Shizuka Tapia shares about her experiences after moving from Japan to San Francisco.
I moved from Japan to San Francisco last year. Sometimes, I feel like I don’t belong here yet. At the same time, I am slowly becoming part of this community. This feeling reminds me of my first experience in another country.
In 2006, when I was in high school, I visited Florida for a school band trip. I stayed with a host family for a short time. I still remember how hard it was to speak English. One day, I saw a 7-Eleven store and said, “We have 7-Eleven in Japan too.” It was a very simple sentence, but they didn’t understand me. Maybe my pronunciation was not clear.
I tried again and again. Finally, they understood, and we all smiled. At that moment, I felt happy because I could express myself in English. But more than that, I was deeply moved by their kindness. They listened carefully and tried very hard to understand me. Their attitude stayed with me for many years and shaped who I am today. Today, I see that immigrants are sometimes treated harshly, not only in the United States, but also in Japan.
People often talk about cultural differences in a negative way. Sometimes, people express feelings and communicate in different ways, which can lead to misunderstandings. This is also a challenge for me. But my experience taught me something different. Here in San Francisco, I feel that diversity is respected, at least in my daily life. I am grateful for this environment. As an immigrant, I want to respect this society and its culture.