|
||
 |
||
 |
||
Abe Keita (Franciscan priest) |
|
|
||||||||
The Korean Children Association --called "Hanuru" (sky) in the
Korean language-- from Ikuno (Osaka), the district with the largest Korean
population in Japan, meets regularly at Seiwa's Social Center.
The Hanuru association organizes ethnic education and recreation programs
for children of all ages up to the time they finish primary school.
Similar to the other organizations, the Hanuru association looks also after
the children's homework and organizes games for them, but specializes in
teaching the Korean language and in programs concerning Korean songs, ethnic
culture and traditional arts.
The participants of these programs are not only Korean children, but also
Japanese that agree with the orientation of such programs. The results
are that, not only Korean children are given opportunities to learn their
ethnic culture, but Japanese children also have a place to learn about
a different culture.
At present, there are 30 children, of all ages. Two full-time staff persons
with about 15 volunteers take care of the activities. The numbers of people
involved change accordingly with the programs that consist in summer camps
and picnics during the holidays, or just normal daily activities. The exchange
programs with children of other districts also provide an occasion for
wider chances of meeting with people of a different culture.
The Hanuru association plays also the role of alleviating the shocks caused
by the differences in language and culture during the growth period of
the children that move from Kindergarten and Nursery School to Primary.
This is especially true for the new comers, the "omoni" (mothers),
from Korea that came to Japan as wives of the Korean husbands living here.
|
This is how one of the "omoni" explains it. "They teach
me here words that I didn't know and that helps me a lot. I don't feel
lonely. My children also learn how to greet in my Hangul language and to
get accustomed to Korean habits, and that makes me feel happy". Thus,
the young Korean mothers can easily communicate with their children and
they like to see them acquiring gradually the culture and customs of their
country of origin that they are unable to transmit because of language
handicap.
The daily programs and seasonal events of the children's association train
the children to confront their own identities and prepare them for future
volunteer activities so that they could be able to conduct ethnic education
programs. This is already true of former graduates who help as leaders
in the programs. That is why the actual programs have future effects.
One of the seasonal programs takes place during the Christmas Feasts, when
the children play "samurunori" (peasant's play), and not a religious
play with Christmas songs. On the day of Christmas, instead of the "Jingle
Bells" music, one can hear the "changgo" drums sound resounding
throughout the Korean town. (Cooperation of the Hanuru Children's Association)
Closure of Ikuno's Ethnic Cultural Festival
The Ethnic Festival of Ikuno came finally to an end, after 20 years of
existence. As the local edition of the Asahi Newspaper also reported the
day before the event, the reasons for closing the festival are connected
to the actual situation Koreans in Japan face, as well as an increase of
similar cultural festivals nowadays.
On the other hand, at the closing ceremony, Mr. Ham Choongnam, Chairman
of the executive committee, explained that whenever a group of sympathizers
gets together, the festival could again be organized. Thus, the end would
produce a new revival.
|
|||||||
 |
||||||||
 |
|
|||||||
 |
|
===== Copyright ®1997-2007 Jesuit Social Center All Rights Reserved =====
|
|