Tag Archives: Asian American Teachers

Teachers who were Asian Americans, or who worked with Asian American student populations.

Utah’s Lily Yuriko Havey: Teacher, artist, award-winning author

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Former Utah English teacher Lily Yuriko Havey is also an artist and an award-winning author. Photo credit: Lily Yuriko Havey

During Asian American/Pacific Islander Month, I’m devoting some of my blog posts to educators of Asian descent. One of these was Lily Yuriko Havey, a high school English teacher who was incarcerated in a Japanese internment camp during World War II. She is also an artist and an award-winning author.

Lily was born in Los Angeles in 1932. She was only nine years old when the Empire of Japan attacked Peal Harbor. Shortly after that, President Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066 resulted in 120,000 West Coat residents of Japanese descent being removed from their homes and relocated to internment camps throughout the interior. Lily and her family were among those who were relocated. Lily’s family was sent first to the Santa Anita Assembly Center, and then to the Amache Relocation Center in Prowers County, southwestern Colorado.

Once the US won World War II, Lily and her family moved to Salt Lake City, Utah.  Later, Lily garnered a scholarship to study at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. She earned her Bachelor’s degree there. She then returned to Utah, where she earned her Master’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of Utah.

Once she earned her degrees, Lily inaugurated her career as an educator, teaching high school English, creative writing, and humanities in Utah public schools. Her career as an educator spanned 13 years.

After Lily left the classroom in the 1970’s, she decided to develop her artistic talents. She experimented with creating stained-glass suncatchers. This endeavor led her to establish a stained-glass artwork business which she maintained for over 30 years. In the 1980s, Lily expanded her artistic endeavors. She began to paint watercolors, and quickly recognized her paintings were helpful in overcoming the post-traumatic stress disorder she suffered as a child when she was an internee. When she displayed the watercolors in galleries and art shows, she was asked to share descriptions of the paintings. These descriptions led her to write her memoir, GAsa Gasa Girl Goes to Camp: A Nisei Youth behind a World War II Fence. The volume was published in June, 2014, by the University of Utah Press. The efforts earned high praise. In 2015, Lily garnered the Evans Biography Award, presented for a book written during the previous calendar year. The award is administered by Utah State University.

To order a copy of Lily’s book, simply click on this link to amazon: Gasa Gasa Girl Goes to Camp:  A Nisei Youth behind a World War II Fence.

Acclaimed author Crystal Hana Kim is a Teach for America alumnus

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Acclaimed author Crystal Hana Kim, a Teach for America alumnus, has taught writing at the elementary, high school, and college levels. Photo credit: Crystal Hana Kim

There are many excellent classroom teachers who have earned recognition in fields outside of the classroom. One of these is Crystal Kim, a published novelist who has taught writing at the elementary, high school, and college levels.

Kim was born in Queens, New York, in 1987, the daughter of immigrates from South Korea. As a young child, she often returned to South Korea every summer to spend time with extended family. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in 2009 and Master’s degree in Fine Arts in 014, both from Columbia University, and a Master’s in Education from Hunter College in 2011.

Crystal came to the classroom through the Teach for America (TFA) program. TFA is a nonprofit organization who says their mission is to “enlist, develop, and mobilize as many as possible of our nation’s most promising future leaders to grow and strengthen the movement for educational equity and excellence.” The organization accomplishes this by recruiting college graduates to serve as teachers in public schools. Those selected commit to teaching for at least two years in a public or public charter K–12 school in one of the 52 low-income communities that the organization serves.

Crystal published her first novel, If You Leave Me, in 2018. The book was named a Best Book of 2018 by The Washington Post, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Literary Hub, and the ALA Booklist. In fact, her work was so well-received that she was named a National Book Foundation’s 5 Under 35 Honoree in 2022. The honor recognizes debut fiction writers whose work is predicted to leave a lasting impression on the literary landscape. Crystal was also named a 2021 Jerome Hill Artist Finalist and a 2017 PEN America/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize winner. She has received scholarships from Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, Sewanee Writers’ Conference, Jentel, and Hedgebrook. Her work has been published in Elle Magazine, The Paris Review, Guernica, and elsewhere. Additionally, she is a contributing editor at Apogee Journal.

