I. Starting Interests
Today, many foreign people work in Japan and they contribute to the Japanese economy and make-up for the lack of workforce. However, the treatment to them is usually not good. I think they came to Japan, because they thought that they can gain a stable life but they face difficulties in real life. I’d like to know the problems they face and to consider what I can do for them. In this section, I focus on Filipino woman and their children.
II. Basic Information
There are about 2,200,000 foreigners in Japan and about 10% of them are Filipinos and mainly woman. After 1980s, many Filipino women came to Japan to gain money. In this period, the Japanese government receive foreign people. This is the reason why the number of foreigners live in Japan is increasing more and more. Many Filipino women work at pub or snack, and they marry Japanese men (who are customers at these places) and have children. Many cannot use Japanese with much fluency.
III. Problems for Women and Children
As I explained, Filipino women work at pub and marry Japanese men. So, many of them face with some problems: 1. Language difficulties, 2. Cultural difficulties, 3. Domestic violence from their husband, 4. Difficulties with communicating or making good relations with their Japanese family, 5. Economic difficulties, 6. Visa problems (if they divorce their husband), 7. Communicating with Japanese friends etc. Many Filipino women cannot counsel other people, and then they cannot be familiar with Japanese society. In addition, their children tend to have these problems: 1. Language difficulties, 2. Cultural difficulties, 3.Communicating with friends, 4. Identity crisis, 5. Dropping out the school 6. Cannot receive higher education, etc. In many cases, Filipino children are divided 2 types.:1. Children cannot speak Japanese fluently because they are living in the Philippines a long time. So it is difficult to communicate with their Japanese children, 2. Children can speak Japanese fluently because they are living in Japan long time but cannot speak Filipino. Such children cannot communicate with their mother because their mother speaks Filipino but cannot speak Japanese well. Some Filipino children face with identity crisis because they can speak Japanese well and their culture is completely Japanese but their appearance looks like foreigners. And some drop out school because they cannot speak and understand Japanese well. Then they cannot communicate with classmates or teachers, they become “不登校”. In such situations, they drop out school and cannot receive higher education (going to high school or university).
IV. Kalakasan – an organization supporting Filipino women and children in Japan
Kalakasan was founded 2002 in Kawasaki. Their purpose is to facilitate women and children reclaim their inner strength together with other women residing in Japan. Kalakasan’s activities include crisis intervention, follow-up care for women, and advocacy, among others. Kalakasan deal with problems, faced by women and their children. Some Filipino women experience violence by their husband or partner. They are looked down on by their husband or partner because they are foreigner and cannot understand Japanese. In many case, they work at Filipino pub and make relationship with Japanese men. In such case, some Japanese men don’t recognize their child or use violence to Filipina women and children. Kalakasan help such people. In my opinion, their one of the largest goal is to make suggestion, add other conditions to existing law. I think it will be justifiable way to help such women.
V. My Activities at Kalakasan
I have joined fieldwork at Kalakasan for 5 times. At first, I was embarrassed in activities. I didn’t know what should I do for them. When we visited Kalakasan, usually there are a few children and a few adults (mainly their mothers). The activities start at 13:00 and finish at 15:00. During activities, we mainly help them with their studies and after studying we play with them. In my impression, many of the children don’t dislike study, and indeed they like study. I feel their motivation every time. Yuki, a girl in grade 2, is one of the children who looks forward to our visit every time. The first time I met her was in July. She may not have brothers or sisters, so I think she is pleased that she can study or play with students. In my impression, she hears carefully what we are saying but she opposes her mother. I think one of the reasons of her attitudes is her mother cannot speak Japanese well. This is typical of Filipino families who live in Japan. I also explained to the mother the contents of documents which children receive at school. Of cause in Japan, every school handout is written in Japanese, so understanding contents are really difficult for Filipino mothers. So explaining these contents is also an important role for us. During these activities, what I feel is the importance of visiting regularly. Children remember each of us and we can remember children. We can make good relationship and we don’t have to start from introducing ourselves to each other each time. I’d like to continue helping the mothers and children at Kalakasan after this seminar has finished.