 to July 1, 2021, SPICE hosted a summer institute for middle school teachers that focused on East Asia and the Asian American experience. From July 26 to July 30, 2021, SPICE hosted a similar summer institute for high school teachers. Teachers from 20 states attended the seminars as well as teachers from China and Canada.

Online Course Offerings: SPICE currently offers three courses (on China, Japan, and Korea) for high school students in the United States and courses for students in Japan and China. SPICE seeks to broaden its offerings in the United States.

SPICE pledges to continue to do the following:

  • In its recruitment of students for SPICE’s online classes, we will redouble our efforts to recruit from diverse areas throughout the United States.
  • SPICE will seek to increase the diversity of the teachers who attend its teacher professional development seminars.
  • SPICE will seek to expand the diversity of the students who enroll in its online course offerings.
  • SPICE will continue to host webinars that focus on diversity.
  • SPICE will continue to explore—with the FSI REDI Task Force—additional outreach activities that focus on enhancing diversity at FSI.

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SPICE Instructor Kasumi Yamashita speaks with Native and Indigenous educators
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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.
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Maiya Evans at the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Reimagining Public Health

Guest author Maiya Evans reflects on her EPIC project, which challenges students to reimagine public health.
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Isa Silva and his family
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Read about SPICE's recent and current DEI-related efforts.

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Webinar recording: https://youtu.be/sQBR-NZBWks

 

Webinar Description:

On March 18, 2021, the California Department of Education adopted the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum. Chapter 3 of the Model Curriculum includes a section on “Native American Studies.” Three Native and Indigenous educators will reflect on this and the state of ethnic studies in their regions. The educators are Dr. Harold Begay, Dr. Sachi Edwards, and Dr. Ronda Māpuana Shizuko Hayashi-Simpliciano. Kasumi Yamashita will serve as the moderator of the panel. She is an Instructor for SPICE and was trained as a cultural anthropologist at Harvard University and was a Fulbright Scholar to Brazil.

Some of the topics that will be addressed include (1) the various academic field names of the study of Native and Indigenous people; (2) the complexity and diversity of Native and Indigenous people’s experiences, highlighting key concepts like indigeneity, settler colonialism, diaspora, social justice and activism; and ontological and epistemological philosophy; and (3) recommended resources for K–12 educators.

These topics are not only relevant to teachers in California but to teachers in other states as well. K–12 educators and administrators are encouraged to sign up at https://bit.ly/3z4kxtc.

This webinar is a joint collaboration between the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA), Center for East Asian Studies, and SPICE.
 

Featured Speakers:

Dr. Harold Begay

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Dr. Harold Begay, Superintendent of Schools, Navajo Nation, was raised on the Navajo Nation in northern Arizona, amid a deep bicultural chasm irrevocably bound by his traditional Dine’ (Navajo) culture upbringing and mainstream Western Greco-Roman education in the United States. He completed his Ph.D. in school finance/economics, concentrating his advanced studies in educational administration, bilingual education, and social foundations of education from the University of Arizona. Dr. Begay has worked in several Native American school districts in different teaching and administrative capacities over a span of 25 years. Has been a Visiting Scholar at U.C. Berkeley and is currently doing transnational educational work with Stanford University.


Dr. Sachi Edwards

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Dr. Sachi Edwards is a Faculty Member at Soka University in Tokyo, Japan, and also a Lecturer in the Educational Foundations department at the University of Hawaiʻi, Mānoa. Her areas of research include higher education, internationalization, and religious identity, diversity, and oppression. Dr. Edwards received a Ph.D. in higher education from the University of Maryland, College Park. She teaches classes about higher education, international and intercultural education, educational theory/philosophy, qualitative research methods, and academic writing. She was recently featured with Dr. Ronda Māpuana Shizuko Hayashi-Simpliciano in discussion on “Ainu in Diaspora: Rising from Shame, Honoring Ainu Resilience,” hosted by the Japanese American Memorial Pilgrimages.


Dr. Ronda Māpuana Shizuko Hayashi-Simpliciano

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Dr. Ronda Māpuana Shizuko Hayashi-Simpliciano is Vice Principal of the Hawaiian language immersion school, Ke Kula Kaiapuni ʻo Ānuenue, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. She is an Ainu-Hawaiian scholar and educator who works in the field of indigenous language and culture restoration. She did her doctoral work at the University of Hawaiʻi, Mānoa. Dr. Hayashi-Simpliciano recently gave a talk on “Ainu in Diaspora History,” hosted by the Japanese American Memorial Pilgrimages.

Via Zoom Webinar. Registration Link: https://bit.ly/3z4kxtc.

