Part 1. Becoming a Cultural Child
Peter Hauser is in Japan for a semester abroad.
Peter emails his friend at home:
Things are going just fine with my homestay family! I lucked out! No curfew! No rules!
He’s staying with the Sasaki family. .
Okaasan tells homestay coordinator at Peter’s study abroad office:
This is the first time we’ve had an exchange student; we are very anxious and nervous about it.
Introduction: How Can the Cultural Child Grow Up?
Part 1 introduces you to Peter Hauser, a homestay guest, and the Sasakis, his host family. The homestay then illustrates the core dilemma of At Home in Japan: How can a newcomer like Peter become aware of things that no one thinks to tell him, but everyone assumes he already knows? Part 1 also shows how a similar question can be lurking for all the other characters in their entry situations.
