Photo By left Burns
Host families ease the loneliness for international students. Gayle and John Rankin eased the
homesickness of Kazahiro Katoh, Chiyomi Wada and Tsuyoshi Washio pictured above.
Living a long way from home
*
By loan Herman
Of the Emerald
Homesickness, sniff, sniff: the bane of most
University students away from the “nest" for the
first time.
To combat feelings of loneliness many
students make regular sojourns back to Ma, Pa
and the rest of the familial gang. . unless their
homes are several thousand miles and an ocean
away, as is the case for most international
students studying at the University.
Chiyomi Wada knows those feelings all too
well. So do Kazahiro Katoh and Tsuyoshi Washio,
to name just a few.
"I miss my friends and family very much. My
parents miss me very much," Chiyomi said at a
going away party in her honor. She has since
returned to japan.
The three Japanese students studied English
at the University's American English Institute.
But that's not all they had in common. The trio
also was "adopted" by a local family, the Rankins,
who welcomed the students into their home,
shared American customs and became their close
friends.
"Our main function," John Rankin says, "is to
provide them with a solid foundation where they
can feel comfortable. They're home free here.
And then they can go out and test waters
elsewhere. But they need (to know about) certain
things such as banking, traveling — whatever
might arise."
Tasks such as finding a doctor seem simple to
Americans, "but for these people, it becomes a
maze, a chore. That's our big function: to provide
them with a few answers when they come to us
with problems," John says.
Each year several local families act as "host"
families to international students studying at the
AEI and the University. Gayle and John Rankin
have "adopted" seven Japanese students into
their home since 1981. And they hope to "ex
pand" their family even more.
"I see no reason why to stop," Gayle says.
"It's a good thing."
Although the Rankins enthusiastically en
dorse the host program now, Gayle admits she
was initially reluctant. Two years ago, the last of
the Rankins' four children had left the 'nest,' and
Gayle welcomed the new freedom that meant.
"When the lady from AEI started asking me to
do this, I thought 'Oh, what would I want another
kid around for? I have four of my own.' I said no'
for a year and finally one day she just came over
and said 'I'm going to try one more time.' "
"I thought 'You're kidding.' And she just said
try it for one month and I said 'OK.' That was it."
The Rankins were hooked.
And so were their "adopted" children.
All three students emphasized that the
American family's hospitality made a potentially
difficult transition from Japanese to American
culture a relatively smooth one.
"When I came here, I was not afraid because
the American people are very kind and (the
Rankins) made things comfortable for me,"
Kasahiro says.
"We'll leave, if you want, so you can tell the
truth," jokes John with Kasahiro.
Yet a strange culture and language inevitably
present some challenging situations — especially
because the Rankins don't speak Japanese.
"We did a lot of groping," John says about
their first conversations with the students. "That's
just part of the process."
Although all three students had studied
English extensively in Japan, none had ever
spoken it with Americans before coming to the
United States. Yet now all three converse, freely
with their new family. Dinner conversations often
last more than one hour, John says, and enable
the students to ask many questions about
American customs.
Yet the benefits are not one-sided. The "cross
fertilization" of cultures, as John calls it, sows
strong bonds between all parties.
"It's like a trip to Japan for the family," Gayle
says. "It's new friends and not just new friends,
but close friends, the kind that takes years to
develop when you don't live in the same house
together."
Inevitably, the time comes when the students
must return to Japan. No one looks forward to
that day.
"It really is sad for us when they leave. We
become very attached. I see John out buying cars
and getting insurance for them just like he would
for his own boys," and in a sense, the students do
become "family" to them, both John and Gayle
say.
Yet they will keep in touch with letters, and
eventually the Rankins will visit their friends on
their home turf. Until then, they will continue
"adopting" more international students.
"I would like to encourage anyone who's
been thinking about doing this to do it. It's a little
like anything you've never done before. You're a
little apprehensive about it."
Interested families can call the AEI at 686-3945.
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