Reasons to Consider Being a Host Family

The advantages of hosting a Japanese student are limitless. From the exposure to another culture to the rewarding sense of fulfillment, here are some of the reasons to open your home to a Japanese student.

Personal and Familial Development
Be it travel, school or work, foreign interaction with diverse cultures is a part of life. When individuals and families open their homes to students, personal development is inevitable. Familiarization with another race, culture and ethnicity expands the mind. It offers the entire family a study on how to be adaptive to intercultural interactions and demonstrates how different yet similar we all are.

Newfound Respect and Understanding
Once hosts open their homes to students, a natural family-like relationship transpires between the student and the host family. Learning about another person’s culture and interests represents an understanding of the world as seen through the student. By opening your door, you open a student’s eyes to the real America: real people, real experiences, and real life. At the same time, your generosity of spirit creates a positive view of the United States that crosses borders—and lasts a lifetime.

Inspires New Language Possibilities
Learning another language as a host family can be a lot of fun. Children in host families—even adult children—develop and expand analytical skills and even improve their English when they compare English and Japanese. As globalization redefines the world we live in, learning a new language is a rapidly growing asset in the business world. It can be beneficial for both a host and their family. When children are exposed to Japanese students, they can learn the fun and simplicity of learning a new language.

Lifelong Acquaintance
At the conclusion of a student’s stay, many host families and students remain long-term friends. Saying good-bye represents only the next phase of the newly developed, lifelong relationship.

Learn More about their World
Hosting is an excellent way to learn about the world without leaving home. Host families can learn Japanese phrases, get personal insight into the world beyond their backyards, learn to do origami, and even become excellent international cooks! Living with a student from another culture is an education in itself.

Have Fun
Host families and students laugh. A lot. Whether giggling over the mispronunciation of words or sharing students’ excitement about newfound joys, host families have a tremendous amount of fun.

Change the World
Most important is the rewarding sense of fulfillment you will experience as a host family, knowing that you have played a key part in helping a young person achieve his or her dream. It is only normal to feel that you’ve added a new son or daughter to your family, even if only for a short while. And while the visit may end, the relationship will endure across time and distance.

It's a cliche, but it’s true: when you host a student, you gain the power to change the world, one student at a time.

If you have any other questions, please contact Todd Sasaki, International Programs Office, at 909-621-8308.