Kie Young, a global learning advocate and Japanese native, joined upper school students in the Chahlavi Center for Global Learning and Engagement September 8 to engage them in a thought-provoking dialogue comparing cultures by religion, social media, stereotypes and political structures. The group also discussed concepts such as Japan’s safety, recycling, hygiene and cleaning procedures, freedom and food.
Young is the president of the Japanese Association of Jacksonville and the secretary of the Mayor’s Asian American Advisory Board, an appointment that designates her to represent the concerns and desires of the Asian community in Jacksonville. She has lived in Japan, the United States, Singapore, Taiwan and Ireland.
Young’s daughter Rachel and son-in-law Daniel also joined the class to share their perspectives as “third culture kids,” which is defined as people who are raised in a culture other than their parents’. They also highlighted how students’ diverse backgrounds and experiences abroad can be powerful tools for success.
Bolles Director of Global Learning and Engagement Natalia Aycart said the pair’s viewpoints were similar to those of the Japanese American protagonist of the Global Learning and Engagement summer reading, “Diary of a Tokyo Teen.”