This fall, Stanford’s Center for Latin American Studies and SPICE released a new video lecture by Professor Will Fowler, a renowned expert on Mexican history who teaches at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. In the lecture, Fowler presents Mexican perspectives on the Mexican–U.S. War of 1846–1848 and the resulting Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which most Mexicans regard as the most tragic chapter in their history. Professor Fowler also reflects on the consequences of the war for Mexico and how the country remembers the war.

In Mexico, this war is usually referred to as “la intervención estadounidense en México” or “la guerra mexicano-estadounidense,” which translates into English as the “U.S. Intervention in Mexico” or “the Mexican–U.S. War.”

The video is an excerpt from a longer lecture that Professor Fowler gave on the Mexican–U.S. War of 1846–1848 for the Center for Latin American Studies on July 27, 2021. A free classroom-friendly discussion guide for this video was developed by SPICE Curriculum Consultant Greg Francis and is available for download here. The objectives of the video lecture and curriculum guide are for students to:

• gain an understanding of Mexico’s experience of the Mexican–U.S. War and the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo;
• examine what led to Mexico’s defeat in the war;
• discuss the consequences and legacy of the war from a Mexican perspective; and
• learn the importance of thinking critically about perspectives in their textbooks and classes.

Among the topics of Fowler’s lecture is the legend of the six boy heroes, or the Niños Héroes, that has become the main symbol and memory of the war in Mexico. The two most well-known depictions of the event are a mural on the ceiling of Chapultepec Castle and the Altar a la Patria (Altar to the Homeland) monument, more commonly called the Monumento a los Niños Héroes, both in Mexico City. The guide presents an activity that engages students in an examination of the Niños Héroes.

In addition, the guide engages students in a review of how their history textbooks treat the U.S.–Mexico War. After reading the textbook excerpt, students respond to these questions.

• According to the textbook passage, how did U.S. leaders and the general public react to the U.S. victory in the war?
• What was most surprising or novel to you about the textbook passage?
• Which actors does the U.S. textbook emphasize? How do these differ from the actors that Professor Fowler emphasized?
• Which perspectives does the textbook cover that Professor Fowler did not, and vice versa?

The video lecture and guide were made possible through the support of U.S. Department of Education National Resource Center funding under the auspices of Title VI, Section 602(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965.

In 2019 at the suggestion and with the support of Hiroshima Prefectural Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki, SPICE launched the Stanford-Hiroshima Collaborative Program on Entrepreneurship (SHCPE), an online course for MBA students that was conceptualized in consultation with the Hiroshima Business and Management School at the Prefectural University of Hiroshima. Yuzaki is an MBA graduate of Stanford Graduate School of Business and has been unwavering in his commitment to encouraging collaboration between Hiroshima Prefecture and Stanford University.

During the week of November 14, 2022, SHCPE Instructors Mariko Yang-Yoshihara and Meiko Kotani welcomed HBMS faculty members Yasuo Tsuchimoto and Narumi Yoshikawa and SHCPE alumni and students to Stanford University. Among the many activities of the week, Yang-Yoshihara and Kotani organized a session that focused on “Comparing the Entrepreneurial Mindset in the U.S. and Japan” that featured student Kai Kaplinsky and comments from Japanese business leaders Toshiko Tassone, Tatsuki Tomita, and Maki Kaplinsky; and a lecture on “Regenerative Medicine for Heart Failure” by cardiologist faculty member Phillip Yang, Stanford University School of Medicine. Also, Tsuchimoto and Yoshikawa organized tours to Google and Cisco and a talk with Japanese entrepreneur Shun Maki.

In addition to Silicon Valley-focused sessions and tours, I led a session called “Before Silicon Valley” that focused on early Japanese immigrants and their contributions to agriculture in Santa Clara County as a way to provide some historical context for the visitors’ understanding of what is now known as Silicon Valley. My grandparents, who were immigrants to the United States from Hiroshima, were migrant farmworkers and sharecroppers in Santa Clara County as well as in many other counties in California before and after World War II.

