In this study, life story interviews were conducted on four university students who had come to Japan from overseas and who are now acting as mentors to children with similar backgrounds. Through the analysis of their narratives, their relationship-building with others, “sense of self in Japan”, and “breakthroughs” in learning were revealed. Then, mentoring activities for children were re-examined from the foreign-born mentors’ perspective.
These mentors could not build relationships with their peers at certain times after coming to Japan, due to feelings of loneliness through linguistic and cultural isolation. As a result, they built an emotional barrier or created a “self for Japan”. But, making meaningful relationships and / or focusing on specific life goals had made it possible for them to educate themselves. These mentors eventually realized their ownership of their own future, and then could choose that future path in accordance with their own needs at junctures of each life stage. Now, they have positive views about their cultural backgrounds and experiences.
The significance of their mentoring activities fell into three points. (1) Children can reduce their isolation and have confidence in their cultural backgrounds. (2) Foreign-born mentors can share their experiences with children in similar situations and become their “role models”. (3) Foreign-born mentors can also open their minds, learn through this activity, and re-construct the meaning of their own experiences by “resonating” their sense of life ownership and children’s sense of life ownership.
The results of this study lead to two suggestions educators should keep in mind when considering future use of these activities. (1) These activities should offer children a non-threatening place where they can build relationships with others. (2) Mentors should not decide children’s needs or goals; rather, they should help children realize their own needs and encourage them to act by themselves in plotting their life courses.
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