College of Ethnic Studies

Miura will focus on advancing awareness, understanding and appreciation of Japanese American experiences

SAN FRANCISCO — June 17, 2025 — San Francisco State University has named incoming Assistant Professor of Asian American Studies Cassie Miura as the inaugural Henri and Tomoye Takahashi Distinguished Chair in Nikkei Studies. Miura's role as chair begins August 2025 and will focus on advancing the awareness, understanding and appreciation of Japanese American experiences.

In May 2024, SFSU announced a $4.2 million gift from the Henri and Tomoye Takahashi Charitable Foundation to establish the Takahashi Distinguished Chair in Nikkei Studies. This faculty position is the first endowed chair in the University’s College of Ethnic Studies. It is also the first in the Asian American Studies department, which is the oldest and largest in the country and is at the forefront of curriculum development used by schools and universities nationwide.

“We are deeply honored to have Dr. Miura join our faculty and play a critical role in advancing Nikkei Studies,” SFSU College of Ethnic Studies Dean Grace Yoo said. “With her extensive background in Asian American Studies, particularly in Japanese American and Nikkei literature as well as Okinawan diasporic identity, Cassie will be instrumental to our college and University.”

Nikkei Studies centers the history, culture and experiences of the global Japanese diaspora and its intersectional communities. In Miura’s role, she will focus on increasing awareness, understanding and appreciation of the historical and contemporary experiences of Japanese Americans and the worldwide Nikkei diaspora. 

“One major aspect of this position is focusing on strengthening the relationship between the University and the broader community,” SFSU Professor and Chair of Asian American Studies Wesley Ueunten said. “Dr. Miura will help strengthen that relationship so people within and outside our campus community have opportunities to engage with and learn about Nikkei Studies.”

Other duties include:

• Collaborating and exchanging ideas with national and international scholars in Nikkei Studies
• Leading the development of curricula and resources for teaching Nikkei Studies at the university and K-12 school levels nationwide
• Advancing frameworks of social justice and self-determination in advancing Nikkei Studies
• Promoting Nikkei Studies on campus and engaging with the Nikkei community in the Bay Area and beyond

“This position is an opportunity of a lifetime, and I’m eager to build relationships and get to work. On one hand, the history of World War II Japanese American incarceration remains vital to understanding contemporary issues, especially the rise of anti-Asian and xenophobic racism in the United States today,” Miura said. “On the other hand, I regard Nikkei Studies as an evolving transnational field with room to engage more deeply with feminist, queer and Indigenous perspectives. Given the longstanding commitment to self-determination on the part of SFSU’s College of Ethnic Studies, I can think of no better place to situate my work”

Prior to coming to SFSU, Miura was an associate teaching professor of culture, arts and communication in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington Tacoma. There she also served as director of grants and special projects for the Office of Equity and Inclusion and co-principal investigator of the AAPI THRIVE Project, which was funded by a $2 million grant by the U.S. Department of Education’s AANAPISI (Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions) Program. 

Miura holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of Michigan, and her research and teaching interests include Okinawan diasporic identity, Japanese American and Nikkei literature and more. Miura is a yonsei (fourth generation) Okinawan and Japanese American born on the island of Kauaʻi and raised mostly in the Pacific Northwest.

Visit the SFSU website to learn more about the Asian American Studies Department.

Historic $4.2M donation from the Henri and Tomoye Takahashi Charitable Foundation will advance awareness, understanding and appreciation of Japanese American experiences

SAN FRANCISCO — May 1, 2024 — San Francisco State University has received a $4.2 million gift from the Henri and Tomoye Takahashi Charitable Foundation to establish the Henri and Tomoye Takahashi Distinguished Chair in Nikkei Studies. This faculty position is the first endowed chair in the University’s College of Ethnic Studies. It is also the first in the Asian American Studies department, which is the oldest and largest in the country, and is at the forefront of curriculum development used by schools and universities nationwide.

Nikkei Studies centers the history, culture and experiences of the global Japanese diaspora and its intersectional communities. The new distinguished endowed chair will focus on increasing awareness, understanding and appreciation of the historical and contemporary experiences of Japanese Americans and the worldwide Nikkei diaspora.

“With this new role, San Francisco State can play a critical part in promoting and advancing the field of Nikkei Studies,” SF State College of Ethnic Studies Dean Grace Yoo said. “We are deeply grateful for the Foundation’s generosity and for trusting San Francisco State to establish this important position for the University and broader community.”

The Distinguished Endowed Chair in Nikkei Studies will join the SF State faculty in 2025 and will:

• Collaborate and exchange ideas with national and international scholars in Nikkei Studies
• Lead the development of curricula and resources for teaching Nikkei Studies at the university and K-12 school levels nationwide
• Further frameworks of social justice and self-determination in advancing Nikkei Studies
• Promote Nikkei Studies on campus and engage with the Nikkei community in the Bay Area and beyond

“One major aspect of this position is focusing on strengthening the relationship between the University and community,” SF State Professor and Chair of Asian American Studies Wesley Ueunten said. “We want to ensure people within and outside our campus community have opportunities to engage with and learn about Nikkei Studies.”

Masako Takahashi, a San Franciso-based artist born in Utah’s Topaz Concentration Camp during World War II, is the president of the Henri and Tomoye Takahashi Charitable Foundation. The Foundation, established in 1986 by her parents Henri and Tomoye Takahashi and Tomoye’s sister, Martha Masako Suzuki, is a philanthropic leader in the Japanese American community and in fostering friendly relations with Japan through cultural and educational projects.

“When I attended the University’s last Alumni Hall of Fame celebration and heard the honorees speak, it was clear to me that SF State and its graduates show a deep commitment to supporting minorities and the marginalized,” Masako Takahashi said. “It made me feel our funding could support a good place, a place for good.”

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San Francisco State University is a public university serving students from the San Francisco Bay Area, across California and around the world, with nationally acclaimed programs that span a broad range of disciplines. More than 23,000 students enroll at the University each year, and its more than 293,000 graduates have contributed to the economic, cultural and civic fabric of San Francisco and beyond. Through them — and more than 1,800 world-class faculty members — SF State proudly embraces its legacy of academic excellence, community engagement and commitment to social justice. For more information, visit sfsu.edu. Link to original article here.