記事詳細
震災前、石巻にはおよそ800人の外国人が住んでいて、震災後はだいぶ減ったそうだ。石巻に嫁いだ女性が200人ぐらいいると聞き、15年以上日本に住む外国人お母さんである、中国人の畢麗君さんと、台湾人の杉山美恵さんにインタビューした。
畢さんと杉山さんも参加している「ハッピーママの会」は、石巻に住む外国人お母さんたちの居場所づくりとして、お互いに支え合って、日本で楽しい毎日過ごそうということで立ち上がった会だ。この会は不定期に開催されており毎回いろいろな国の人が集まるそうだ。一緒にお茶を飲んで、悩みを相談し合ったり、時には時刻の文化をお互いに紹介し合ったりもしているという。
外国人お母さんたちが日本で困っていることはたくさんある。その中の１つとしてお弁当作りがあげられた。出身国では、日本のようにお弁当を作る文化がない。日本のお母さんたちが作る、キャラ弁など彩りをいしきした かわいいものですごいと言う。
２人の出身国と日本では「お父さんの存在」が違うとい言う。台湾の男性は梶を身につけることが当たり前で、小さい頃から家事に協力的。家事ができないと彼女もできないといわれているそうだ。
日常生活において９割は日本式で残りの１割は台湾式を貫いているところがあるという杉山さん。自分には台湾人として譲れないことも時にはある。子どもたちには「お母さんが外国人であるということを忘れないでほしい」と杉山さんは思っている。一方で、畢さんは、ほとんど中国式になっていまうという。お子さんには小さいころから中国語を教えていて、何らかの形で将来に役立てて欲しいと願っている。普段の会話でもときどき中国語を口にするときがあるという。
来年２月に開催される「石巻に恋しちゃった」（主催：石巻復興支援ネットワーク）というイベントに参加する予定だ。外国人お母さんたちは「家庭料理で世界一周」と題したコーナーを担当することになっている。お料理の提供はもちろん、実際に作る体験をすることもできるそうだ。作り方を実際に見ることで文化の違いなども体験できる。
また、今後、石巻市に住む外国人として小学校で出前講座を行う計画もある。週間や言葉、食べ物などを通じて、「外国にもこんないいことがあると知ってほしい」と話していた。
取材・文：齋藤 桃香（蛇田中学校３年生）
2012/12/11
Japan’s hard-working mothers
Momoka Saito| 3rd year, Hebita Junior High School
Mie Sugiyama and Rijun Bi
Before the earthquake about 800 foreigners lived in Ishinomaki, but that number has fallen significantly since the earthquake. I learned that there are about 200 women who have come to Ishinomaki as brides and interviewed Mie Sugiyama from Taiwan and Rijun Bi from China, non-Japanese mothers who have lived in Japan for over 15 years.
The ‘Happy Mothers Club’ to which both Mrs Bi and Mrs Sugiyama belong, was founded to provide a place for mothers from overseas living in Ishinomaki to support each other so they can enjoy their daily lives in Japan. The club meets on an irregular basis and each time people from different countries come along. They drink tea together, discuss their concerns and sometimes introduce the culture of their home countries to each other.
Foreign mothers are faced with lots of problems in Japan. One of them is the preparation of their children’s school packed lunch (o-bento). In their home countries the tradition of making such o-bento does not exist. They tell me that the o-bento Japanese mothers make, such as kyara ben (o-bento where food is arranged to resemble cartoon characters etc) are fantastic, because they are so colorful and appealing
Both mothers also tell me that the ‘role of the father’ is different in Japan to their home countries. For Taiwanese men, it is a given that they will learn how to do housework and they share the load from a young age. Apparently it is said that if men don’t know how to do housework they won’t be able to find a girlfriend.
Day to day, Mrs Sugiyama follows a Japanese lifestyle for 90% of the time, while the remaining 10% is lived in a more Taiwanese fashion. There are times when there are things which, as a Taiwanese, she can’t let go of. Mrs Sugiyama does not want her children to forget that their mother is not Japanese. By contrast, Mrs Bi says that her lifestyle is primarily Chinese. She has been teaching her children Chinese since they were little and hopes that it will in some way be useful to them in the future. She says she sometimes slips into Chinese during normal conversation.
In February next year, they intend to take part in the ‘I fell in love in Ishinomaki’ event (organized by the Ishinomaki Revival Support Network). The mothers from overseas will take charge of a section called ‘Around the World with Home Cooking’. Apparently, food will of course be provided but it will also be possible to try cooking for yourself. You will also be able to experience cultural differences by actually seeing how the food is prepared.
There are also plans for the foreigners living in Ishinomaki to give presentations in elementary schools. They explained that through presenting customs, language and food they want children to learn what wonderful things there are in other countries.
Special thanks to The Japan Foundation London Office Language Center
Mr Oliver Gryce, Ms Vanessa Abel, Mr Luke Adams, Mr Stuart Adams, Ms Cheryl Aldridge, Ms Josephine Audigier, Mr Timothy Bennett, Mr Levi Booth, Mr Simon Campbell, Miss Mikki Carlton, Mr Michael Carson, Mrs Ramata Cisse, Mrs Joanna Dare, Miss Isabelle Demaude, Miss Jennifer Dixon, – JAMES GAHAN, Ms Alison Gray, Mr Alan Gross, Ms Hannah Hunt, Ms Catherine Jakszta, Mr Edmund Jones, Mr Mustafa Kasim, Mr Keith Kelly, Miss Miki Kojima, Miss Ka Yan Li, Ms Angela Maggs, Ms Susan Meehan, Mrs Fiona Michishige, Ms Forum Mithani, Mr Chris Mudie, miss Karolina Nalaskowska, Ms. Takako Nose, Mr James Ovenden, Master Takasolo Ovenden, Ms Heidi Potter, Mr Alex Poulidis, Mr Daniel Pumbien, Miss Carley Radford, Ms Pamela Ravasio, Miss Poppy Reid, Mrs Claire Rennie, Ms Judith Reynolds, Mr Ed Richards, Ms Hana Sato, Ms Yilin Sim, Miss Kei Wun Siu, Mr Kevin Squibb, Ms Catherine Stead, Mr Peter Sutcliffe, Mr. Eric Sward, Ms Kyoko Tanno, Ms Claire Thompson, Ms Arisa (Alissa) Wada (Hew), Mrs Kerry Williams, Ms Kim Woodruff, Dr Haru Yamada, Miss Leanne Yu, Mr Seiji Fukushima, Ms Yuko Murata, Ms Eriko Nishikawa, Ms Takako Nose, Ms Hiroko Tanaka