While in Japan, it became apparent that I missed one thing unique to America: hamburgers. It just wasn’t the same. The tender meat. The abundance of ketchup. The greasy stains.
Just kidding, I didn’t miss the hamburgers. All jokes aside, I missed the diversity.
Towards the end of my stay, I wanted to see different cultures and hear various languages. I come from an Asian background, and I’ve been told my Japanese people that I can blend in the crowd. No one avoided sitting next to me on the bus though I’ve heard stories of other students with this problem. However, whenever I spoke English outside or walked with my close friends, I felt the stares of the locals. And it was uncomfortable.
I missed the sense of belonging. And I know America has its own problems regarding racism and discrimination, but I missed being able to come from a different background without judgment (from the majority). I hope we are able to overcome these differences in background, culture, and language because, honestly, America’s melting pot is one of the country’s greatest quality.