Introducing myself and my journal: Gaijin Mama
by Suzanne Kamata | February 19, 2009 at 10:17 PM
About Me:
I was born and raised in the United States, but came to Japan after college to teach for one year and never left. Now I live in a rural community with my Japanese husband and our twins - a boy and a girl. My daughter is deaf and uses a wheelchair due to her cerebral palsy. Her disabilities have led me to an interest in disability issues, which I often write about. Last year, I published an anthology, Love You to Pieces: Creative Writers on Raising a Child with Special Needs (Beacon Press) and a picture book entitled Playing for Papa (Topka Books) about our diverse family members. I've also published a novel, Losing Kei, about an expatriate mother who loses custody of her Japan-born son and does whatever she can to get him back. My next book is another anthology, this one on mothering across cultures. The title is Call Me Okaasan: Adventures in Multicultural Mothering.
My Passions:
reading, writing, my children, travel, human rights
My Challenges:
To learn Japanese Sign Language, to help people appreciate diversity
My Vision for the Future:
A world where diversity is celebrated
My Areas of Expertise:
writing, teaching
Comments
Welcome Suzanne
We are so happy that you have joined our community. Having worked as a Special Olympics coach, I understand the challenges people with cerebral palsy face but also know first-hand, the joy they provide. I lived in Japan for a while and was dismayed at the attitudes towards the disabled. Back then, their efficient transportation systems made no allowances at all for anyone with an impairment and it seemed impossible for them to navigate their way around the cities. I am hoping that many years later the city infrastructures, as well as people's attitudes, have changed.
Your contributions are so vital and I know that you have transformed lives as you share your knowledge, dreams, ideas and hopes. I hope you will continue to share your thoughts so as to inspire others who may be in similar circumstances, whether it be your cross-cultural experiences or insights as a mother of twins. Welcome again, and I know that your writing and activism will bring about a wave of change in Japan.
Janice
PulseWire Community Director