Insight and Discovery!!

Last week extension students took a four day-trip to Portland which is a very good and beautiful city. We experienced many things. There are more Asian people in Portland than in Spokane, so it's comfortable for us because sometimes in Spokane we are stared at when we are on the bus or at the mall. Also, Portland has a lot of Japanese culture because a lot of Japanese Americans live there. There were Japanese internment camps during World War II. We visited the Old Town where there is a very beautiful park that is a memorial to Japanese Americans. In the park, there are poems that were carved on 13 stones. These poems are by Japanese Americans during the internment camps and the words are very serious for us. For example, "Sure, I will go to school because I am American." We can go to school but at that time they couldn't go to school because they are Japanese, so I thought I have to appreciate the fact that I can go. The park is much better than the museum because people can see it and remember it easily. During the war, Japanese Americans were neither American nor Japanese. They were not trusted because both countries thought they might be spies. If I were Japanese American at that time and I was in a Japanese internment camp, I couldn't do anything that I wanted to do. They didn't have freedom or money. It's very sad.

Now, I can do anything that I want which is extravagant. My older sister always says, "You have to know why you can do everything that you want. You always have to appreciate our parents." Then I decided to do things by myself whenever I can. In junior high, I depended on my parents too much for money. I think most students do that. For example, I depended on them for tuition, cell phone money, and to use their credit cards. However, now we are 20 years old!!!! We can earn money for ourselves. This semester I paid the expenses for MFWI by myself. Last semester we had to come here, but this semester I choosed to come here, I wanted to come here, not my parents. My friend, Kanoko, also paid everything by herself. She has a very strong will. Some students said to us, "You did a very good things" or "I'm sorry that you are poor." I don't think I'm poor because it's my family's policy and I don't want to depend on my parents for money, but I want to do everything that I can by myself. These things are neither good nor bad. I just wanted to do it by myself; I had to. I think Kanoko did, too. I appreciate my parents in different ways; you also appreciate your parents in different ways. I just thought we should try to do everything we can. I discoverd this on the Portland trip.