「レッツゴー キャム！」Cam, Ikuzo! Come follow Camden’s journey! July 2024

A year and a half has passed since I left my home in America to come to Matsudo, so I am going to take this time to write about my experience as a coordinator for international relations (CIR) in the place I have come to consider my second home.

CIRs that are placed in Matsudo City are able to be involved with a wide range of projects, such as events run by the Internationalization Promotion Division, cultural introduction lectures, and workshops that promote intercultural cohesion in the city. For a city like Matsudo that is aiming to be a place where everyone’s culture is accepted regardless of nationality, I believe it is very important to create opportunities for people to have fun while experiencing other cultures. An example of this were the Romania and Dominican Republic lecture events that were held in Matsudo City high schools last year, which created memories for the students that I believe they will carry with them to adulthood. When I watched the students who had a smile on their face while they learned how to do the Dominican Republic’s “merengue” dance, I knew that it is thanks to their passion for cross-cultural understanding that Matsudo is turning into a place where all cultures are welcomed, allowing many more of the over 20,000 foreigners living in Matsudo to be able to call this place their “second home.”

When I came to Matsudo, I was overwhelmed by the kindness of those around me, who invited me to take part in basketball tournaments and other events taking place in the city, so despite being a foreigner living very far away from home, I was able to find a place of belonging for me and make friends that I will keep in touch with for the rest of my life. So as a CIR I aim to spread that same kindness that made me feel welcomed in Japan to foreigners who come to the city hall in need of interpretation assistance and give them a sense of belonging. Thanks to having this role at the city hall I have been able to meet people from all over the world, and because I am able to contribute to intercultural cohesion, from the bottom of my heart I can say that this is a job that gives me a sense of purpose. Outside of interpretation, being a CIR has put me in a position give lectures at training sessions within the city hall and Parter Kouza (partner lectures) that I have hosted within the city, allowing me to improve my public speech ability in both English and Japanese, and I will continue to make an effort to improve so I can better share what I love about America to the people of Matsudo.

私の出身であるアメリカから松戸市に来て既に一年半が経ち、このコラムで国際交流員（CIR）として私の「第二の故郷」になった松戸市での活動について振り返りたいと思います。

国際推進課のイベント、文化紹介の講座や多文化共生におけるワークショップ等も含め、松戸市に配属されるCIRは幅広い事業に触れることができます。国籍が異なっても、誰もがお互いの文化を認め合い、対等な関係を築くことを目指す松戸市には、他国の文化を通して市民が楽しめる場を作ることがとても大事だと思います。昨年松戸市内の高校で行ったルーマニアやドミニカ共和国の講演会の開催がその例の一つで、参加した松戸市の高校生にとって大人になっても心に残る経験だと思います。生徒は笑顔を浮かべながらドミニカ共和国の「メレンゲ」というダンスを学び、国際理解に興味を持っていただいたおかげで、松戸市が多様な文化を分かち合うことになり、市内に住んでいる約2万人を超える外国人にとってますますこの都市を「第二の故郷」だと思えるようになるでしょう。

私の場合は、松戸市に来て、バスケットボールの大会や市内で開催されるイベントに誘ってくれる方々に会うことができて、日本人ではないのですが、コミュニティに溶け込み、これから先何十年と連絡を取り続けるような友人を作り、自分の故郷から遠く離れているところに住んでいるのに寂しい日々を送らなくても済むほど周りから優しさを感じています。国際交流員としての活動の中で、日本の方々から感じた優しさを引き継ぎ、庁内で通訳をさせていただく際に、自分を日本で歓迎してくださったように、外国人のお客様に帰属意識を与えられるような対応を目指しています。この役目で期待していた以上に職場で多くの国の方と出会い、多文化共生のまちづくりに繋がるため、やりがいのある仕事をしていると心の底から思っています。通訳以外でも、庁内の研修や市内で行われるパートナー講座等で講師をさせていただく機会のおかげで、CIRになって英語と日本語のスピーチ力を上げることもできたので、これからもアメリカの文化の魅力を上手く伝えられるようにこれからも頑張ります！