The Asian American Experience
The rise of Asian American hate crimes. The lack of Asian American representation in leadership, media, education, the arts, and more. The fetishization of Asian women. The demasculinization of Asian men. Stereotyping in TV & Film. The continual exclusion of Asians when addressing people of color. The “model minority myth.” These are all problems that persist in our country.
Yet, Asian Americans are the fastest-growing minority in the US. It’s time to change the narrative of AANHPI (Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander).
As a bilingual and bicultural 4th generation Japanese American, born between a 3rd generation Japanese American father from Hawaii and a native Japanese mother, I know what it feels like to not belong: Not American enough in America, not Japanese enough in Japan. As a dancer, actress, and performing artist, I have been repeatedly excluded from roles due to my ethnicity. As a social entrepreneur, I’ve found myself as the only Asian American in many spaces, including DEI spaces.
Despite this, through lots of soul-searching and trial and error, I found a unique career path that transcends these divisions in our society, and combines my passion for dance with a purpose of inclusion. There’s a saying in Japanese that says, “When the nail sticks out, it gets hammered down.” Adding to this: … But when the nail sticks up too high, the nail can’t be hammered down.
Invite me as a speaker and/or performer to add to the conversation about the Asian American experience at your enterprise, campus, or event.
AANHPI Speaking Topics Include:
Finding Belonging as an Asian American
Overcoming Adversity
Movement Mindfulness & Self Care
Becoming a Changemaker
Finding Authentic Expression
My Speaker & Story Reel:
On abc Nightline News following Monterey Park Shooting at Star Ballroom Dance Studio:
Sharing the stage with newscaster Dion Lim of abc News
With George & Brad Takei at the Japanese American Citizen League Gala. George has shared some of Marisa’s videos on his social media feed.
About Marisa Hamamoto:
Marisa Hamamoto is the first professional dancer named People Magazine “Women Changing the World.” A leading authority on resilience, overcoming adversity, wellness, disability inclusion, the Asian American experience, and changemaking, Marisa was is a LinkedIn Top Voice, and has been featured on Good Morning America, NBC Today, Forbes, Fast Company, amongst other media outlets. As a sought-after international speaker, performing artist, and creative director, Marisa has been a speaker at the United Nations, shared the stage with Tim Cook at Apple HQ’s Steve Jobs Theater, and her clients and partners include Google, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Red Bull, Deloitte, adidas, PayPal, Farmers Insurance, Kaiser Permanente, Ford Motors, among other forward-thinking brands. Marisa is a spinal stroke survivor, a late-diagnosed Autistic, and a proud fourth-generation Japanese American. She is the founder of Infinite Flow Dance, an award-winning dance company and nonprofit that employs disabled and nondisabled dancers with diverse identities, with a mission to advance disability inclusion, one dance at a time. Marisa is bilingual and bicultural. She completed her BA & MA from Keio University, Tokyo, and is an Honorary Member (Distinguished Artist) of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science.
presentation DNA: in-person + Virtual
Dance Performance
Authentic Dialogue + Creative Thought Leadership
Audience Interactive Dancing + Q&A
** I am available for both solo talks, and presentations with 1-5 Infinite Flow dance artists.
Featured in
brands i worked with include
Previous Clients for AANHPI Events Include
NBC Universal
Tulane University
Princeton University
California Polytechnic University - Pomona
Center for Pacific Asian Women
What EVENT ORGANIZERS Are Saying
"It was my great pleasure to coordinate with Marisa and have her speak at our Microsoft campus in Redmond, WA to our Asians in Marketing ERG group on November 13, 2024. Marisa shared her personal stories to both our live and virtual audience, and how we can further inclusion and innovation through storytelling and dance. The interactive dance portions with our live audience was fun and really engaged those in attendance. Marisa's story is an inspiring one, and her message of embracing unique intersectional identities as a means of authentic expression really resonated with our audience. As she mentioned, there is a saying in Japan, "出る釘は打たれる" or "the nail that sticks up gets hammered down." But to Marisa's point, the nail that sticks out too high CANNOT be pushed down. If you are looking for an inspirational and engaging keynote speaker to speak at one of your events, I highly recommend working with Marisa Hamamoto!"
DEAN Shimabukuro, microsoft
“I cannot thank you enough for your partnership in this. That was such a fun hour, and I am so happy you were able to join us. Everyone absolutely loved your story and your movement. “
Caroline Delfin,
NBC Universal (Former)