Yang-Yoshihara and Kotani decided to provide the students and alumni a glimpse into what such contributions to agriculture were like by arranging a visit to Hikari Farms in Watsonville, California. Hikari Farms is an organic greenhouse business that specializes in Asian vegetables. The students were treated to a lecture by Janet Nagamine of Hikari Farms. Janet, who concurrently works as a medical doctor, informed the students and alumni that her father Akira came to the United States in 1956 with only $24.32. He eventually founded A. Nagamine Nursery, which specialized in flowers in 1967, in Watsonville. With the decline of the flower industry in the United States, Akira began to grow vegetables. Janet explained that the recently renamed Hikari Farms is a way for her to connect with her Japanese heritage and to also honor her parents’ decades-long dedication to farming.

During her lecture, Janet explained that she sells not only organic vegetables but also a philosophy about the positive health effects of consuming organic foods. With a father and mother who are 97 and 101 respectively, and the fact that Janet is a medical doctor, her philosophy seemed to resonate among the students and alumni.

In their closing reflections at the end of the week, several of the students and alumni expressed gratitude for the visit to Hikari Farms and to the Nagamines. In all of the years that I have been a part of Japanese visits to the greater Bay Area, I have never accompanied visitors to a farm as a way to provide an appreciation for the historical context of what is now known as Silicon Valley. I am also grateful to the Nagamines as the tour of their farm was like a journey back to my childhood as an agricultural worker.

The following is a guest article written by Professor Hideto Fukudome, Graduate School of Education, the University of Tokyo. Fukudome was also the Director of the Center for Advanced School Education & Evidence-Based Research (CASEER) at the Graduate School of Education until March 2022.

I invited Dr. Gary Mukai, SPICE Director, to the University of Tokyo as an invitational fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). JSPS accepted our collaborative research plan, “Enhancement of U.S.–Japan Cultural Exchange Based on International and Cross-Cultural Education” and Gary stayed at the University of Tokyo from late September to mid-November 2022.

CASEER has been working with SPICE since the fall of 2021 to promote research exchange through the “SPICE/Stanford-UTokyo Partnership Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education and Global Citizenship.” During the Autumn 2022 semester, Gary and I taught a course at the Graduate School of Education called “Introduction to International and Cross-Cultural Education.” These are great learning opportunities for UTokyo students and for me as well.

I enjoyed spending time with Gary daily and learning many things from him. I am a higher education scholar and have studied American colleges and universities from a comparative and historical perspectives. American universities are unique in many ways. In particular, the diversity of missions and objectives of higher education institutions and the corresponding diversity of educational offerings and approaches can provide tremendous insight into American higher education. On the other hand, I also understand that diversity in the United States involves complicated issues that are closely related to the history of the country’s origins and its challenging social problems. The United States has a social structure that requires people to respect diversity at all times. However, despite the complex issues, I can say without a doubt that respect for diversity has shaped the vitality of the United States as a country and of American higher learning.

I studied in the United States for the first time in 1999. One of the things that impressed me the most was that consideration for people with disabilities was widespread in universities and every corner of society. More than 20 years have passed since then, and I believe that what diversity means in the United States has changed dramatically. In Japan, until recently, people scarcely mentioned the word “diversity” in society. Many Japanese have perceived Japan as a monolithic country in terms of language, culture, and so on, though this is not valid. Japanese society is undoubtedly becoming more diverse. At the same time, there has been a growing awareness, albeit belatedly, that diversity, which people should have taken into consideration, has been largely overlooked in the mindset of Japanese people.

The University of Tokyo is considered the most competitive university in Japan in terms of admission. Many students come from elite private high schools in metropolitan areas. There has been little diversity in the composition of students and faculty. One of the serious issues is that the percentage of female undergraduates has only recently exceeded 20 percent. This situation is surprising given the current state of universities around the world. However, for a long time in Japan, women were not required to have high academic credentials, and various “cooling” functions were in place before they got into college.

However, the University of Tokyo has recently begun a serious effort to increase diversity and inclusion. I believe this move is significant for the future of Japanese universities and society. The School of Education is also working to promote this movement. For many years, Japanese education has focused on academic achievement in a narrow sense as an indicator for evaluating students. However, I have come to realize that by looking at the diversity of human beings, we can capture a wide range of individual characteristics. Among other things, I have come to understand this since I met Gary several years ago, and we have discussed many things. Through stories grounded in Gary’s upbringing as a third-generation Japanese American and the interactions with SPICE people, I have developed a greater appreciation for cultural diversity.