Dr. Harold Begay Superintendent of Schools, Navajo Nation
Dr. Sachi Edwards Faculty Member at Soka University in Tokyo, Japan
Dr. Ronda Māpuana Shizuko Hayashi-Simpliciano Vice Principal, Ke Kula Kaiapuni ʻo Ānuenue, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
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In his March 15, 2021 lecture for SPICE’s Reischauer Scholars Program, actor George Takei—who played Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the USS Enterprise in Star Trek—added “and Stand Back” to the iconic Star Trek words, “Live Long and Prosper,” as he was greeting students. His addition of “and Stand Back” was a message to the RSP students that it is important to continue to socially distance during the pandemic.

During his riveting lecture, Takei didn’t need to draw upon his acting skills to engage his audience of students as he recollected his family’s life after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and drew parallels between his family’s experience during World War II and anti-Asian sentiment and hate crimes (including killings and stabbings) against Asian Americans today. Takei was four years old at the time of the Pearl Harbor attack, and following the signing of Executive Order 9066 by President Franklin Roosevelt on February 19, 1942, Takei and his family along with approximately 120,000 people of Japanese descent—two thirds of whom were American citizens like Takei—were forced from their homes.

As he did with his legions of fans in Star Trek, Takei had the students glued to their screens as he recalled the day that he and his family were forced from their home in Los Angeles.

On that day that I can never forget, I had just turned five years old. It was a few weeks after my birthday, April 20. My father had gotten us dressed up hurriedly and told us to wait in the living room while my father and mother did some last-minute packing in the bedroom. Our baby sister was an infant and she was in the bedroom with them in a cradle. In the living room, my brother and I were just gazing out the front window at our neighborhood and suddenly we saw two soldiers marching up our driveway. They carried rifles with shiny bayonets on them. They stomped up the front porch and with their fists, began pounding the door. I still remember how it felt, like the walls were trembling… My father came out of the bedroom, answered the door, and literally, at gunpoint we were ordered out of our home… Shortly after and escorted by one of the soldiers, my mother came out holding our baby sister in one arm and a huge duffle bag in the other, and tears were streaming down her cheeks. The terror of that morning is still alive in me. I will never be able to forget that horrific day. It is seared into my memory.

Upon hearing this, RSP student Kogen Brown reflected, “I was deeply struck by the fact that these details remained in Mr. Takei’s mind after all these years. I remember only a few snippets of my life from that age, and the fact that he remembers so many specific aspects about the time that he was interned really goes to show the emotional and psychological impact that internment had on Japanese Americans—even those who were so young that they didn’t know what was happening or why it was happening to them.”

The War Relocation Authority (WRA) was the federal agency created in 1942 to oversee the Japanese Americans who were removed from the West Coast during World War II. The WRA built and operated a network of camps, where those removed were subjected to forced incarceration. Takei and his family were taken to the horse stables in Santa Anita Racetrack where they were assigned to a horse stall, which was still pungent with horse manure. The family stayed for four or five months in the so-called Santa Anita Assembly Center while the more permanent concentration camps were being built. From Santa Anita, Takei and his family were sent by train to the so-called Rohwer War Relocation Center in Arkansas. Takei recollected, “There, as a five-year-old child, I had an adventure. A discovery of a whole alien world. I am a southern Californian. I’m used to palm trees. In Rohwer beyond the barbed wire fence was the bayou. I have memories of camp as a fun experience, but that was a child’s experience. At the same time, parallel to my childhood experience, my parents had a grotesque experience—barbed wire fences, sentry towers, machine guns pointed at them. When we made the night run to the latrine from our barrack, searchlights followed us. My mother considered it an invasive, humiliating light but the five-year-old me thought it was nice that they lit the way for me to pee. Same experiences but two different memories.”

During his recollection of his life during World War II, Takei noted, “There are relevant lessons that apply to what’s happening today. We talk about Asian hate, hate of Asian people, and horrific things are being done to elderly Asians because of the pandemic we are going through. This kind of hate is what Japanese Americans were subjected to more than 80 years ago… back then, graffiti was painted on some of our homes, on our cars… like what’s happening today.”

Takei underscored the ironies of being detained behind barbed wire. He noted,

I went to school in a black tar barrack and every morning, we started the school day with the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. I could see the barbed wire fence and the sentry towers right outside my school house window as I recited the words, ‘with liberty and justice for all.’

“I still can’t wrap my head around how horribly the U.S. government failed Japanese Americans,” reflected RSP student Kalia Lai, “Hearing from Mr. Takei that he and the other Japanese American students still had to say the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of school made me realize how empty those words, ‘with liberty and justice for all,’ turned out to be for Japanese Americans, and how inhumane the incarceration camps were.”

