East teaches West

Christine Carrillo

Oshogatsu -- New Year’s -- served as the ideal template for

sharing Japanese culture with second- and third-grade students at

Eastbluff Elementary School on Thursday, thanks to the aid of two

representatives from the Japanese Consulate in Los Angeles.

During two presentations, consulate representatives Julian Ely and

Kazuhiro Endo showed the students the cultural parallels between the

their country and the United States while highlighting the

idiosyncrasies within each one.

By sharing information about Japan and its people through such

presentations, consulate and school officials hope to widen student

understanding about different cultures.

“We’re trying to develop an understanding of different cultures,”

said Kathy Smith, one of the third-grade teachers involved. “We

develop our understanding of different cultures when we’re young.”

When talking with students from about 7 to 9 years old, consulate

officials have found as they have developed the outreach program that

comparing American traditions to those in Japan increases students’

understanding.

Using one of Japan’s most important holidays as a focus has

allowed them to tap into specific aspects of Japanese culture without

overloading students with too much information. It also allows them

to give the students a broad sense of the country and an opportunity

to answer their questions.

“It’s a great vehicle for talking about Japanese culture,” said

Ely, an outreach program coordinator for the consulate. “[It’s the

consulate’s] job to make sure the relations of our two countries work

... and it’s part of our job to share information about Japanese

culture.”

After picking the New Year’s holiday as their teaching vehicle,

consulate workers needed to find its American counterpart --

Thanksgiving.

Both traditionally involve family gatherings and preparing and

eating special food, primarily served on that holiday.

“We want to focus on the similarity of the cultures,” Endo said.

“It’s easier for them to understand.”

As a result, the students learn to relate to the similarities and

appreciate the differences.

“Our world is so diverse and it’s so interesting to understand the

diversity,” said Janet Nitao, who teaches third grade. “It brings

everything they’ve learned to life.”

* CHRISTINE CARRILLO may be reached at (949) 574-4268 or by

e-mail at [email protected].