Okinawa has a long history of the mixing of cultures. Sometimes I experience every bit if I’m non inward Nippon but inward an only dissimilar country. From karate katas to shikwasa, I noticed many words are non Japanese. My best estimate is the words are Uchinaguchi (the indigenous language) or Chinese. As a teacher, I discovery unopen to situations difficult to bargain amongst as well as mayhap I tin inquire my audience for advice on what to do inward this situation?
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| Traditional Okinawan dress, costumes, as well as sanshin. |
Earlier, I encountered a starting fourth dimension yr high schoolhouse student, (I volition non state her advert for privacy purposes) who had a real lovely Western name. I remarked how beautiful it was as well as that 1 of my friends had her advert every bit well. Then, I made the big fault of maxim her advert was Western. She straightaway jumped on me maxim her advert was Japanese. I was as well as hence surprised at her outbreak I simply responded, “Okay.” Her friend responded that her advert was Western because her grandad was American.
The wheels inward my caput began to turn. She is patently Japanese having been born as well as raised inward Okinawa. She speaks Japanese, is good versed inward the Japanese ways, as well as hence how could she non last Japanese? I idea well-nigh myself as well as my situation. I was born as well as raised inward America ultimately making me American. My parents come upwards from 2 dissimilar cultures as well as those cultures cast me every bit an American. So, why, inward Japan, did her grandfather’s civilization brand her American as well as non Japanese? Why tin she non last both?
I experience for mixed babies because they larn through identity crises. As a child, I e'er wondered: What am I? Am I American? Am I Mexican? Am I Italian? These questions haunted me for a few years until I realized as well as accepted I am all of the above. It’s what makes me unique as well as different.
How do I larn these kids to empathize beingness unique is wonderful whereas inward their civilization beingness dissimilar from somebody else is frightening? How do I larn them to opened upwards their minds as well as their hearts to the Blue Planet as well as intermission gratis of the expectations of their society? What is to dictate who is correct as well as who is incorrect when Nippon has had thousands of years to prepare culture? However, considering Okinawa’s history, when is ostracizing others who are dissimilar inward the right?
I possess got unopen to other educatee yous tin tell is mixed from a mile away. I starting fourth dimension encountered him during Yomitan High School’s festival. His classmates could non utter much English linguistic communication as well as hence they passed me off to him. I showed involvement wondering his even out as well as how he acquired the grammatical construction of English. He confided he lived inward the U.S.A. for unopen to fourth dimension earlier moving dorsum to Japan. When I spoke to him, he seemed uncomfortable as well as didn’t actually desire to utter English linguistic communication amongst me. Because nosotros were conversing, it drew the attending of his classmates.
Sensing his discomfort from having drawn as well as hence much attention, I thanked him for explaining the game to me as well as proceeded to shooting a BB gun at balloons attached to spinning wheels exterior the classroom yesteryear the Okinawan tombs.
I promise I tin Pb yesteryear representative as well as exhibit these children beingness educated as well as opened upwards minded volition assist them as well as non stunt their increment every bit people. To me, it is detrimental their worlds are as well as hence small-scale they never dream of leaving Nippon or traveling.
I endeavor to Pb yesteryear showing my students my might to speak, read as well as write other languages. For English linguistic communication club, I wrote an introduction for myself inward English, Spanish, as well as Italian on the board. My students’ faces lit upwards seeing how easily I could switch from 1 linguistic communication to another. This motivated them to utter English linguistic communication because their instructor was non only practiced inward her linguistic communication but 2 additional languages as well as at nowadays acquiring Japanese.
I promise every twenty-four hr catamenia I tin brand a divergence inward their lives. Even if it’s simply maxim hullo or pedagogy them Merry Christmas inward Castilian as well as Italian, I am determined to operate out my grade on Okinawa.
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