[Image description: Against a light beige background, Sora J. Kasuga, a Japanese American person with a facial difference an on the left side of their face and mostly-shaved head with a tuft of curls on top looks up toward typewriter-style text reading "Sora J. Kasuga." ]
Sora J. Kasuga
Photo by Anna Neubauer @AnnaNeubauer_Photography
The Value of Difference
Hey there! I'm Sora (they/she, but really, any/all are fine). My life is filled with writing, speaking, modeling, face equity activism, producing shows, performing and trying to be a decent human.
I live in the intersection of many identities: I have a facial difference (FD). I am Japanese American. I am also neurodivergent and queer. In life - especially as a career circus artist - I have experienced both joy and discrimination in the intersection of race, gender, sexual orientation, and disability. A few producers and directors have taken issue with my FD, asking me to cover my face or outright firing me. But I've also worked with so many others who have booked me on shows around the world. (Read my "PS" at the bottom.) It's complicated and messy, but I have hope.
This is what I know:
Difference is valuable.
Deep wisdom is gained from being forced outside the status quo, and I can't wait to share my insights with you. I believe in the wholeness of each individual human on this planet in all our complexities...no "fixing" necessary. That core belief shows up in everything I do. I'm excited to change the negative beliefs baked into our societies that separate us from that wholeness and introduce you to a worldwide community of people you never knew existed but are the best kept secret around.
I look forward to experiencing this journey with you as we explore our evolving lives through new lenses of hard questions, introspection, empathy and the celebration of differences.
P.S.-
I am the 2024 recipient of the David Roche Award for Excellence in Advocacy. Also, I am unreasonably motivated by tasty snacks. Oh, and the wildest thing I've ever done for money happened in the streets of Shanghai where I ate dumplings in my circus costume with 50 clowns from five different countries while being filmed by hundreds of photographers. Thanks for asking.
Writing
Oh look! That's me!
[Image Description: In a palette of greens, white and purple, illustrations of leafy patterns and musical notes surround illustrations of disabled children and teens around title "OWNING IT" - in a bold, orange typeface. They include a Black girl with crutches, a ballet dancer of East Asian heritage with a facial difference, a white boy with dwarfism on a skateboard, a blind girl with a cane, two Iraqi boys - amputees - playing PlayStation.
Subtitle "Our disabled childhoods..." is visible under the main title, and "in our own words" in a speech bubble, near a girl playing wheelchair basketball.
At the bottom of the cover, the names of the editors: Jen Campbell, James and Lucy Catchpole, illustrator Sophie Kamlish. There’s also a quote: "Honest, hilarious, heartwarming - Cerrie Burnell".]
Owning It
Tales from our disabled childhoods...
in our own words
Contribution: Totally Normal
Published by Faber&Faber
Edited by Jen Campbell, James and Lucy Catchpole
Illustrated by Sophie Kamlish
Available NOW in the UK!
Coming to the US in August!
Disfigurement
Understanding Visible Difference
Contribution: The Swan Fallacy
Published by Routledge Press
Edited by Lise Deguire and Mirium Jaffe
Cover Art by Grace Flott
Cover Art Model: Tonya Renee Meisenbach
Coming out in September 2025!
[Image Description: The book cover of Disfigurement: Understanding Visible Difference, edited by Lise Deguire and Miriam Jaffe, features a powerful painting by Grace Athena Flott of model Tonya Renee Meisenbach. She stands confidently against a golden, radiant backdrop, draped in pink fabric and adorned with gold jewelry. Her visible burn scars are shown with dignity, celebrating beauty in difference. The title appears in bold white text on a maroon banner above.]
Speaking
[Image Description: Sora J. Kasuga, a Japanese American individual with a facial difference on the left side of their face, poses confidently in a well-lit indoor space. They are crouched down and smiling warmly, wearing a fitted black top with thin straps and tight black pants. Sora’s head is mostly shaved, with a voluminous section of styled hair on top. They complete the look with a silver chain necklace and striking black-and-white platform sneakers. Bright natural light from nearby windows enhances the clean, modern setting and highlights Sora’s bold and expressive presence.]
Topics
•The Invisible Fight for Human Rights
•Community: The Antidote to Stigma
•The Secret to Innovation: Value Difference
•First Impressions are BS
•Facial Difference, Disability, and Unlocking Access
Photo by Rick Guidotti for Positive Exposure
"Sora Kasuga is an internationally known and effective advocate for facial difference rights. She will be the highlight of your event; I guarantee it!"
- David Roche
International Humorist, Facial Difference Activist, and recipient of the Order of Canada
[Image Description: A collection of logos representing organizations and institutions. From left to right: Loyola Marymount University, UCLA, Children’s Craniofacial Association (featuring smiling cartoon faces), United Nations (with its blue emblem), FACES: The National Craniofacial Association, NYU (New York University), and Syracuse University College of Law. The logos are arranged in two rows and displayed against a white background.]
[Image Description: Pictured is Sora J. Kasuga standing on a small stage, speaking into a microphone at an indoor event. They are wearing a dark dress and boots. Behind them is a banner reading "50 Faces Celebration," marking five decades of life-changing surgeries for children. The audience is seated at round tables, listening attentively. Display boards with portraits and photographs are arranged on the stage, and the event appears to be taking place in a venue with large windows and marquee-style lighting above.]
Activism
I saw a gap: I couldn't find a single organized activism group to join that was run by people with facial difference. I wanted to be surrounded by other activists. So I created The FaceOut Project.
Now, our members find ways to support our community, organize events, book speaking engagements, and cross collaborate with other movements. We have people popping into our Activism Hub from all over the US and Canada...and sometimes from other countries! The spectrum of people who show up is inspiring. We have activists in their 80's who never had fierce community like this and bring their wisdom to the table: people like David Roche who took world stages by storm as he talked about the power of facial difference and Carolyn Thompson who has been on the front lines of Disability Rights. They had to go at it alone for decades, paving the path for all of us today. Now we're organizing together.
Where Facial Difference is a social disability that is often hidden or ignored, The FaceOut Project is a place of empowerment and belonging where we can create change for ourselves and the global FD community.
Come be part of the movement.
Let's Connect!
[Image Description: Sora J. Kasuga playfully pokes out from behind contact form. They are wearing a short, off-the-shoulder black satin dress with ruffled details, hoop earrings, and patterned fishnet stockings. Sora smiles brightly with one hand raised to their face in a cheerful gesture suggesting they're whispering "PSST!" trying to get someone's attention. Their hair is styled in a high braided ponytail, and they exude a vibrant, confident energy.]
