Hide Article Text (OCR)
ffcAN you women , help these and the Japanese wives respondedJapanese wives of Americans?” .'enthusiastically to the suggesteda solicitous Japanese matron asked v classes. •some members of the Christian. An English class was begun March Women’s Association, one day last ~ 15, and later was followed by classesNovember.• Quick to recognize the needs of these young oriental, wives, who,, in a few months, will leave the associations-of a familiar land for Americaand a -new way of living, the CWA* • #members decided to work out a program of practical education for them.The Association, whose members • are Aiheriean. wives and other women who organized at the GHQ. Chapel-Center for the purpose of Studying Protestant missionary .work in Japan, began by giving two socials in March. These parties, which served to “break the ice,” were attended by about. 54 .American men and their Japanese wives and by about the same number of club women and their husband.in Ethics and Government, Cooking, Child Care and American Social Customs. The classes, which met once a week for two- to three-hour periods, with the exception of' the English class which met twice weekly, combined a lecture session, a demonstration period and student participation in classroom projects.American ’wives who have -taught in the courses include Mrs. J. J. Robinson, head chairman and chief supporter of the “school;”-Mrs. K. M. Harkness, MrS. F. R. Penney', - Mrs. K' L, Ohman, Mrs. K. Seino, Mrs. A. ®. Snell and Mrs. R. H. Allman, English instructors; Mrs. W. E. Daley, Mrs. T. A, Goss, Mrs. R. Nakagawa, and Mrs. T, C. Smith, Ethics andMrs. W. Lutzi, Mrs. E, L. Williams,arid Mrs. W. P.’ Woodward, cooking*teachers; Mrs, L. S. Ritchie and Mrs. D. M. Typer, child care instructors; and Mrsl J. T\ Austin and Mrs. W. C. Eells, American Social Customs.About 85 of the 831 oriental girls who were married to Americans last July and, August’ when the amendment to the Alien Wife Bill was ; effect, have taken advantage of thecourses. Transportation and distance are the main reasons why more wives have been unable to attend. Many of the girls live too far away from the Tokyo AEP School and- the GHQ Chapel Center where the classes are held. Last year’s figures show that out of the 831 international marriages, 627 took place in the Yokohama Consulate, 142 in the Kobe Branch Consulate, and 62 in Okinawa.Many of the girls take all five ofthese bride-students run from 18 to 28, with the average rge being around 24. About two-thirds* of the wives have Nisei husbands, while the others are married to Caucasians,As these oriental wives know that they must be in the United, States or its territories, before December 31 of thfs' year, in order to become residents, they are diligent students, preparing for. an -exciting venture.We talked with about 25 of theseM % *students. They have a childlike earnestness to learn and- a mature awareness of the wide horizons, of the West that marriage hds opened up to them. • They are aware of the problems .of acceptance, adjustments and communication that go along withbeing a foreign bride. But they believe that they can contribute to a growing American culture—which, lately, more than ever before, has admitted to an appreciation of. theCenturies-old culture of the East.*♦Continued on Page 141the courses, while others concentrateAbout 40‘:welh”tLualified members . Government class; Mrs. T. L. Julian, on one or two subjects in which they volunteered to work on this project Mrs. M. Arenschield, Mrs. B. Lewis, are most interested. The ages of _THE EDUCATION OF AN AMERICAN Is mustratedTn this page With photos mad. at the Ctoistian Women’s Association classes for Japanese brito of Americans serving in the occupation. Above left Mr. r. U Julian, cooking class teacher, (instructs Mrs. S. Hirasawa in proper teai pouring efaqu^tc• Ahovn ttrtt Mrs Koyce A. Behrends receives English Instruction from Mrs. R. I Ohlman. Below left Mrs. *«neis Barcus.receive, mstruetion from Mrs. Walter Daiy inlLe Ethics and Government class. Below right, Mrs. L. S. Eitchie, Child Care cd.instmctor supervises Mrs. Behrends m the bathing and dressing of an nL'K-avj/j-.-HP'?.. y*■ypf. lt;h'?.Kd :lt;? rd v-.■ 1 * S •;!»•. -
Newspaper Details
Pacific Stars and Stripes
Tokyo, Tôkyô, JP
Sun, Jul 25, 1948
Page 20
Full Page
Clipped by
Michael L.
MO, USA 22 Jul 2020
Other Publications Near Tokyo, Tôkyô
Pacific Japan Stars and Stripes
Japan Advertiser
Pacific Stars and Stripes
