Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Representations of Japanese American History at Rye Country Day School
by Yuto Abe
Category: Social Sciences
Abstract – This paper explores ways in which Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices at my high school, Rye Country Day School (RCDS), can be improved to recognize minority students, with a particular focus on Japanese and Japanese American students. RCDS is an affluent, private institution located in a suburban neighborhood in New York State, USA, where sixty-four percent of the student body identifies as white. RCDS offers an Advanced Placement United States History (APUSH), but the textbook it uses, American History by Alan Brinkley, barely touches on Japanese and Japanese American history outside of World War II. Through primary and secondary historical sources, the paper sets out to uncover the hidden stories in Japanese American history.
As an autoethnography, this research offers various constructive ideas for RCDS as an institution by looking into the current initiatives that the school has taken to create a more welcoming environment for minorities and identifying spaces for further support for the student body. Centering my research on RCDS comes with the hope that it will support my school in its efforts to ensure that students receive an education that allows them to explore beyond what is written on the surface of textbooks.
By considering RCDS as a case study, I hope to inspire similar institutions to re-examine their curriculum and put historical representation at the forefront of their DEI initiatives. In an increasingly polarized political climate, the anti-racist work initiatives suggested can be applied more widely for the benefit of students everywhere.
As an autoethnography, this research offers various constructive ideas for RCDS as an institution by looking into the current initiatives that the school has taken to create a more welcoming environment for minorities and identifying spaces for further support for the student body. Centering my research on RCDS comes with the hope that it will support my school in its efforts to ensure that students receive an education that allows them to explore beyond what is written on the surface of textbooks.
By considering RCDS as a case study, I hope to inspire similar institutions to re-examine their curriculum and put historical representation at the forefront of their DEI initiatives. In an increasingly polarized political climate, the anti-racist work initiatives suggested can be applied more widely for the benefit of students everywhere.