I am a Filipino-American born in California as a first generation immigrant. I live in the Bay Area, a very racially diverse area in America, to the point where I did not face much judgement for my culture: the Bay Area bubble. I go to Cal Poly as a sophomore Construction Management Major. I think I am most known for the things that I create out of cardboard and paper, which include models of robots, gundam helmets, and more.
So what am I doing in JSA?
For me, I came for the Japanese culture because it felt familiar. However, I am Filipino, so why didn't I just go to PCE? I stayed in JSA because of the people and the close bonds I was able to make that made it a home away from home in Cal Poly, and I owe a lot to JSA for helping me find my place and good friends. The people I have met in the club have helped me grow as a person and find out who I am, and the overall environment is a safe space for like minded people to have "Good Trips Only".
Like some others in the club, I have a connection with Japan even though I am not Japanese. Before I was born, my parents were given the oppurtunity to work as software engineers for NEC, a Japanese electrical company. Growing up I was introduced to the Japanese art of origami, and the skills I learned from that has led me to the works that I am known for today. I grew up eating a lot of Japanese food because of my parents and their experience in Japan, and I love kitsune udon, specifically the sweet fried bean curd called aburaage. These days I am trying to learn Japanese by using the Genki textbook, the Remembering the Kanji book, and watching Terrace house. And, I enjoy a little bit of manga and anime on the side too. Even though I don't watch that much anime, Eizouken ni wa te wo dasu na! (Keep your hands off Eizouken) is a series that captured my imagination and the final episode made me cry.
However, as much as I enjoy Japanese culture, I am not Japanese, and there is a line between just enjoying it and appropriating it. Sometimes when I am watching Anime or eating some Japanese food, I feel a weird sense of guilt. That feeling is a little bit irrational, but this feeling has lead me to being careful with how I try to respect Japanese culture.
This feeling is somewhat common, with terms on the internet created specifically for people who like Japanese culture. Terms like "otaku" and "weeb" are used to describe people who enjoy Japanese culture. While some people would willingly call themselves these terms, most often the term "weeb" is used in a derogatory fashion, calling some people as obsessed with the culture. However, there are certain people that do obsess unhealthily over Japanese culture to the point that is is harmful to themselves and the people around them.
I guess that weird feeling of guilt stems from me not wanting to become one of those people. The word "weeb" is thrown out as an insult whenever anyone says something about Japanese culture, and I think that also plays a part in that feeling of guilt. I like to think that I am being respectful of the culture, but sometimes those lines are blurred with these terms being thrown around. On top of that, there are unclear boundaries of respect that apply to all cultures.
In JSA, there are definitely people that would call others out if they were being disrespectful towards Japanese culture. So far I haven't been called out yet, so I guess I have been doing a good job. In my experience in JSA, which involves interviewing the first president (BJ Yebisu), last year's vice president (PJ Yebisu), and the current president (Laura Kuffner), I learned that as long as I am being respectful of the culture, I'm good. The way we show this respect will differ from culture to culture. For example the traditions of Japanese culture and Filipino culture will have different standards, and it is up to us to hold ourselves and each other accountable for the way we show respect to these cultures.
At the end of the day, JSA is about having "Good Trips Only", and one of my most favorite "trips" was being able to share my Filipino culture with my close friends. I made Adobo, Lumpia, and Halo Halo, and they loved it. It is a very special thing to share culture with the people you are close to, and JSA has shared not only Japanese culture, but also the Japanese American Experience, which is somewhat similar to my Filipino American Experience. I hope to continue to share my life experiences with JSA, as well as my unique perspective as a Filipino in the Japanese Student Association in Cal Poly.
And you will get to see those perspectives soon! I will try to post more blogs about my experiences with Japanese culture, like origami and other interesting tidbits that are fun for me and maybe you!
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