Diversity is multidimensional, and a comprehensive understanding of diversity is not straightforward. However, there is no doubt that a willingness to focus on and consider diversity will help us to be more flexible and cultivate a multifaceted perspective. In this sense, I believe applying and extending what I have learned in our classes with Gary to my teaching and research is essential.

I feel it on my 3-minute walk to campus. At times, it is subtle; the quiet yet furious pace of students late for classes in Building 11. At times, it is pretentious; the Shinjuku laughter of the working men and women in their blue suits, escaping their offices for a night of ramen, beer, and karaoke. It is the pulse of the greatest city on Earth. It is the beat of life that I now see, feel, and hear every day in the heart of Tokyo as a freshman at Waseda University.

Where I grew up, there was a beach. My friends and I often spent time there, especially when the pandemic hit Southern California. It was our getaway from the outside world, a sanctuary of calm instilled by the rolling of waves and the bobbing of dolphins. But it was also a haven to find inspiration in the unrelenting freedom of the seabirds, simple creatures finding the courage to spread their wings and trust in the fortunes of the winds to soar above us all.

Driven by this inspiration, I applied to the Reischauer Scholars Program (RSP), knowing the improbability of being accepted into a competitive program at Stanford University. I did not have perfect grades nor the brand name of a famous high school. What I did have was the courage to spread my wings and trust in the fortunes of the winds. I had a story to tell, and unbelievably, RSP Instructor Naomi Funahashi chose to listen.

The course was essentially a retelling of my family’s past, beginning with Amaterasu emerging from darkness to losses in battle during the Genpei War. More relevant and recent to the personal connections and experiences of my own parents, we studied about the Zainichi Koreans and incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII. RSP was my history… as well as my future, as it turns out.

RSP ignited the realization of my deep, hidden connections to Japan. Six months after RSP concluded, I successfully applied to four Japanese universities and chose to study International Relations at Waseda University. I spread my wings as broadly as I could, and the winds took me from the quiet San Diego suburb of Carlsbad (think of Mitsuha’s Itomori) to the maze of skyscrapers and shrines that is downtown Tokyo.

It is funny how one seemingly insignificant decision—for me, having the courage to apply to RSP—can change the course of one’s life. It was in RSP that I began to hear the steady pulse of my homeland beckoning my return. It was RSP that gave me the courage to spread my wings. And it was because of RSP that I now find myself breathing in, savoring and experiencing the energy and adventure that is the lifeblood of my new home, the capital city of Japan: Tokyo.

During his recent Japan Tour, ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro offered an inspiring lecture and performance to students enrolled in a class that I am teaching with Professor Hideto Fukudome at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Education (“Introduction to International and Cross-Cultural Education”).

Jake is from Honolulu, Hawaii, and his great-grandparents were immigrants to Hawaii from Okinawa and Fukushima prefectures. At the age of four, Jake picked up the ukulele and his mother was his first teacher and inspiration. Jake first played the ukulele professionally with the Hawaiian folk-pop trio Pure Heart. The group’s debut album, released in 1997, was a hit in Hawaii and it swept four categories at the Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards—Hawaii’s equivalent of the Grammys. By the early 2000s, Jake became famous in Japan and Hawaii as a solo musician. In 2006, a clip of Jake playing “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” became one of the first viral videos on YouTube and made him internationally famous. Since then, he has performed on late-night shows including Late Night with Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Jake has also composed the original music for a number of film soundtracks, including Hula Girls, 2007, and Saidoweizu, 2009. In 2012, the documentary Jake Shimabukuro: Life on Four Strings premiered, showing Jake’s rise as an ukulele virtuoso. He has collaborated with numerous musicians, and his music was featured on Yo-Yo Ma’s Grammy Award-winning Songs of Joy and Peace and Ziggy Marley’s Grammy Award-winning Love Is My Religion. His latest CD is Jake & Friends.