Takei also shared that in 1943, the War Department and WRA established a “loyalty questionnaire” as a means to assess the loyalty of all adults in the WRA camps. Takei spoke specifically about the final two questions, questions 27 and 28, which created confusion and resentment.

Question number 27 asked if Japanese Americans were willing to serve in the armed forces of the United States on combat duty wherever ordered. Question number 28 asked if individuals would swear unqualified allegiance to the United States and faithfully defend the United States from any or all attack by foreign or domestic forces, and forswear any form of allegiance or obedience to the Japanese Emperor, or any other foreign government, power, or organization. U.S. citizens resented being asked to renounce loyalty to the Emperor of Japan when they had never held a loyalty to the Emperor. At the time, Japanese immigrants were barred from becoming U.S. citizens, so they wondered if renouncing their only citizenship would leave them stateless.

Despite the confusion, thousands from Hawaii and the concentration camps served in the U.S. Army. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team was organized on March 23, 1943, after more than a year during which Americans of Japanese descent were declared enemy aliens by the U.S. War Department. Takei emphatically noted, “We weren’t the enemy, we were Americans.” The 442nd RCT became the most decorated unit for its size and length of service in U.S. military history. Following the end of the war, President Truman honored them and said, “You fought not only the enemy, but you fought prejudice—and you have won.”

Takei noted the importance for students to study about history as it teaches us important lessons and stated that he has made it his life’s mission to talk about the incarceration of Japanese Americans. “As a matter of fact, today we are living through a time that will be studied as a very important part of history by future generations,” expressed Takei. Recalling his years behind barbed wire, he emphasized that he and his family were viewed with suspicion and hate simply because of the way they looked. “There were no charges, no trial, no due process… Terror made toxic by racism started to affect the so-called leaders of our country, the politicians, but instead of leading, these politicians got swept up by the hysteria and became part of that hysteria… We have so much to learn from history because we are repeating the same kind of mentality that put us in these barbed wire prison camps.”

These words resonated in RSP student Noah Kurima, whose paternal grandparents were among the 120,000 who were incarcerated. Kurima commented, “What surprised me the most upon hearing Mr. Takei speak about his wartime experiences are the parallels that I see in our country eight decades later. As a 16-year-old, I would have hoped that more progress had been made in the area of cross-cultural understanding. The hysteria, racism, and failure of political leadership that Mr. Takei described from his childhood seem eerily similar to what I have seen in the media recently. I hope that the RSP students in the year 2100 will not be witnessing the same parallels that I am today.”

In a strongly emphasized message to the students, Takei said that the ideals of the United States “are noble but they become real and true only when the people infuse those ideals with truth with backing. At times of panic and hysteria, we start behaving irrationally.”

RSP Instructor Naomi Funahashi reflected, “I hope that my students especially take this message to heart. I honestly hesitated to close the session because of the clear impact that Mr. Takei was having on my students.” Funahashi gratefully acknowledged Takei and noted, “Sharing your recollections—particularly those of you as a five-year-old boy—we could feel your very palpable sense of terror and fear, and through your voice, you helped students to understand why it’s such an important issue to study today.”

George Takei is a social justice activist, social media superstar, Grammy-nominated recording artist, New York Times bestselling author, and pioneering actor whose career has spanned six decades. He has appeared in more than 40 feature films and hundreds of television roles, and he has used his success as a platform to fight for social justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and marriage equality. For the full story of George Takei’s childhood imprisoned within American concentration camps during World War II, see his graphic memoir, They Called Us Enemy. Naomi Funahashi and I are grateful to Brad Takei for his support of George’s lecture and this article, and also to Michael Kurima for his support as a liaison between SPICE and George Takei.

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Koki Mashita at Webb School of California; photo courtesy Koki Mashita
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The Reischauer Scholars Program: The Inspiration to Start an Investment Firm

The following reflection is a guest post written by Koki Mashita, an alumnus of the Reischauer Scholars Program.
The Reischauer Scholars Program: The Inspiration to Start an Investment Firm
Illustration of a virtual classroom session
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High school student honorees with Japanese Consul General at Stanford Japan Day
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Honoring High School Students from Japan and the United States: A Glow for Global Peace

Honoring High School Students from Japan and the United States: A Glow for Global Peace
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In his March 15, 2021 lecture for SPICE’s Reischauer Scholars Program, actor George Takei—who played Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the USS Enterprise in Star Trek—added “and Stand Back” to the iconic Star Trek words, “Live Long and Prosper,” as he was greeting students.

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