As a first generation American, with a mother from Austria-Hungary and a father from Japan, you can imagine the stares we received as a mixed race family with a 5' 10" Caucasian mother and a 5' 6" Asian dad. You can't imagine how we were treated growing up during W.W.II with a German speaking mother and a Japanese speaking father.

As a child, I was familiar with discrimination in society. When a very blue black Kenyan and a Japanese American from the Relocation Camps could not find a place to rent in the Philadelphia-Trenton area, they came to live with us. And there were others that stayed with us over the years, but that was before the 1964 Civil Right Act disallowed discrimination.

Although I wanted to be an engineer like my dad, I realized after my second year in college that this would not be possible. In the 1950 women were not considered for engineering jobs. So when the Russians launched Sputnik, the United States launched a recruitment drive for math and science majors to become teachers.

That is how I was recruited into the education profession where I have worked for over 35 years. I had many roles related to education in public and private schools, at the university level and with the US Department of Education -- teaching, educational program evaluation, gender equity/civil rights/ de-segregation-integration, grant writing, budgeting and administration. Today, I am retired, but still work part time as a Title I math tutor to enable low achieving children to become successful in their regular classrooms.

I live in San Francisco which has a rich history of civil right activism and provides many opportunities to support peace and social justice issues. My life is enriched by my many volunteer activities.

2 You have been a Servas member for many years now. How did you hear about this organization and what was your first travel experience like?