Photo courtesy Junichiro Hirata

Jake’s lyrical-like lecture was highlighted by four of his hit songs. He began with “Over the Rainbow,” which was inspired by a version that he heard from the late singer and ukulele musician Israel Kamakawiwoʻole. He then spoke about how a koto performance of a Japanese song, “Sakura” (cherry blossoms), inspired him to compose his version on the ukulele, underscoring his openness to learning from various styles of music, instruments, and musicians. Graduate student Marie Fujimoto, who is a concert violinist, commented, “I loved Jake’s approach to music and to the audience. I felt that his music comes from something personal, and I was drawn to his sensitive and expressive sound immediately. And concerning his arrangement of ‘Sakura,’ it’s amazing how he is engaging with his own ancestral roots so creatively.”

Photo courtesy Junichiro Hirata

Following his performance of “Sakura,” he spoke about how life experiences—including a visit with a friend’s grandmother who was suffering from Alzheimer’s and had visions of blue rose petals falling from the ceiling—inspired him to compose “Blue Roses Falling,” which he performed for the audience. One could see tears among several in the audience. David Janes, Executive Director of Global Citizens Initiative, commented, “Jake’s lecture and performance remind me of his role not just as a music ambassador but as a music education ambassador who cares so deeply about humanity.”

He concluded his performance with “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and mentioned that composer George Harrison loved the ukulele. His performance gave the audience a glimpse into why his YouTube video of the song went viral and why he is considered the virtuoso that he is.

In 2021, Jake was nominated by President Joe Biden to serve on the National Council of the Arts, yet his many commitments have not diminished one of his passions—working with students and teachers. Fukudome commented, “Despite Jake’s whirlwind Japan Tour, which included performances in Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya, Yokohama, and Tokyo, he took the time to meet with our students. This truly demonstrates his dedication to education and underscores his role as a cultural bridge-builder between countries like Japan and the United States. I was moved and inspired by Jake’s performance. Learning in college is often seen as something done by the brain, but how the senses, the heart, and the body work together is crucial to learning. Today’s opportunity to experience how the mind, emotions, and hand relate to each other through Jake’s performance was meaningful for all participants.”

Fujimoto continued, “Also, his lecture was chill, but also insightful and inspiring. I just admire how he learns from so many things like talking drums and hand techniques of Bruce Lee (!) and applies them to the ukulele.”

The following is Part 9 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, and Part 8.

Since December 8, 2020, SPICE has posted eight articles that highlight reflections from 65 students on the question, “What does it mean to be an American?” Part 9 features seven additional reflections. The reflections below do not necessarily reflect the views 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.

Leo Brown, Oregon
When I think about what being American means to me, I think of all the opportunities that many people take for granted such as being able to play sports and being able to experience all of the natural beauty and diversity that America has to offer. Sometimes, I think we forget that many people around the world aren’t able to experience many aspects of life that we have come to expect, and that we are very privileged to have all of these wonderful opportunities. I think that America as a country has been trying to change for the better ever since it was founded. Although we are not perfect, I believe we’ve taken many steps in the right direction in trying to become a country that best represents our diversity.

Cindy DeDianous, New York
When I think of an “American” person, I instinctively picture a white man. I recently spoke to a friend who said the opposite—she pictures an Indian American, like herself. To me, being American is still initially based on looks. As someone who is half white and half Asian, this has led to moments where I amplify my white identity to feel connected to a society that may disadvantage me otherwise. I want to believe that all Americans, including myself, can one day picture an “American” that is a diverse, accurate representation of the different groups that make up the identity of our nation. The harsh reality of racial discrimination plastered across the headlines makes it difficult to reconcile these two images of America. Still, being American empowers me to be an individual and exist as I am—no matter what anyone else pictures an American to be.

Sergianni Jennings, Colombia
I was born in Bogotá, Colombia, and raised in the United States as a dual citizen. My family is both African American and Italian American, therefore, my upbringing was full of multicultural perspectives. I found myself pondering how I fit into the label of “American,” when much of my background felt incredibly disconnected from the land I grew up in. I soon realized that America is a place where diversity flourishes, and a place that encourages inclusivity to accommodate the diverse population it harbors. Therefore, for me, to be American means to accept diversity in all forms, such as race, gender, or even aspirations. As a Colombian American passionate about learning Japanese, I have found that the diversity of America encourages me to pursue all my passions and accept my own diverse identity.

