Richard Cate

Hello group! My name is Richard Cate. I have taught at Sepulveda Middle School's Gifted Magnet for 25 years. When I began I was just like most of us who grew up in post WWII America, I knew almost nothing about Asia. The Japanese were still looked on in a demeaning way, Japanese toys for example were concidered trash toys (made out of tin with sharp crimpings on the edges. they did have an interesting and distinctive smell.) China was hidden away in isolation ubder Mao, I' not even sure if the Chinese Exclusion Acts were abolished yet. 

I had to teach Asia for my world history classes so I began to read and found mre ways that I could teach about our culture by using features of Asian culture. I had a break through when I participated in the Pre 1900 China seminar when the institute was still at UCLA. And have used what I learned there and expanded my knowledge about Asia ever since. I look forward to learning more with each session of these seminars.