Dine Native American

Hello everyone,

My daughter is interested in attending a Japanese School during her Jr. High or High School years. We are in the process of deciding when. She is half Native American Indian and half Caucasian. She is currently learning to speak Japanese via online resources since we have no place local she can attend language classes at. I am new to this idea, of her going to Japan to study. I am asking would I HAVE to have her homestay with a family there or can I lent an apartment so I can be there with her during her school term? Another thing I would like to ask, are there any social groups for those that are Diné living in Japan? This would be very helpful for me to know about. Thank you very much.

What visa will you have your daughter study on, and what visa would you yourself use to spend time with her? Tourist permits limit you to 90 days, and although Japan Immigration will usually let people back in for another 90 days soon after, a longer stay than that in any one year period is usually impossible without a long term visa of some kind.

Most schools here would be very opposed to the idea of a student living by herself for any part of the school year, and it may not be possible for your daughter to get a visa to attend school here unless she comes over on an exchange program, which usually means living in a homestay situation.

An apartment is just not an option for a foreign student of that age.

Even if it were technically possible, as a parent it is no something you should desire.

Homestays are great in many ways:
1) Language and cultural adaptation are exponentially faster than dorm or apartment living.
2) Local knowledge; your kid immediately has a lifeline and people to turn to for both simple and difficult matters.
3) Extended family; homestay families sometimes becomes like second families and they take their responsibilities seriously. Your child will be looked after.

As for Native Americans in Japan, there's information to be found on this site and Google via the search functions.

A homestay would help her learn Japanese much faster. Cut the apron strings mom and let her go.

She really needs to do this through some sort of exchange program. When my Dad was active in Rotary International, we hosted many exchange students (including students from Japan) and my sister spent her senior year of highschool in another country. Look to see if your local Rotary chapter is invovled in the program.