 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Japanese Journey
Watch This Video
| Windows Media |
  |
| QuickTime | |
| MPEG |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|||
|
A $1.4 billion Nissan plant has drawn dozens of Japanese families to Mississippi. Like modern-day “Survivors,” the Japanese must learn to adapt quickly to the new food, climate and customs of rural Mississippi. It can be a difficult transition but they get help from Paul Tashiro, a Tokyo native and United Methodist minister. |
|||
 |
|||
 |
New Items | Additional Stories | UMTV Brief | Archives | ||
SCRIPT:
It seems like every kid’s nightmare: school on Saturday? But for these Japanese students, it’s a treat.
Sachiko Osanai / Teacher: “At this school, we feel like we belong to something.”
They are brushing up on their skills at this Japanese school in the middle of Mississippi.
Sachiko Osanai: “They need to keep up with Japanese skills and math skills.”
Their parents, most of them executives at the new Nissan plant here, have moved their families 7,000 miles from home. It’s a journey with a lot of baggage.
The Rev. Paul Tashiro: “It’s a lonely, difficult transition that they are going through.”
With strange food …
Sachiko Osanai: “I miss the food a lot.”
and limited mass transit …
Sachiko Osanai “… making us feel really isolated.”
the new residents struggle to adjust, though nothing quite prepares them …
Natsound: “How y’all doing?”
… for a Mississippi drawl.
Sachiko Osanai: “When they said, ‘What’s up?’ or ‘Hey, y’all,’ the greetings are different I think. I’m like, ‘What’s up? Look at the ceiling.’”
The Rev. Paul Tashiro: “To learn English itself is tough.”
To help smooth their transition, Paul Tashiro, a United Methodist minister, introduces the newcomers to another American tradition—Sunday worship.
The Rev. Paul Tashiro: “Because if they are staying in Japan, they will never darken the door of the church.”
Part worship service, part social club, this weekly gathering is a constant opportunity to share with others so far from home.
Sachiko Osanai: “They come to church because they don’t want to be isolated.”
The Rev. Paul Tashiro: “They found a place to talk about each other. That itself is really help for everybody.”
TAG:
These are temporary assignments for the Nissan executives. The Japanese families expect to stay in Mississippi for one to three years.