An Easy Way Out

This past week in class we were discussing a case study about a Nisei and his struggles. A Nisei is a 2nd generation Japanese American. What struck me (again) is how very unaware that most of my classmates were about Japanese American culture and the generational impact of the WWII internment in the US. Many said that they didn't feel they "knew" the client enough because there wasn't enough information about his feelings and his habits. I felt I knew plenty based on what was NOT said knowing that Japanese culture is high context and indirect.

One older classmate made a comment that the Japanese-American man took the "easy way out" when it came to his academic studies and choosing courses that assured success. Hearing her say that was like a slap across the face as her statement was definitive and filled with moral judgment. I had to (of course!) correct her on this, which just reminded me again that I'm the only one in my class who could speak to the experience of an Asian-American. Yet, this doesn't have to be the case. Cultural competence as counselors is expected of us who are learning and training so we should ask more of our academic program to address these gaps in our classes, not just take 1 or 2 classes about cultural differences.

Beyond the cultural and racial ignorance, I was reminded to not presume nor make character judgments when I meet with future clients. There is so much more than I know and I need to make the effort to learn and better understand the experiences of others.


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