Botao He

Class of 2025 

Faculty Advisors: Gordon Chang and Mikael Wolfe

Peer Mentor: Esteban Salmon Perrilliat

Botao He was born and raised in Chengdu, China. He graduated with top honors from Beijing Foreign Studies University with a B.A. in Spanish Language and Literature. Botao gained a preliminary understanding of Latin America's economy, culture, and politics through his undergraduate courses. His undergraduate thesis focused on the coverage of the Mexican Revolution in Chinese newspapers during the Republic of China period. Before coming to Stanford, Botao spent a semester on exchange in Mexico and visited countries such as Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Peru, where he engaged with local communities and these experiences deepened his interests in this region. He also completed a summer course on Racism, Diversity and Identity at Sciences Po. Additionally, he gained practical experience working as an internship at embassies and private sectors. Currently, Botao is pursuing his graduate studies at Stanford University. His research interests center on Asian immigration in Latin America, examining how they navigate and respond to systemic racism and cultural identity challenges. Botao aims to offer perspectives that contribute to a more nuanced understanding of multiculturalism and the dynamics of race and identity in the region. In his free time, Botao enjoys exploring global cuisines (especially the spiciest ones), applying for visas of different countries, spending hours in front of video games, listening to Reggaeton and moving his body to the music.