This year’s Association of Asian American Studies’ (AAAS) Excellence in Mentoring Award goes to, drum roll please, UW Communication Professor LeiLani Nishime! For Professor Nishime, this award means more than recognition—it’s the regard received from an organization that has been an intellectual home throughout her career. AAAS is the first academic conference Professor Nishime ever attended. In conversation with graduate student jas l moultrie she shares, “It’s particularly meaningful to me because most universities don’t have an Asian American Studies Department, including UW. So there isn’t really an institutional home for Asian American Studies. Where it exists is with this conference and with this organization.”
Nishime’s mentoring model is student led and centered. She prepares her students, many of whom are women of color, to succeed in institutions that were not built for them: “Part of my role is to bust some myths about academia. There’s so many hidden rules and expectations that nobody really talks about, especially if you’re not from this world. And part of it is really staying involved–to continue to do my research, to continue to publish, to go to conferences,…[and] to be able to talk to my students with an awareness of what’s actually going on.” When asked about her own mentors, Professor Nishime credits the authors she reads and the wisdom she’s received from colleagues in this department, including Professors Ralina L. Joseph, Valerie Manusov, and Leah Ceccarelli. Her commitment to mentoring the whole person is felt by her students. Graduate student Jennifer Zheng believes “no one is more deserving,” of this award, and graduate student Julie Feng shares, “It is an incredible gift to be a mentee of Dr. Nishime. She is a cultivator of possibility. I feel really lucky to have an advisor on my doctoral journey who first and foremost practices care and compassion, and helps me reimagine the world with more curiosity.” Professor Nishime’s cultivation of possibility extends beyond the university. Her involvement in the Seattle Asian American Film Festival (SAAFF) began through her relationship with former student and co-founder Vanessa Au. SAAFF is a volunteer-run film festival that provides a space for pan-Asian American voices, perspectives, and histories. From panelist to Grants Manager, Professor Nishime’s ongoing involvement is sustained by the community and connections she’s building in a world created for Asian American people in Seattle. “Because our film festival is non profit, because it’s volunteer run, we take lots more risks, and we do a lot of outreach to the broader community. We want to feature unusual stories, stories that are from the margins,” she shares. SAAFF is returning to Seattle this summer, from June 20 to June 26.