Beckett Kim, Kentucky
America has been shaped by immigrants with different cultures influencing what being an American means. To me, being an American is the ability to come from various places and still make an impact. Although there are greater challenges for some due to ethnicity, gender, and sexual identity, it is still possible to achieve successes which makes being an American a gift—a gift of possibility to strive for by working hard. Being a minority in America is often not easy, as certain privileges are often not afforded to me. However, it is not impossible, and with enough work and dedication, all can achieve the opportunities available in society. The gift of being an American means being able to choose who one can become.

Kirin Lancaster, Washington
As a young girl in elementary school, I remember every day we would recite the Pledge of Allegiance. I thought the word “indivisible” was “invisible.” Later, I was embarrassed to find I had been using the wrong word. But I found myself even more embarrassed learning the promise of indivisibility was a lie. Being American, as a teenager, means recognizing the imperfections of our nation and knowing that we cannot uphold this reputation of glory when people see the realities of inequality, injustice, and ignorance that we constantly face. Our generation has a new understanding of what it means to be one nation, and it is now our responsibility to spread awareness, educate, and inspire through action.

Maya Moncaster, Washington
To me, being an American means fighting for justice and equality. As a woman in the LGBTQIA+ community, I want to fight for justice because I’m starting to understand the struggles of being in a marginalized community. Even though in some places in America, we are making progress with gender equality, gay and trans rights, women’s rights, and POC rights, we still have much to improve. Every year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, my family and I host a huge hot chocolate stand and donate 100% of our proceeds to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a charity that fights to protect civil liberties for all Americans across the country. I am grateful to live in America with the opportunities and freedom that I have and also know we all have to do our small part to make sure these freedoms reach all Americans.

Yurika Sakai, Connecticut
Americans hold a wide range of beliefs, developed from unique combinations of cultural ancestry, socioeconomic status, geographic region, and even experiences gained abroad. Given this diversity, being American means learning to find harmony or at the very least acceptance and compromise, in a community full of dissonance. Some instances of difference are more challenging to overcome than others, and at times we forget the need for each of us to have an open mind about beliefs outside of our own, resulting in painful experiences of exclusion or discrimination. However, because difference is the norm, everyday experiences gradually teach us how to engage in a community with respect, and painful memories of mistreatment are opportunities for us to become more compassionate and understanding individuals. As Americans, we are constantly changing by necessity as we learn how to better interact with the assortment of individuals that we call our community.

Stanford e-Wakayama is a new distance-learning course sponsored by the Wakayama Prefectural Board of Education and the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE) at Stanford University. For its inaugural year, 30 high school students were selected from throughout the prefecture to learn from experts in the United States about various academic fields through a global lens. Stanford e-Wakayama instructor Makiko Hirata recently wrote these reflections about her trip to Wakayama Prefecture to attend the opening ceremony, which was held on September 9, 2022.

Located on the southwestern part of Kii Peninsula, the largest peninsula in Japan, Wakayama Prefecture has been referred to lovingly as “Ki no Kuni” (the land of trees) since the 7th century for its vast forest that covers much of the region. In the self-introductory letters that I had requested, my new students had been telling me about their hometowns, the beauty of nature, the kindness of people, and the sweetness of fruits. So naturally, I was looking forward to meeting my students as much as getting to know their environment during my three-day visit. What I was not expecting, however, was how meaningful this visit would become to me through the exchanges I was to have with the educators.

The morning after my arrival, Mr. Masanori Toda, Teacher’s Consultant, Prefectural School Education Division, Wakayama Prefectural Board of Education—my counterpart for Stanford e-Wakayama—introduced me to many of the people responsible for launching this program. They all shared their perspectives on education, hopes for the future generations, and visions for Stanford e-Wakayama. Through these conversations, I learned about Wakayama’s rich history and felt Wakayama residents’ love and pride for their prefecture. There are many important historical figures who were from Wakayama Prefecture. When Mr. Izumi Miyazaki, Superintendent at the Board of Education, realized that I had not heard of one of these beloved figures, Kumakusu Minakata, he insisted that he gift one of the many books from his personal library about this polyglot Renaissance man to me.