NYC teacher Cindy Wang garners 2022-2023 Big Apple Award

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Educator Cindy Wang, who teaches English as a Second language, has earned a 2022-2023 New York City Big Apple Award. Photo credit:New York City Public Schools

I always enjoy sharing the story of an exceptional educator who has earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One of these is Cindy Wang, an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher from New York City. She has earned a 2022-2023 Big Apple Award.

Cindy teaches ESL to juniors at International High School at Lafayette in Brooklyn, New York. The school offers a home to international students where they can develop their linguistic, intellectual, cultural, and collaborative abilities. As an immigrant herself, Cindy is uniquely qualified to help these students. “Growing up in an immigrant family, the struggles of learning a new language, as well as navigating a new culture, were deeply personal to me. I knew that I wanted to work with and empower immigrant students,” she once confessed.

To achieve this goal, Cindy earned a 7-12 certification in Teaching Chinese (Mandarin) as a foreign language. Shortly after, she invested her talents as the VELLOP coordinator at Vassar, providing programming and extra support for K-12 English Language Learners in the Poughkeepsie City School District. At the same time, Cindy enrolled in courses in a Master’s program in Applied Linguistcs and TESOL at Teachers College in New York City. She graduated from the program in May, 2018.

Today, Cindy works with a diverse group of English Language Learners at International High School at Lafayette in Brooklyn. In her classroom, she integrates the experiences of her students into projects designs to create an environment where students feel safe to take risks with language. As an educator, she brings culturally responsive education practices into every project that she organizes, including the use of literature.

In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Cindy has made numerous contributions to her school community. She is a team leader at her site. In this role, she facilitates weekly meetings where the team examines curriculum, reviews date, and plans supports for students. In addition, she serves as an advisor for the school’s student government, where she promotes the voices of students in decision-making, fosters peer tutoring and supports, advises a student newsletter, and guides a leadership development program. And as if all that were not enough, Cindy and her team also coordinate a 100-hour internship experience for every junior. Outside of the classroom, Cindy strengthens her practice through participation in an Early Career Fellowship with the Academy for Teachers.

The Big Apple Awards recognize and celebrate New York City teachers who Inspire students to be their best selves, dream, and advocate for their future; who. model equitable learning with high expectations for the diverse and dynamic needs of all students; who affirm students’ identities, unique gifts, and genius; who enrich their school communities by partnering with families, community members, and community-based organizations.

 

Alice Fong Yu was the first Asian American teacher in San Francisco

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Educator Alice Fong Yu is recognized as the first Asian American schoolteacher in San Francisco, California. Photo credit: The San Francisco Digital History Archive

During AAPI Month, we recognized the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to the American story. One of these was Alice Fong Yu, who is recognized as the first Asian American schoolteacher in San Francisco, California.

Alice was born on March 2, 1905, in a small mining town of Washington in Nevada County, California. She was the second child of ten born to third-generation immigrants from China. Her father was a supervisor in a gold mine and her mother was a teacher. At the time of Alice’s birth, anti-Chinese racism was widespread, but the intrepid young woman never let that stop her.

In 1923, Alice was the first of her siblings to graduate from high school. She then earned her undergraduate degree at San Francisco State Teachers College. Once she completed her education, Alice made it her mission to become the first Chinese American teacher to be hired to work in a San Francisco school. Despite intense opposition, she achieved her goal in 1926 when she was hired to teach at Commodore Stockton Elementary School in San Francisco. Her employment at that school spanned 34 years.

