Recently, we invited a group of students from a Japanese high school to NUS as part of a cultural and language exchange project. The students were mostly around 17 years old, and were in Singapore due to their parents' work commitments. For this project, we showed them around NUS and chatted about various aspects of life in Singapore.
Based on our conversation, I realized that even though most of them had stayed in Singapore for at least a year, most of them do not really have many Singaporean friends. Instead, they spend most of their free time with their classmates and families. Some of this could possibly be attributed to the language barrier. While most of them have a good command of English, they seem hesitant to use it. This may probably be due to their lack of confidence. There have also been numerous cultural exchanges held between their school and local students. For example, the Ministry of Education Language Center regularly organizes various activities with them. While it may be easier for them to mix with students of their own age, the interactions do not seem to have extended beyond these organized settings. It is understandable that people from similar cultures tend to stick together when they are in a foreign environment. However, the extent to which these students remain within their culture 'bubble' was rather surprising to me. After all, one of the advantages of living in another country is to gain exposure to different cultures and experiences. However, our tendency to stick to what we are familiar with often prevents effective intercultural exchange.
I have often heard about how the Japanese may be welcoming to foreigners in their country. However, many foreigners have felt that it is nearly impossible for them to become accepted as part of their society, no matter how long they stay there. Maybe I would get the chance to find out how true this is one day.
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Hi Ronnie,
ReplyDeleteActually, I must say that I am quite surprised to hear that you mentioned about how many foreigners in Japan have felt extremely hard for them to be truly integrated into the society, no matter the duration of stay. I am thinking that such occurrences can be quite subjective. In addition, there are certainly many implicating factors that will come into play when deciding on the definition of society acceptance of foreigners. This is to say that how much does it takes to make a person feel integrated to the society will definitely differ from one individual to another.
However, I do feel that they are some key strategies that one can adopt when trying to assimilate into a foreign society. These will include having an adequate amount of knowledge about the particular foreign cultures, appropriate exhibition of empathy and sensitivity and lastly, self-consciousness and the flexibility to react and adapt to the new environment and cultures.
To sum it up, I am equally curious about how hard it will be in reality to achieve a reasonable amount of cultural assimilation in a foreign land like Japan. (Remember to tell me about it when you get the chance to)
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ReplyDeleteHi Ronnie,
ReplyDeleteI believe what you are describing is actually very common, not only to those Japanese students, but to most foreigners residing in a foreign land. Language might be one of the factors, so is being culturally drawn towards one’s origins. However, it could also be that these locals are not open towards accepting foreigners among their midst.
We find in many communities that people have a tendency to stick with others of similar origins, culture or language, forming a common identity amongst themselves. I am sure many among us have similar experiences. How many of us will willingly go up to a foreigner in class and start a conversation? There will definitely be some but many won’t. Similarly to those Japanese students, I belief that the locals could be a contributing factor to them being walled up in their ‘bubble’. Although the Ministry and other institutions might try to break the ice by having cultural exchanges and meetings, this could be quite superficial as it is usually a one-off event. Again, not many will try to maintain contact with these foreigners after the event. Thus the foreigners will remain in their bubble and the locals will remain in theirs.
I guess if one really wants to blend in, making more effort to keep in touch with the people around you no matter where they come from or their different cultural background is essential. Through constant contact, one will be able to build a sense of trust and friendship which can overcome any reservations one might have.
Jon
Hey Ron!
ReplyDeleteHmmm.. I may not be in a good position to comment on this as I have come across only two Japanese students. (Wow, this is quite sad! ): But the two students I did come across were extremely friendly. Part of this maybe because I met them under a more relaxed environment (during Capoeira actually). Despite not being able to speak a word of english they were extremely friendly and cheerful. Though, now that I recollect, they did tend to be a little shy. It was always us, Singaporeans, who had the attempt to get to know them better. But they always reciprocated positively.
As they say, birds of a feather flock together. Maybe this is why your Japanese friends tend to stick together. If you speak to them individually, they maybe friendlier and more open to a foreigner; as may have been the case with my friends. But maybe if given the opportunity they may prefer being with their own.
Sorry, I have not been able to add any new perspective on this.
Thanks, Ronnie, for this interesting observation. You describe the exchange project well and present a clear, concise analysis. The "bubble" that you mention is one that I have thought about in reference not just to the Japanese kids who study here but to other groups including adults. When I first went to Malaysia as part of an American university program many years ago, I had many American colleagues who seemed to inhabit their own bubbles, rarely socializing with locals. I have heard the same criticism leveled at the international schools (to different degrees), where some foreign kids have few opportunities to interact with non-international school kids. I think this trend may be changing, and certainly programs like the one you were involved with are attempts to alter that. Still, the bubbles exist. At least the kids you met with were able to speak English, which puts them in a better position to forge local contacts.
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