Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu is looking again toward Japan. A psychotherapist, writer and academic, Murphy-Shigematsu has lived in Palo Alto, Calif. the past eight years, teaching at Stanford University and running an independent multicultural consulting practice. Life in the Bay Area, he says, is easy for someone like him, the son of an Irish American man and […]
Multiracial: Border Crosser: Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu navigates nations, cultures and academia
May 20, 2010 by 2 Comments
Multiracial: Observations of a Waegook
May 20, 2010 by Leave a Comment
It’s a strange feeling to be labeled as a “foreigner,†but that’s what I was. Foreigner. Waegook. In Korea, it’s the all-purpose term for someone not like them. We weren’t considered immigrants, international students, foreign workers or tourists. Or Americans, Europeans or Africans. Just foreigners, lumped together in an easy category. I don’t think we […]
More than words: Teaching English in Ecuador
May 13, 2010 by Leave a Comment
In the 24 years that I have been “Ali, short for Alicia,†I have secretly longed for a nickname of distinctive familiarity and endearment. Now, in this small provincial city tucked in the Sierra region of central Ecuador, I have been branded with the inescapable moniker of “China,†or sometimes the affectionate diminutive, “Chinita.†Disregard […]
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Children and Youth Dept. turns its back on Japantown
Lori Kunihara says that she owes a lot to the Japanese Community Youth Council (JCYC) and her involvement in the Japantown Youth Leaders (JYL) program. “JYL taught me the value of serving the community and really gave me a sense of belonging. I learned so much from the staff of JYL and being in the […]