Behind The Surface

“Viva Mexico!” I have developed a great interests in Spanish by studying the history and culture of its countries since I entered into the University. So I was really excited about going to Mexico when I begun to get interested in it and started to plan to study abroad there. My experience there broke the stereotype that I developed in Japan. During my stay, I noticed that the way some people see the world is mainly based on what we have seen in ads and movies. I went through quite opposite things from those in Japan: working in the capital city and teaching in the school called Cajones, a small school for kids living far from the big city, to teach English.

All I was thinking about while in Mexico were optimistic thoughts. I would say to myself, “Mexican people are all friendly and happy” and “I am going to have an amazing time here.” There are some elements that helped me break the stereotypes I developed in Mexico.

I saw many impoverished people who asked for money. I talked on the streets, at some restaurants or some bars with many friendly Mexican people and I saw many active children like in Japan or in some other countries. Some are rich and very happy, but many kids approached me to sell the stuff they made and asked me to give money when I was taking a walk on the street and eating in the restaurant. I was asked so many times to buy one, they would say, “Please two pesos…. Please buy this….” They were asking me this while showing the things they made. Some kids just tugged my t-shirt looking hard at me silently. Those children looked like they were just 6 or 7 years old but they were working to make money to live even though they were at the age to be in school and to go out with friends to enjoy life and grow up. At that time I realized that some people in the world are very narrow minded. The image of Mexico in Japan is different from my experience there.

By the similar case, I understood how easily Japanese people are manipulated by advertisements or information in Japan at the language school where I studied Spanish. My Mexican teachers said to me, “This language school is the oldest school in this town, so, we taught a lot of students and made many memories here. But, unfortunately, this school is going to close next month. Few students come to study because of this economic depression and the flu.” And my Mexican teacher said “Many Japanese students canceled their plan to study here.” I could agree with part of what they said, but I also thought it was sad and ridiculous. The society in Mexico doesn’t have a big problem with the new flu. In fact, those people are living normally. I didn’t think Japanese people need to worry about it that much. I thought Japanese people had some other flu because they worry too much over the media’s exaggerations. Perhaps that is the one of the reason why the number of people committing suicide in Japan is top in this world and the amount of crime is increasing. I came to hate a particular bad characteristic of Japanese society. They are easily manipulated by external forces, such as the media and various propaganda, and then, they get wrong stereotypes about other countries.

Furthermore, I got shocked and greatly shamed when I went to Cajones where some American teachers teach English for Mexican children as volunteers. Those children can’t go to school because they’re living far from the central city. They are teaching and enjoying English all together and all children were studying English eagerly despite the insufficient learning materials. And when I performed Japanese comedy, Rakugo, for them in English and Spanish, they were gazing at me and asked curiously “How interesting! Then, please teach us Japanese!” Their strong curiosity really surprised me. At once, I suddenly felt ashamed because Japanese children don’t have such strong curiosity to study or to know even though there are a lot of materials and opportunities to study. They don’t listen to and follow what teacher says in the class, especially, in elemental school. However, it also holds true for secondly school and university. In some of my classes as well, even university students can’t study eagerly and concentrate. They don’t ask professors, sometimes do not homework and sometimes skip those classes.

All things looked through and considered, maybe now you can understand the reason why I said the realities of life in Mexico broke my stereotype and I came up with some thoughts. There are some difference between what we see our own country and what we see view in other countries. I was thinking of that Mexico is the country where there are many happy people and I can enjoy very much. I didn’t know that there many such children in Mexico. Now, I got start to think about what we can do for them and what we should do by ourselves thanks to those experiences in Mexico. Practically, we should go to see the side behind the wrong side in that country if we can afford to go those countries. However, we can do something by ourselves in our country. We can learn about the reality of other countries from the people who have been to those countries and we can choose right information carefully, not inconsiderately but considering matters from many different angles. If we do so, we can always know the real side behind the surface we are viewing.