“Where are you from? India, right?”
“Oh, no, I’m actually Australian.”
“Oh, really!”
I’ve had this conversation many times since I moved to Japan. Meeting someone for the first time, it’s natural that they’d be curious. One look at my face, and it’s obvious I’m not Japanese. Where am I from, then… India? Sometimes they assume Sri Lanka, which is closer to the truth.
I am Australian, but I was born in Sri Lanka. At just one month old, I moved to England with my family. We emigrated to Australia when I was 4. As a child, I remember there was a time when my parents would speak to each other in Sinhalese. Now, they only speak English, and what little Sinhalese I once knew is all gone.
It was at 24 that I decided to study Japanese. At the time, I did consider studying Sinhalese, but the pull of Japanese literature, wanting to visit Japan again as more than a tourist, and the lack of resources to learn Sinhalese, meant it was a simple choice.
I came to Japan on the JET Programme at 25. Having asked for an island or village, I was given an island in the middle of the ocean, located closer to Korea than Japan. Hitakatsu,Tsushima: population 939.
When you live in a community of only a few hundred people, everyone knows who you are. I was Dominic, first and foremost, and not “the foreigner”. Whenever I met someone new, I made a conscious effort to introduce myself in Japanese. I became very used to everyone greeting me warmly in Japanese, and to having people stop to chat. It was not simply one of the best places to improve as a student of Japanese; I also felt like I had found a place I belonged.
I noticed immediately that things were different on the mainland. Upon seeing my face, hotel receptionists and shop assistants all tried to say a few words in English. At first, I had no confidence in my language abilities. The first thing I used to say on the phone was (in Japanese) “I’m a foreigner living in Japan and my Japanese isn’t great.”
Although it was great to be greeted in English, as my Japanese improved, I realized that things went much smoother once I started speaking in Japanese. So I would signal that I could speak Japanese by saying a loud greeting before others could start speaking English. It’s something I’ve noticed other people learning Japanese do as well: trying their best to convey “I know Japanese.”
My voice became my face. On the phone, the transformation was almost complete. There were times when the person on the line didn’t realize I wasn’t Japanese until I gave my name. But when face to face, and asked as I had been so many times:
“Where are you from? India, right?”
Why did I only ever answer, “I’m Australian” ?
I realized: I was trying so hard to convey “I know Japanese. I belong here,” that I was erasing part of who I was. It is much easier to say, “I’m Australian.” I didn’t want people asking questions about my background and my past – I just wanted to focus on who I was now.
Today, when asked, I still say that I’m Australian. But then I explain: where I was born, that I am a naturalized Australian citizen, that I was born in Sri Lanka, but grew up in Australia. Explaining that Australia is multicultural, that people of all colors, creeds, faiths and beliefs live together in one place: that is something that has value.
In a few weeks, I’ll be approaching the end of my fourth year on the JET Programme. I no longer worry as much about whether people think I can speak Japanese or not. I know there are certain aspects of Japanese society I think are great and others that I think can be improved.
With recent changes in the law, more and more people from foreign countries are starting to live and work in Japan. I see one possible future, in which overseas-born permanent residents and naturalized Japanese citizens are both making significant contributions to Japanese society. And on that day, I hope that they can be recognized as both Japanese citizens and also as people with rich backgrounds and cultural heritages.
As for me?
I’m not Sri Lankan, but I was born in Sri Lanka.
I’m not in Australia, but I’m an Australian.
I’m not Japanese, but I can speak Japanese.
I’m not easily labeled or understood.
And that’s how it should be.
by Dominic Balasuriya, 4th year CIR PA in Nagasaki City
