Yu Murakami

I am a graduate student, majoring in Japanese Pedagogy and teaching Elementary Japanese. I was born and raised in Kobe, Japan. Before joining IU, I earned a BA in Sociology at Kwansei Gakuin University in Japan and my first MA in Anthropology from National Taiwan University. My research interests include heritage language acquisition/maintenance. My academic curiosity extends to Indigenous studies, particularly in how communities face the potential loss of their native languages due to colonial or political pressures and their efforts in language preservation. My deep respect is reserved for those who engage in this endeavor, including my friends, the Seediq Tgdaya people, with whom I worked during my time in Taiwan.