Day by Day: Culture Homestay makes international connections

Joanne Haffly

Day by Day

This year marked the 12th year and 13th international group that Yvonne Jackson taught for Culture Homestay International. Twelve children and an adult escort from Okinawa, Japan, spent four weeks visiting the Peninsula area, living with host families and sharing a bit of their culture with local residents.

“They visited a nursing home and a daycare as part of their community outreach,” said Jackson, the teacher coordinator.

The students taught origami to both the residents of Stafford Suites in Port Orchard and the children at a local daycare. The teens also taught the little ones how to write their names in Japanese.

Jackson was first introduced to the program as a host parent. After that first year, she was hooked and spent several years co-teaching. Now she teaches English to the exchange students for half-days, then accompanies them on trips around the area.

“We took them to a horse ranch, a Seattle Mariners game and the Seattle Center,” Jackson said. “At the Mariners game, they cheered for Ichiro Suzuki, the Japanese player.”

Jackson hasn’t just taught Japanese students, although she admits they are her favorite because of how “open and down to earth” the students are.

“I have had Taiwanese, Chinese and Korean groups, too,” she said.

Jackson begins to recruit host families in April for the students’ July arrival. This year’s students were a bit on the young side, ranging from 12 to 14 years old.

“Normally, they are high-school age, although I have had some college groups, too,” she said.

I asked her what she noticed about the Japanese students.

“They respect their teacher a lot more (than American students),” Jackson said.

She added that education is highly valued in Japan.

“They have to pass a test to progress from junior high to high school,” she said.

Some of the high schools are owned by businesses, and if a student attends that high school, the student must work for that business for a certain number of years when they graduate.

Home life is a bit different, too. The houses are small, with most families sleeping in one room. An additional eating room and a sitting room are the extent of the home.

Families are small — rarely with more than two children — but grandparents often live with them.

“They don’t put their elderly in homes like we do,” Jackson said. “They think our houses are very big.”

Also with such limited space, pets are uncommon, especially dogs.

One of her students this year wants to be a vet.

“She went up to every dog to pet it,” Jackson said.

I asked her what she liked best about teaching, and she said it was always having these children in her life.

“I gain many, many children,” Jackson said. “I think that is the cool part, when they come back to visit.”

Many of her “kids” have come back, too. One Japanese girl scheduled to begin school in California in May stayed with her during April this year. Another student attends a Portland university and has been up to visit several times.

So what does it take to be a host parent? One only needs a room with a bed, transportation to the schooling site and the ability to open their heart to a child for a month, perhaps even for a lifetime.

Want to learn more?

For more information about Culture Homestay International, call Yvonne Jackson at 360-874-0292.

Joanne Haffly writes a monthly column for the Neighbors page. She can be reached by e-mail at jmhaffly@yahoo.com.