2024年2月から3月、アメリカ、カリフォルニアにあるFlintridge Sacred Heartにて、ラウンドスクエアの交換留学生として過ごした高等学校1年生からの報告です。
What I learned in LA homestay
I have been to homestay in Australia and Spain before, but LA was totally different from them. The thing that was both surprising and educational for me was the affection people there had towards various cultures.
Before I went to LA, I already knew that Japanese culture was popular there—for example, Dragon Ball, Gundam, sushi—but not much, since it it so far away from it. However, I was surprised to see people loving Sanrio, collecting Gundam figures, watching various anime, eating sushi and ramen, and visiting to such a place called Little Tokyo. It was not only Japan, but other cultures such as of Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Korean, and Philippines. By seeing America’s diversity with my own eyes, I realized that this was one of the reasons why America have millions of immigrants every year. The divergence of culture makes people from different countries easier to move to one of the most developed countries in the world. It could also be one of the reasons why America’s patriotism is strong.
This homestay taught me the importance of multiculturalism for the population to increase and to be happier. I simply enjoyed staying in LA and interacting with the people there, and I’m glad I participated in this project.
お世話になった皆様、ありがとうございました。
