By Stella Zhu’25
As part of its 175th-anniversary celebration, The Frederick Gunn School invited Nora Yasumura, the first Asian American speaker in quite some years, to speak about her Pan Asian Project and Asian identity. The Asian Student Association at the Frederick Gunn School put a lot of effort into bringing an Asian voice to campus through student experiences and public speakers when the school hosted its first Asian speaker. The distinct viewpoints that each group offered the school helped to create a more comprehensive and accurate understanding of Asian identity and Asian groups. Her mother is white, and her father is Japanese; Nora Yasumura grew up in a mixed-race family. Her enthusiasm for promoting awareness of Asian culture stems from her father’s experiences during World War II, and she also wanted the community to become more aware of Asian identity because, oftentimes, it can be easy to overlook.
For many international students at boarding schools, despite the busy life that boarding school already provides them, these 14 and 15-year-old teenagers flew in a fourteen-hour flight and flew themselves to the other side of the ocean. They find themselves unsure of how to navigate such situations. During our conversation with Mrs. Yasumura, the Asian Student Association (ASA) will incorporate discussions on how new students should respond when confronted with these challenges. The ASA proposed to create a panel to provide guidance and solutions. In addition, the community firmly believes that community trust and authority are essential to combating racism, and the student body identified FGS’ Director of Inclusion and Belonging Benjamin Kang to be the individual with the necessary reputation and influence to lead this effort. In the unfortunate event of experiencing discrimination, the ASA encourages students to report it to trusted faculty members. It is crucial to emphasize that reporting is not akin to betraying a schoolmate; rather, it serves as a swift means of self-protection. Our primary focus is on safeguarding victims and eradicating racism and prejudice.
Mrs. Nora Yasumura spoke with ASA via Zoom on Friday evening prior to when she gave the speech on Tuesday, September 13th, regarding her Japanese American heritage. She discussed with the ASA during the Zoom call the material she wished to share with the school and the information that the Asian student community feels comfortable sharing. The purpose of her Tuesday speech was to give additional details regarding the history of Asian identity. She introduced her background, describing her mother as white and her father as Japanese. Nora Yasumura grew up in a mixed-race family. Her dad experienced strong Asian hatred during World War II as his family and other Japanese citizens were sent to the internment camps. Japanese people were tagged by signs instead of calling them by names. Most recently in modern times, Asian people in the United States continue to experience discrimination, hate, and even violence. For example, an Asian woman was punched 125 times in New York. One of the key points she made in her speech was that she wanted the community and schools to comprehend the Asian culture of silence, which teaches people to keep quiet and not defend themselves out of respect for their peers. Listening to the past experiences of what her father had experienced during and post-World War II life in the Japanese concentration camp made her curious and compassionate about Asian identity and her passion for spreading it.
After the Zoom call and then the all-school speech, on the following Friday, September 29, Nora Yasumura visited ASA in person to meet the students from the Frederick Gunn School and to be a mentor and supporter to the student body. This was a huge support to the students and empowered the group so much. Her Pan Asia project, which celebrates her achievements as an Asian speaker, shows that the Asian community is working to make their voices heard as well; the Asian American Footsteps Conference is one of the products of her project. More changes should be made in society, and voices from a variety of groups should be heard. Schools should serve as both a safe haven and a platform for education, much like the Frederick Gunn School does by establishing forums and assisting in the representation of diverse voices from various groups and cultures.
