Although I am not 100% Japanese, I have been fortunate enough to grow up in a family who embraces the culture every single day. My nana, Mineko lives in an apartment attached to my house. Nana is from Tokyo, Japan. She was about 14 during WWII. She met my grandpop, an American soldier in Japan but they came to the United Staes to start a family where she eventually became a citizen!

Ever since I was little I've been eating Japanese food. I remember a specific time in preschool where one of my friends asked me what I brought for a snack and I said "osenbeis!' which are a Japanese snack. I eat seaweed like its candy...seems gross to some people. Not for me! I'm super picky when it comes to eating other peoples rice because I know it's usually not Japanese sticky rice made in an actual rice cooker. I could eat sushi or raw fish for every single meal. The other day, my family had a barbecue with burgers, chicken, and hot dogs, but also on the table was rice, soy sauce, and Beni shoga, aka ginger. I feel extremely lucky that Japanese food has always been a huge part of me.

Something else that I think is interesting is that I knew some Japanese terminology before I knew how to say it in English! I knew "rock, paper, scissors" as "janken pon" and I still have to remind myself that people say "rock, paper, scissors." "Let's go!" was never an expression said on its own, it was always, and still is, "ikimashou! Let's go!" I honestly did not know the word for "cheers" for a VERY long time, in Japanese, it's "kanpai!" I have also always known how to count in Japanese.

Another thing that I love is the Japanese traditions. My family celebrates Girls Day which is a holiday in Japan. Every new year, we eat Japanese soba noodles for a long life.

Being so involved in the Japanese culture has taught me a lot. Most importantly, it has taught me to always, always, always, be accepting to other people and their cultures. I love being Japanese, it is something I will take pride in for forever.