Happy 4th of July. I am a first-generation immigrant to the US. Among so many th

Happy 4th of July. I am a first-generation immigrant to the US. Among so many things to learn, stories behind the holiday are important to be respectful. It is the day of the Declaration of Independence, which is a birthday for the United States of America as a nation. We enjoy the fireworks. It is the day for the Hot Dog Eating Contest. 4th of July can be a celebrating day for many types of events & anniversaries, but 4th of July will not be “a whole” without the fact of “Independence”. I wonder, if they can care for these stories, why can’t they also care for the stories behind the words “Sashiko” and “Boro”? This is a story in the US, but each nation, each culture has many stories behind it to make “it” respected.
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Unfortunately, the Sashiko now introduced in English is like a holiday without the core story. Thanksgiving is a week of big sales, but it is not the first thing they teach about American history. If you are a visitor to the US, sure, no need to learn the holiday. However, if one try to speak for American culture, it is too disrespectful to explain the fact without acknowledging the stories. Ideally, since Sashiko/Boro is a Japanese word, they need to learn the Japanese language first to acknowledge the cultural stories. However, I understand it takes too much time to follow the trend. So, I will take care of that huge burden while thanking my fortune that I was privileged to be able to study English in my youth. No need to learn Japanese to respect the culture. However, please do not ignore the stories shared by the Japanese. In order to learn, one needs to empty their “expectation” – and I am wishing all to “try” to learn instead of justifying their ignorance & indifference.
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英語圏で情報発信をし続けていると、取材のお問合せを頂くことがあります。メディアにはお世話になっているし、尊敬するジャーナリストの方も沢山いるのですが、同時にとんでもなく失礼且つ情けない自称ジャーナリストも存在して。既に結論が決まっている記事に裏付けを取りに行くのはジャーナリズムではないと思っています。事実への裏付けならジャーナリズム。でも、誰かの都合に合わせた結論や答え声だけを集めるのは、詐欺師みたいなもんです。見たこと＆聞いたことよりも報酬を選ぶわけだから。残念ながら多くの流行は、この都合重視の取材で作られています。だから「メディアは嫌い」と言うのです。お世話になっているのに嫌いというのは、そこに理由があります。勿論、素晴らしいメディアやジャーナリストの方々がいるのを知っているので、諦めたり絶望したりはしないのですが、それでもやっぱり自分の仕事には誇りを持って欲しいなぁと思うのですよ。「無視してる」っていうのは本人が一番わかっているわけだから。
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2022-07-05 02:27:47

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