YUKO ITATSU LABORATORY, THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO

On Friday, 17th July 2026, the Itatsu Lab and Dr. Aurora Tsai, JSPS Research Fellow, University of Tokyo, will be holding a collaborative workshop titled “Countering Racial and Linguistic Microaggressions on Campus: A Collaborative Workshop on Awareness and Resistance”.

This event is co-sponsored by the UTokyo Center for Coproduction of Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity.

Time: 17th July 2026 (Fri.) 15:00 – 16:30 Japan Standard Time
Venue: University of Tokyo Hongo Campus (Exact location will only be sent to confirmed participants)
Primary Target Audience: UTokyo Undergraduate & Graduate Students
Registration: Required
(Registration Link: https://tinyurl.com/counteringmicroaggressions2016)
Registration Deadline: 14th July 2026 (Tue.)
*Registration may close early if maximum number of participants reached
Language: English, Japanese
*Dr Tsai’s lecture will be delivered in English but participants may ask questions/participate in group discussion in Japanese
英語、日本語
*サイ先生の講演は英語で行われますが、参加者は日本語で質問したり、グループディスカッションに参加したりすることができます
Format: In-Person Workshop

Presentation Abstract:
Everyday remarks, jokes, and assumptions may seem harmless or well-intentioned on the surface but can signal to certain people that they are outsiders or do not belong. These are referred to as microaggressions, or common speech practices and behaviors that subtly discriminate against minorities, often without intention or conscious awareness (Sue et al., 2007). Drawing on research and documented cases (e.g., Glasgow & Kim, 2025; Kanno, 2000; Shimoji & Ichikawa, 2024; Tsai et al., 2024), this workshop will begin by examining multicultural students’ experiences with microaggressions, including returnees, international students, and Japanese students with foreign roots.

It will then invite participants to share their own thoughts, questions, and experiences with microaggressions on campus to raise our collective awareness. After introducing resistance and coping strategies from example cases and previous literature (e.g., Torino et al., 2018), participants will be asked to discuss and brainstorm their own strategies for countering microaggressions localized to their contexts. By the end of this workshop, participants will walk away with a collectively developed list of actions that receivers of microaggressions, bystanders, and institutions can take to prevent and respond to microaggressions on campus. Through collective action, this workshop aims to equip participants to become better allies, together building a campus environment where everyone belongs.

Presenter Bio:
Dr Aurora Tsai’s research explores the intersections of race, language, and identity, with particular attention to how mixed-heritage individuals negotiate identity and resist ethnolinguistic discrimination. Alongside her scholarship, she is dedicated to critical praxis — developing workshops and classroom approaches that foster awareness of hegemonic racial and linguistic ideologies and empower students and communities to challenge them.

Contact us: itatsu.lab [at] gmail.com (Please change [at] to @)

Organized by: Itatsu Lab, Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies, The University of Tokyo, and Dr. Aurora Tsai, JSPS Research Fellow at The University of Tokyo

Co-sponsored by UTokyo Center for Coproduction of Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity