Forword

Foreward

I never imagined that when I first joined Uprizine, I would be handed this legacy. Uprizine has always been about invoking passion into others to discuss important issues surrounding the different adversities and social issues that affect humanity all over the world. The never-ending need to discuss certain conflicting ideals of certain social issues has pushed Uprizine to continue to present a variety of topics of dialogue between different groups of people not only within Temple University Japan, but also all those who take the time to read and analyze the various passages and art pieces that have been included within our publication. Each semester, the club has attempted to choose a theme that would inspire others to share their own experiences as well as the experiences of others in such a way that certain issues that would otherwise be ignored and neglected would be thrust into the spotlight. A larger overarching goal of the clubs has been to encourage diversity, equity, and the equality of others by shining a light on issues of social justice and intersectional feminism through the use of this publication. As a result, when I was eventually handed this legacy, I wanted to honor Uprizine’s ideals. However, because this is my first zine as editor in chief, I wanted to make it personal to me.

Personally, I’ve always struggled with my identity because it wasn’t just my perception of myself that influenced and affected my day-to-day life, but the perception of others of me as well. It is how others perceive us and how that perception manifests itself in action that has an emotional and physical

impact on us. Knowing that the Temple University Japan Campus is full of people from diverse backgrounds who have all struggled with their identity and how they are perceived by others, I wanted everyone to share their experiences and struggles in order to begin a discussion about how identity and perception can impact people in a variety of ways. Only when we understand this impact will we be able to empathize with others and begin the discussion about how exactly how others perceive us has caused us to have certain negative experiences during our lifetime. These kinds of encounters are especially noticeable when living in a foreign country where the culture and people are vastly different from one’s own.

Japan, in particular, is a very homogeneous country where identity often gets lost in the mix. Is there a tendency for female issues, LGBTQIA+ issues, and foreign issues to be overlooked because of the need for everyone to be the same, and by failing to recognize the differences of minority groups within Japan and their struggles as a result of their minority identity, it becomes difficult to acknowledge that struggle. When there is no discussion or acknowledgement of the relationship between identity perception and action, it is more difficult to understand how we can improve how the combination of all three and their relationships impact the lives of various groups. Overall, my hope is that the scene will spark a discussion about identity and how it relates to the struggles that each individual person faces not only in Japan, but also in other countries.

Ayaka Dowdy, Editor-in-chief