Representing Southern California area Japanese language immersion programs in public school are (from left) Tiffany Hirdler, Kristina Provost, Miguel A. Perez and Amy Davis, along with moderator Michelle Akamine, during a discussion hosted by the Japanese Consulate in Los Angeles on Sept. 24.
By MIKEY HIRANO CULROSS
RAFU STAFF WRITER
The Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles hosted a panel discussion and networking reception in Los Angeles on Sept. 24, welcoming representatives from Southern California schools that offer Japanese immersion dual-education programs.
“I imagine it’s not easy for districts and school to offer dual immersion programs, and it may sometimes feel as if you’re entirely on your own,” said Consul General Kosei Murota in his opening remarks, pledging his support for the stability and growth of the education efforts. “This is a space where stakeholders from different districts, schools and other Japan-related organizations can talk to each other and share ideas for potential collaboration.”
Miguel A. Perez, principal of El Marino Language School in Culver City, described how the challenges of dual-language instruction, particularly for first-time learners, can truly be a taunting task.
“We focus on strategies that we know work well for language learners,” Perez said, noting that El Marino has offered immersion programs in Spanish for 60 years, as well as in Japanese for 35 years.
In January, Verdugo Woodlands Elementary School in Glendale held an open house for prospective students and parents to bolster awareness of the advantages of a language-immersive education. Taking part in the consul general’s forum, Principal Kristina Provost noted how fully half the students in the program came with no prior experience in Japanese language when they enrolled.
“I can get an idea of the standards being taught, even though I don’t speak the language,” Provost explained, noting how the smaller-than-average class sizes have been a key to the program’s success.
Also joining the panel discussion were Dunsmore Elementary School (Glendale) Principal Tiffany Hirdler, and Amy Davis, principal of Amestoy Elementary in Gardena. Other schools represented at the forum included Culver City Middle School, Rosemont Middle School, and Crescenta Valley High School.
Verdugo Woodlands launched its tuition-free Japanese immersion program in 2010 and over the next several years enjoyed a steady climb in enrollment, eventually expanding to nearby Dunsmore.
Provost pointed to data that shows all students at the Glendale schools that offer dual-language immersion have shown superior proficiency in academic subjects, including those not enrolled in the language programs.
However, following the upheaval caused by the COVID pandemic and recent economic downturns, Glendale’s immersion programs saw the same kinds of decreases in student enrollment that have plagued public school districts at all levels.
It was after hearing concerns from several parents in Glendale that Murota was prompted to host the forum.
Also in attendance were officials from several area supplemental Japanese language programs, including Asahi Gakuen, Nishiyamato Academy, Venice Gakuen, San Fernando Valley Japanese Language Institute, and Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute.
Group presentations were offered by the Japan Foundation Los Angeles, Teachers of Japanese in Southern California, California Association of Japanese Language Teachers, and Japan Business Association of Southern California.
Representatives from the Japanese American National Museum and textbook publisher Nippon Shoseki Hanbai were on hand, as were members of sister-city organizations from Los Angeles-Nagoya, Culver City-Kaizuka, and San Diego-Yokohama.
Serving as moderator for the event was Michelle Akamine, an alumna of the El Marino immersion program, whose family’s World War II experience was a catalyst for her learning Japanese.
“I’m fourth-generation Japanese and some of my family were in the internment camps, so my parents wanted me to learn Japanese,” she said. “At that young age, I don’t think I really wanted to learn Japanese, but now I feel grateful my parents made that decision.”
Akamine’s connection to the culture took a giant leap when she participated in Culver City’s two-week sister-city exchange in Kaizuka, Osaka Prefecture. After college, she embarked on the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, established in 1987 by the Japanese government to bring foreign instructors to live and work in Japan for at least one year.
Akamine is currently the JET program coordinator in Los Angeles and credits her early experiences in dual-language immersion for leading to her success on either side of the Pacific.
“Starting there, I have to say it was life-changing for me,” she said.
Applications for Glendale Unified School District’s 2027-28 dual immersion programs open Nov. 1. For more information or to arrange a tour, visit https://www.gusd.net/DLI.