How Did Hirabayashi Study In Japan

Hirabayashi is a Nisei, and he was born in the United States. He chose to go back to American after he studied in Japan for eight years. The reason that Hirabayashi wanted to go to Japan to study because his parents wanted their children to be exposed to Japanese language and culture. On the other hand, the Japanese culture influence to Hirabayashi’s parents and some discrimination from the Native American makes Hirabayashi only plays with the other Nisei after school. Hirabayashi had two close Japanese friends, and these two friends had been to Japan before. Therefore, his friends always talked the experience in Japan with each other that made Hirabayashi felt that he was an outsider, and then he decided to go to Japan. And he studied in Japan for eight years.

However, Hirabayashi thought that he was not a dual citizen, and if he stays in Japan, he will be treated as a foreigner. When Hirabayashi first came to Japan, he does not talk to other people because his inability of communication and some of his movement is a kind of “American” style and the Japanese cannot accept it. For example, when the first year in the school, Hirabayashi still wears his hair long and wears shoes when he entered to the classroom. All of these things made Hirabayashi thought that he would be treated as a foreigner if he chose to stay in Japan. However, if he chose to come back to United States, he will be treated as a citizen, for example the Washington School all his credits which he took in Japan which makes Hirabayashi could graduate from Kent High