Mr. Yasuhiro Fukano, Manager at the Board of Education, informed me that one of the priorities at the Wakayama Board of Education is to build competence and confidence in their students’ English—a key to helping students become global citizens.

At Wakayama Prefectural Toin High School, Mr. Fujimura, Vice Principal, and Mr. Fujioka, Instructor, accompanied Mr. Toda, Mr. Keiji Yoshida, also from the Board of Education, and me to different classrooms where various subjects were being taught. At the end of our visit, we spent an hour with Mr. Shingo Sasai, Principal, who explained that the school was established in 1879, and the aforementioned Kumakusu Minakata was one of its first graduates. I was especially moved by how frankly Mr. Sasai and his colleagues delved into some of our most challenging issues in education, from how to support diverse gender expressions at schools to establishing healthy boundaries with social media while incorporating IT in the curriculum to cultivate globalization.

At the opening ceremony, all 30 Stanford e-Wakayama students were present in their school uniforms. Ms. Keiko Okano from the Board of Education served as the emcee. Mr. Fukano and Mr. Toda encouraged the students to challenge themselves outside of their comfort zones, but also to trust their own abilities and knowledge. Dr. Gary Mukai, SPICE Director, gave a speech about the importance of critical thinking, diversity, and empathy, offering glimpses into his own Japanese American family’s history. In my own speech, I expressed my gratitude for the information technologies that allow us these virtual international exchanges, but at the same time cautioned how virtual communications are only supplements to the physical sharing of a space and time. I emphasized how I wanted them to get to know me in ways that were only possibly while we were physically together.

As the ceremony came to a close, each student gave a short speech from a lectern to introduce themselves, stating their future dreams and ambitions. I was impressed. After their speech, I gave each student a personalized handwritten card that I had prepared, and shook their hands.

I was quite moved when many students waited to greet me personally and to offer me a hug, after the ceremony. Hugging is not a part of the Japanese culture, so I felt that with those hugs, the students were expressing their willingness to go out of their comfort zones and embrace our journey together.

I already feel that this trip has had a significant impact on how we will relate to each other through the course of this Stanford e-Wakayama program, and possibly beyond. I am grateful.  

Stanford e-Wakayama is currently one of 11 local student programs in Japan offered by SPICE.

To stay informed of SPICE news, join our email list and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Like many Korean American children, my Saturday mornings growing up consisted of a reluctant drive to Korean school and a subsequent trip to the Korean market. A day filled with bubbly Korean sounds and characters, Choco-Pie, and tteok-boki would flash past until Monday came around and it was back to flat intonations, Oreos, and bow-tie pasta.

If you asked me then, I would say that I was fairly knowledgeable of my Korean roots. Even though my language skills were never the best, I spent plenty of time with Korean relatives and knew my way around a menu. However, during the four months I attended the Sejong Korea Scholars Program (SKSP), my eyes were opened to the vast complexity and truth of Korea.

Every other week, I connected with incredible students from all over the nation who each offered unique perspectives, opinions, and knowledge. My classmates and I learned the country’s story from its beginning to its present from a multitude of renowned professors from diverse institutions. Dr. HyoJung Jang gave us access to a myriad of college-level resources and challenged us through thought-provoking assignments that were by far the most fulfilling I have ever done.

We learned the history of unique Korean architecture and fashion and the beautiful traditional practices infused into Korean life. We learned how King Sejong, the program’s eponym, created a new alphabet—the same one I had studied on Korean school Saturdays—in order to escape Chinese origins and give further distinction and pride to the Korean people.

However, we spent equivalent time learning about the country’s more unpleasant, bitter chapters. We studied how Korean society tends to measure the validity of a person’s “Koreanness” in terms of their race—the plague of ethnic nationalism. When we were given the freedom to explore any aspect of Korean history for our final research paper, I chose to research comfort women, the system of sexual slavery instituted by Japan during the occupation. In my studies, I investigated how deeply systemic misogyny runs in the cultures of both Korea and Japan, but also discovered the immense strength and anger portrayed by Korean citizens’ more recent protests of the Japanese government’s denials, revealing an important evolution in Korean culture.