In 1938, Alice married Jon Yong Chang Yu, a Chinese newspaper editor and businessman. She gave birth to two sons, Alon and Joal. When she discovered that her second son was born with cerebral palsy, his condition motivated Alice to go back to school to learn more about coping with his diagnosis. She was 57 years old at the time. She enrolled at UC Berkeley where she earned her credential in special education and speech therapy. She then launched a new phase of her career as a special education teacher.

In addition to her work with students, Alice was active in the community. In 1924, she founded the Square and Circle Club, a community service organization, and she served as the club’s president. The organization raised money for the Chung Mei Home, a boys’ orphanage in San Francisco. The Square and Circle is still active today. Alice also served as the President of the Chinese Historical Society in 1974. In her year as president, she networked with a variety of organizations to promote Chinese culture, language, and history.

For her years of community service, Alice earned many awards. At San Francisco’s 17th Annual Awards in March, 1976, she garnered the Phoebe Apperson Heart Medallion, an award which recognized the former teacher as one of San Francisco’s Distinguished Ten for her many contributions and accomplishments, as well as for her courage to pursue her dreams despite her obstacles. In addition, the Alice Fong Yu School, the nation’s first Chinese immersion public school, was founded in her honor in 1995.

Alice Yu passed away on Dec. 26, 2000. She was 95 years old. To read more about her, click on this link to an essay published by the San Francisco Digital History Archive.

CA’s teacher Khamphet Pease strives to increase access to STEM

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California teacher Khamphet Pease, who earned a coveted PAEMST in 2020, works to increase access to STEM education for under-represented students. Photo Credit: San Diego Union-Tribune

I always enjoy bringing attention to exemplary teachers from all over the United States. Today I would like to share the story of an outstanding elementary school STEM teacher from San Diego, California: Khamphet Pease.

Khamphet earned a 2020 coveted Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). This prestigious honor recognizes the dedication, hard work, and important role that America’s teachers play in supporting learners who will become future STEM professionals, including computer technologists, climate scientists, mathematicians, innovators, space explorers, and engineers. The honor comes with a $10,000 cash prize.

The honor is the fulfillment of the American Dream for her, says Khamphet. “My family and I arrived in the US as Laotian refugees with one dollar in our pockets and the hope that our new country would provide for a better life,” she explains. “Through hard work and the support of many, I have been able to reach the highest levels of my profession as an educator,” she continues. “I hope that my story inspires my students and others to strive towards greatness in their passions,” she concludes.

Khamphet has spent her entire 17-year teaching career at Woodrow Wilson Middle School in San Diego. She instructs STEM courses including Intro to Coding; Gateway to Technology: Design & Modeling; Automation & Robotics; and Computer Science for Innovators & Makers. In her classroom, the honored educator works tirelessly to increase access to STEM education for under-represented students including minority students, girls, and children from lower socioeconomic families. Through her curriculum, she focuses on project-based learning such as developing apps, games, and products that address a variety of local community issues. To extend her classroom curriculum, she founded the Wilson Robotics Club in 2012 where her students participate in robotics competitions like Botball and First Lego League (FLL).

In addition to her PAEMST, Khamphet has earned many accolades. In 2022, she garnered a San Diego Outstanding Educator Award from the Society of Women Engineers. That same year, she was honored by the Computer Science Teachers Association. In 2021, she was named the Outstanding K-12 Engineering Educator by the San Diego County Engineering Council. In 2019, she earned the National Center for Women & Information Technology Educator Award. In 2015, she was named San Diego County Teacher of the Year.

Khamphet earned her Bachelor’s degree in General Biology with a minor in Psychology and her Master’s degree in Curriculum Design and Teaching, both from the University of California, San Diego. In addition, she is certified to teach Gifted and Talented Education. She has a supplementary authorization in Computer Concepts and Applications and a credential in Career Technical Education with an emphasis in Engineering and Architecture.

To read more about Khamphet, see this article published in the San Diego Union-Tribune.