中３のKが文化祭英語スピーチのために考えたメッセージ
英語の細かい表現は,彼が中２でホームスティしたミシガンのホストマザーが手直ししてくれた。（メールで）
自分のホームスティ体験を元にしたメッセージ。
We have many countries in the world and various people live there. We have various races in the world and often many races exist within the same country. There have also been times when two or more races have come together, created a country, and continue to live together. I stayed in an American home for a month last summer. In that home, the family's ancestors came from Holland, Germany, England, and Ireland. Their last name was Kinkema and that is a Dutch name. I met other families with backgrounds from England, Netherlands, Spain, and China. They were not the same as people in my country - how to eat, manners, and even how to take a bath was different. The United States is a country made up of people from various countries and it is only 230 years old. The people came to the United States to get freedom and to have new opportunities. This country is called a melting pot of races. The United States accepts various races and people from many different coutries.!
I came from Japan and have black hair and black eyes and looked very different from everyone I met. But the people I met in the United States became good friends with me. They did not discriminate against me or other people that have diferent color of eyes or hair. Most Americans are friendly with everybody. Even if the color of our eyes is different, we are friends. I felt that last summer from my experience.
Japan is said to be a country made of a single race. But we also have the Ainu race and the Ryukyu race in Okinawa. Recently people from Brazil, China, South Korea, and various other countries have come to Japan to work. There are now 100 foreigners who work in my town of Hirao-cho. About 1% of our population or 1,400,000 foreigners live in Japan.
I think that we have a tendency to discriminate and to not associate with people who come from different places than Japan. Do we tend to think that people who are different are not as good or that their opinions do not matter? I think that this is important - to try to see and understand the person and not worry about the differences.
I will challenge myself someday to study in America on a year long program. It will be hard for me because the language is different and it is expensive. But it will be a time that will make me stronger and I will do my very best.
The language is different and you will need to save money, but will you also challenge yourself to visit the U.S.A someday, even for one week?
This is a very good talk. Please wish Kotaro good luck from us. I went to the school's website to look at the events. They have a very good website! One thing that I wanted to share with you is that the United States struggles with the acceptance of other races, especially during times of war. Right now, it is difficult for individuals who are muslim or from one of the Arab nations. In the past, our country has not been fair to Germans and Japanese because of world war two. I do think that we are a country that tries to fight against discrimination because the country was founded on the priciple of people being able to be free, to have differenct religions and beliefs. Unfortunately, it is not always easy. Because we live in a small town, we do not always feel the stresses that are happening in the larger cities. What Kotaro talks about in his speech is why I beleive the exchange programs are so important. Shawn will learn so much by coming to your country - it is!
good to know that we can be different but still respect one another and learn from each other. |