Learning these difficult things gave depth to my comprehension of Korea: in order to truly understand the essence and culture of a country, it is also important to face the hard-to-swallow pieces of its history, its being, and its future. After completing the course, I became inspired to provide similar opportunities to my peers. I’m currently working on creating an in-person, day-long forum to help teenagers realize a similar depth of knowledge of Korea.

Taking SKSP transformed my perspective on life and my ambitions for the future. This program has sparked my desire to build a new relationship with Korean culture in college and beyond so that I can gain a deeper understanding of myself, my heritage, and my connections with the world.

Joe Garcia Kapp was one of the first Chicano/Latino football players to become a national star. From the 1950s, he excelled in many areas—including academically, in business, and as a coach—and took pride in his identity as a Mexican American at a time when it was difficult and even risky to do so. Kapp never forgot his humble roots and gave back to his community throughout his life. He grew up in East Salinas, California, and was the first in his family to go to college. Kapp attended El Sausal Middle School, and the school’s athletic field will be named in his honor on September 29, 2022. He attended Salinas High School and Hart High School in Newhall, California before matriculating to the University of California, Berkeley. While Kapp got into Cal on a basketball scholarship, he starred as their quarterback from 1956 to 1958, leading them to the Rose Bowl game. He also played professionally in Canada and in the National Football League, bringing the Minnesota Vikings to their first Super Bowl in 1970.

As part of its DEI-related work, SPICE has developed a lesson (available below) that encourages students to analyze Joe Garcia Kapp’s life and legacy as an example of a Chicano/Latino leader who gave back to his community. In the lesson, students also investigate who their communities have commemorated through monuments and namings, and profile a local community leader.

The lesson was developed by Greg Francis in consultation with Dr. Ignacio Ornelas, a historian and Salinas native who also attended El Sausal Middle School. Ornelas took the initiative to advocate for the Salinas Union High School District to name El Sausal’s athletic field after Kapp when he learned that Kapp was a fellow alumnus. Ornelas noted, “Joe Garcia Kapp characterizes the hardworking values and history of Salinas. It was his Mexican mother’s work ethic, Salinas educators and the agricultural workforce that taught Joe about grit, perseverance, and ganas, a Spanish term for ‘effort.’ Joe Kapp’s time in East Salinas is where he learned to prioritize his education, and where he developed his leadership skills. These core values ultimately propelled Joe to academic, entrepreneurial, and coaching success.”

With this in mind, Francis decided upon the following objectives for the lesson. He hopes that through the lesson, students will:

• gain an understanding of the accomplishments of Joe Garcia Kapp and their importance for the Chicano/Latino community;
• analyze Joe Garcia Kapp’s life and leadership philosophy and write about his achievements and legacy;
• understand the role of monuments and names in reflecting a community’s values and history; and
• identify and recognize people who lived in their local area who have contributed positively to the community.
   

J.J. Kapp, the son of Kapp, noted that his father “was nicknamed ‘The Toughest Chicano’ by Sports Illustrated magazine after he quarterbacked the Minnesota Vikings to their first Super Bowl in 1970. The nickname was given and has stuck because of his ferocious style of play, competitive spirit, unmatched leadership, and enthusiastic pride in his Latino heritage… Throughout his life Joe has always been devoted to community service and has never stopped giving and raising money for Latino causes. Most importantly, he is a lifelong family man and raised his kids with the core values he learned from his mother and unprivileged upbringing.”

Ornelas and Francis encourage teachers to use this lesson as a tool to address key themes like identity, history and movement, systems of power, and social movements and equity in the California Department of Education’s Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum. Ornelas hopes that this lesson and Joe Kapp’s life will “inspire students to always think as leaders and to never give up on their academic pursuits and career aspirations. Moreover, it is a lesson that will teach each student to be proud of their community no matter how humble one’s origins.”

To access the lesson and its accompanying visuals, download the two PDFs below.