Being Who You Are in this World J.S. Doshisha International High School

A scene that you can often see in Japan is a Japanese person acting extremely humble to a foreigner. Each time I see this happening, I get an uncomfortable feeling inside. Why do Japanese people show more than enough respect for foreigners and neglect to respect the people of their own country? No matter what race you are, each person is equally important and should be treated with the same respect. You, too, must remind yourself to be proud of the special person that you are. After I was born and raised in Osaka for five years, my father's company transferred my family to Los Angeles. As a result, I spent most of my childhood there. The seven years I had in America allowed me to learn to take pride in my country. I lived my life as any other American girl did: went to public school, joined Girl Scouts, played sports, and participated in after-school activities. Although there were very few Asians where I lived, I hardly remember facing any discrimination. Sometimes I was asked what nationality I was, just from curiosity. Many people thought of Japan as a poor country where there were people still dressed in kimonos. "Do you guys have television in Japan?" or "Are there ninjas running around the street?" are only some of the questions people asked me. Every time I told someone that I was Japanese, I was always desperate to brag about my own country. "Where do you think Nintendo came from? How about Sony?" I wanted the whole world to know the greatness of Japan: the fascinating history, the unbroken traditions, and the advanced technology. I had strong pride in being Japanese. It has been over three years now since my return to Japan, and this time has enabled me to change my view of the world. The first few months in Japan were very exciting, for there were so many new things to learn. Yet, deep inside my heart, I could not help being anxious to fit into the new society. I had to understand the people's way of thinking, the language, the education system, the manners, and even the simple jokes in daily conversations. When I finally felt adjusted to my new environment, I began to disagree with the expectations of Japanese society. The rule of using respectful language to your elders was awkward for me. At school, I had to be extra polite to everybody in the grades above me. This made it hard to become close with the people who were not in my grade. Also, people tried not to be different so that others would not turn their backs on them. Showing confidence was considered less intelligent. It seemed as though everybody was headed in the same direction. There was a point in time when I desperately wanted to go back to America. I thought that life would be more relaxing and enjoyable if I did. Perhaps I was tired of accepting differences. It took me awhile before I finally realized that every country has its good and bad points. Because I have experienced these confusions, I can now confidently say that I have grown flexible enough to accept various ways of thinking and a wide range of new ideas. It is important to change and try to fit in with those around you as well as to hold on tight to your own opinions. One behavior that sometimes bothers me is that some Japanese people admire a person just because he or she is American. Many admire them for their good looks, but Japanese people should consider themselves equally gorgeous. I believe in the saying that true beauty comes from the heart. Japanese people also tend to praise the American culture without exactly understanding it. I have a friend who constantly talks about her desire to live in the United States. She says that American people are more open and know how to have more fun. However, my question to her is, "Is the fun you are planning to have in America going to be any different than the fun you are having everyday here in Japan?" I feel that her admiration for the U.S. is so strong that she is forgetting the importance of her own country. Even on television, people talk of America as better than Japan. The public should not be influenced by these opinions. We must remind ourselves that each country and each person should be treated with equal respect. No country or person is "better" than another. Have you ever been in a situation where a visitor from a foreign country asked you for directions in English? I've seen many occasions where the Japanese person panics because he or she cannot understand English. This difficulty in communication is something beyond the language problem. When Japanese people talk to foreigners, they tend to hide their lack of English skills in order to avoid embarrassment. They often agree to everything the foreigner says and try so hard to help him out in every way possible. I feel that the Japanese people's attitude towards Caucasian people is somewhat different than that towards those of their own race. If you do not know English, it is perfectly okay to speak Japanese to a foreigner. Instead of just being nice, I think it is more important to tell the person what you have to say. You must not be afraid to speak through your own words. When I came back to my country, I expected the people to have pride in their country, just as I had had during my seven-year stay overseas. However, I was disappointed with the lack of pride the people had. Do not be embarrassed to represent yourself, and admire the people you look up to. Yet, keep in mind that everybody deserves the same respect. I want to continue building relationships with people all over the world regardless of their religion, looks, culture, or wealth. This message goes to people all over the world. Be proud of the country you come from. Be proud of the family and friends you have. Be proud of your experiences. And most importantly, be proud of who you are. Child Research Net would like to thank the Doshisha International Junior/Senior High School and Jun Sasaki, student and author, for permitting reproduction of this article on the CRN web site.

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