Personal Narrative: My Diverse International School
“I lived in Japan for eight years” – something that, no matter how many times I say it, still catches people off-guard, especially given that I wasn’t born in Japan and neither of my parents are Japanese.
In Japan, I attended the American School in Japan (ASIJ), a select, highly diverse international school an hour from downtown Tokyo. While I was young, I found it easy to appreciate attending school with expatriate students from different pockets of the world and being immersed in Japanese culture alongside my peers. Put simply, most students were inherently in the “same boat”, establishing common ground from which to form friendships. Differences in race, ethnicity, religion, and background were championed, even at a young age, and never …show more content…
Having spent a large portion of my life in Japan, I expected that being “the new kid from Japan” would make me somewhat unique facilitating my acceptance into the group. The reality was, however, that my classmates were not interested in my Japan experiences. Many kids asked if I spoke Chinese or wanted to know why I didn’t have a Japanese name. Bringing in nori (seaweed) and onigiri (rice balls) for lunch only served to differentiate me further from my contemporaries. Consequently, I needed to adapt and find a different way to fit into my new school. I quickly learned that lacrosse was very prominent on Long Island, and came to realize that by playing lacrosse I could develop a common bond with my peers while channeling my competitive nature into a sport popular in the community. Through hard work, dedication and sacrifice, I have attained a respectable level of success in the sport of lacrosse, and have leveraged my achievements to carve out a niche within my social …show more content…
I attribute my experience in Japan to be an important ingredient in preparing for this responsibility, and in forging me into a better teammate and person. The interpersonal skills and life experiences I acquired while living in Japan have instilled in me the ability to appreciate other people’s perspectives and to understand what motivates them. I feel that such attributes are necessary in order to develop the leadership qualities to which I aspire. While the Japan chapter of my life is over, the impact it has had on me will remain
In Japan, I attended the American School in Japan (ASIJ), a select, highly diverse international school an hour from downtown Tokyo. While I was young, I found it easy to appreciate attending school with expatriate students from different pockets of the world and being immersed in Japanese culture alongside my peers. Put simply, most students were inherently in the “same boat”, establishing common ground from which to form friendships. Differences in race, ethnicity, religion, and background were championed, even at a young age, and never …show more content…
Having spent a large portion of my life in Japan, I expected that being “the new kid from Japan” would make me somewhat unique facilitating my acceptance into the group. The reality was, however, that my classmates were not interested in my Japan experiences. Many kids asked if I spoke Chinese or wanted to know why I didn’t have a Japanese name. Bringing in nori (seaweed) and onigiri (rice balls) for lunch only served to differentiate me further from my contemporaries. Consequently, I needed to adapt and find a different way to fit into my new school. I quickly learned that lacrosse was very prominent on Long Island, and came to realize that by playing lacrosse I could develop a common bond with my peers while channeling my competitive nature into a sport popular in the community. Through hard work, dedication and sacrifice, I have attained a respectable level of success in the sport of lacrosse, and have leveraged my achievements to carve out a niche within my social …show more content…
I attribute my experience in Japan to be an important ingredient in preparing for this responsibility, and in forging me into a better teammate and person. The interpersonal skills and life experiences I acquired while living in Japan have instilled in me the ability to appreciate other people’s perspectives and to understand what motivates them. I feel that such attributes are necessary in order to develop the leadership qualities to which I aspire. While the Japan chapter of my life is over, the impact it has had on me will remain