Ayanna Yonemura, Ph.D.
The Intercultural Oral and Deaf History Project
The Intercultural Oral and Deaf History Project centers undergraduate student research. Students serve as the primary researchers, conducting in-depth oral and Deaf history interviews with narrators from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
Students engage in scholarly analysis of their narrators' lived experiences, exploring themes of identity, community, and history. They also present their findings in academic settings, including conferences and classroom forums, contributing to broader conversations in community health sciences, political science, Deaf Studies, ethnic studies, women and gender studies, sociology, and history.
The IODHP emphasizes cultural humility and inclusive research practices, fostering community building which enriches our university and society.
Upcoming Panel Presentation (with ASL Interpretation)
Friday, November 21, 2025, 2-2:50pm on Zoom
Presenting Research Associates: Sahar Ashimi, Ameil Ramirez, Elijah Williams
Email yonemura@csus.edu for the Zoom invite.
Sahar Ashimi, Research Associate
Sahar's research focuses on the intersections of law, culture, and society. She is a sophomore and plans to have a career in the legal field.
Ameil Ramirez, Research Associate
Ameil is majoring in computer engineering and minoring in biology. His research intersects with the community health sciences.
Elijah Williams, Research Associate
Elijah is a fourth-year pre-medical student from Sacramento, California. He serves as the Secretary of Sacramento State's Black Healthcare Club.
Ayanna Yonemura, Ph.D., Director
Dr. Yonemura is a scholar of race, culture, and public policy. She has authored of two books: Women, Wars, and Public Policies and Race, Nation, War. Dr. Yonemura teaches in the Ethnic Studies and Sociology Departments.
Our Sociological Imaginations
The sociological imagination, as coined by C. Wright Mills, is central to the The Intercultural Oral and Deaf History Project. After conducting interviews, research associates analyze narrators’ biographical stories and connect them to broader societal and historical contexts. This process allows for a deeper understanding of how personal experiences are shaped by larger social forces. By critically examining how identity, language, and access intersect, research associates illuminate the ways individuals resist, respond to, and influence societal structures—demonstrating Mills’ idea that personal circumstances are often rooted in public issues.
Email us
- saharashimi@csus.edu
- ameilramirez@csus.edu
- elijahrwilliams@csus.edu
- yonemura@csus.edu