Being a POC in Japan: Lisa

My name is Lisa Cox and I am a second year ALT living in Nagasaki city.

I’m from New Zealand. My father is New Zealand European and my mother is from Kumamoto, Japan.

Most people are not aware of my mixed ethnicity until I tell them or they see my Japanese family. I tend not to talk about it with strangers, my colleagues and students.

Although a lot of my colleagues and students know because my parents came to visit my school, they tend to forget quickly. Even though some people know I am half Japanese, I am still different, still a foreigner in Japan. I am a foreigner who didn’t experience culture shock, prefers to eat with chopsticks, loves natto and has childhood memories of winter’s spent in Japan keeping my Obāchan and Ojichan on their toes.

This has its own benefits, being able to enjoy my Japanese culture and at the same time passing for a foreigner and being excused for doing something very non-Japanese (which is often).

When I first arrived in Nagasaki, a common misconception was that I was fluent in Japanese, which was definitely not the case.

I grew up in very rural New Zealand in an English speaking home and both my parents and I never imagined that one day I would be living here.

Besides enjoying my Mum’s delicious Japanese cooking, trips to visit my family in Japan and my Mum’s Japanese ways, I grew up as Kiwi as they come.

It was a little strange and disheartening at first having my Japanese ability quizzed and questioned until it became common knowledge that I wasn’t yet bilingual.

Having my Japanese family close by is great for a myriad of reasons. I have a family home right here in Japan with all the familiar comforts of home, I can practice and improve my Japanese and I get to spend time a lot more time with them. In addition to this, my mother visits Japan twice a year so I know that a visit from her is never far away. Each time she comes I can share my increasing Japanese language proficiency and the growing knowledge and understanding I have of Japan. With this increased knowledge comes a greater understanding of so many things from my childhood. It has the added benefit of allowing us to really relate to each other’s experiences.

Before I came to Japan, I thought that I should tone down aspects of my personality to fit into Japanese society easier.

Especially being someone who can hunt, fish and milk cows and would rather be outside.

When I asked my Mother about this, she firmly told me not to change a thing and to just be me.

So that has helped me at times of cultural confusion, I don’t try to be Japanese and I don’t try to be a New Zealander, I just am.

So my advice to new ALTs is to just be you.

You are here to experience Japanese culture while showing others yours, whatever that may entail.

Enjoy and embrace the differences because that is your freedom.