You can broaden your children’s world

Published 9:03 am Wednesday, February 11, 2009

By Staff
My children still talk about the exchange students with whom we shared our home while they were growing up.
One young man, Akira, completely changed their preconceived notions about the Japanese, a race they knew little about.
Akira come to us one summer through the Michigan State University Extension 4-H/Japanese Exchange program.
I believe he was 12.
When we went to pick him up, our first surprise was that he was taller than my own three sons.
We thought the Japanese were little people.
He would spend a lot of time studying.
If you count his risque comic books, I guess you could say he did a lot of reading.
He didn't know any English.
The parents in Japan plan on a trip such as this to America for their children almost from the time they are born. His not speaking our language was a shock.
Still we made do and he got across what he wanted to tell us and the children were able to communicate back.
What an experience they all had, learned about each others differences and similarities.
Our pool was his favorite spot.
He did during the time he was with us begin to become quite quiet. I began to worry about what could be the matter.
The mystery was solved on one of our trips outside of Dowagiac, to show him more of America, when we went to Chicago.
We took him to a Japanese restaurant and discovered more about him.
The waitress and some of the cooks had come from the same island as our student and they all surrounded our table and began to talk quickly and all at once.
Akira blossomed and smiled, and I realized how difficult it must be to not be able to just talk normally and have someone understand what you are saying.
They gave him a big bowl of Japanese pickles, which we learned they eat with almost every meal and that he had been craving.
The trip home he continued to smile and the rest of the visit he was much more relaxed.
This experience, which encouraged my children to travel to other worlds themselves, also encouraged me later to become a group study exchange student with Rotary.
I had an unbelievable time in Japan for four weeks, actually speaking to Rotary groups there and also here when I returned.
Your children can also participate this summer and host a Japanese student.
These young people are excited to learn about your family's customs and culture, your values, foods, clothes, and lifestyle. But mostly they want to make friends, meet other young people, and try communicating in English.
The dates of the exchange are July 24 through Aug. 22. The program is open to any family with a youth of the same age and gender as the Japanese youths.
There will be 60 Japanese youths, boys and girls, traveling to Michigan and they range in age from 12 to 15. They have been studying English and are eager to try using it, so there is no need to know Japanese.
Families will attend an orientation in early summer if selected as a host family for this year.
Opportunities also exist for youths to travel to Japan and spend a month with their new friend the following year.
The program is one of the largest exchange programs involving North American and Japanese youth in the world.
Since 1972 over 25,000 students have stayed with families in North America, and more than 4,000 American students have made reciprocal visits to Japan.
For more information contact Janice Zerbe, 4-H Youth Development Extension Educator, MSU Extension-Van Buren County, 219 Paw Paw St., Suite 201, Paw Paw MI 49079, (269) 657-8213, or rajzerj@msu.edu.