Maya is half Japanese and half Dutch, raised in New York, U.S. Coming from an international family that values cultural exploration and political debate she was able to learn about a wide range of global issues. Through attending the United Nations International School and moving abroad, she was able to continue her exposure to people with different backgrounds, listening to their personal stories. After moving to Japan, Maya developed her interest to focus on human security, which tied into her past experiences with listening to people’s histories, and what made them who they are. Seeing the value in conveying narratives that provide insight into deficient political systems, she enthusiastically joined the Refugee Voices Project. She was grateful for the opportunity to meet Nahed, a refugee from Tunisia, and not only listen to her story but be given the responsibility to make it accessible to an audience.
Hayeon is a Korean who was born and raised in Japan. She first spent her childhood in Japanese public schools, moved to an international middle school in South Korea, studied at a high school in the United States, then entered Sophia University in Japan. Because of her identity as a Zainichi Korean (在日韓国人/Korean resident in Japan) and her international academic background, she is very interested in international immigrants and refugee issues. She especially likes to investigate their personal lives and experiences in host countries from a sociological and anthropological perspective. Thus, she was very fortunate to be part of the Refugee Voices Project to explore her interests and knowledge through the first-hand experience of interviewing Nahed and expressing her story on this website.
