Zora Uyeda-Hale (2026)
The Black x Nikkei Entangled Histories Walking Tour
Zora’s project emerges from her experience as a 2025 Nikkei Community Intern at the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS). As an intern, she was tasked with leading a walking tour of Japantown to her other cohort members. After her coworker mentioned that a famous Black jazz club used to operate next door, she was intrigued. Her “Entangled Histories Walking Tour” uncovers these hidden multiracial histories using archival research, oral histories, and place-based learning. She ultimately presented the tour to 50+ participants, leading them through the 1.5-hour experience.
With the support of the Stronach Prize, Zora will extend the walking tour’s impact through further research and engagement, a digital storymap for increased accessibility, and a youth training program to prepare students to lead their own versions of the tour. In collaboration with NJAHS, the Japanese Community Youth Council, and Booker T Washington Community Service Center, she hopes that the walking tour can catalyse community conversation and repair, bridging narratives and spaces that have been purposefully divided.
Biography
Zora Uyeda-Hale (she/her) is a recent UC Berkeley graduate with a B.S. in Society & Environment and a B.A. in Ethnic Studies, with a minor in Human Rights. During her undergraduate career, she has been involved in many spaces, including the Perennial publication, The Leaflet eco-creative collective, and the Eco-Performance Lab. She also worked as a Programs Coordinator for the American Cultures Center, where she assisted in the creation of the American Cultures Environmental Justice (ACEJ) Initiative, a student-led effort to prioritize community-engaged EJ education. Her honors thesis explores how a community-curated museum exhibit uncovers the Black ecologies of West Oakland and Russell City.
Zora’s passion for storytelling and environmental justice is deeply rooted in Dr. Eve Tuck’s conceptualization of desire-centered research. Her mixed-race identity also heavily influences her work. With these foundations, her project is a heart-driven undertaking, revealing solidarity histories of the Bay Area where she was born and raised.
