Guatemala and Japan

Wisconsin Public Radio featured a special series of programs called “Not From Around Here.” The programs aired Mondays at 7 p.m. beginning on May 22, 2017. The series is produced by UW-Superior student Olivia Shalaby. Shalaby has been working as a reporter for KUWS-FM (91.3) Wisconsin Public Radio in Superior.

The series of programs featured interviews with six international students studying at UW-Superior and the University of Minnesota – Duluth. Students hail from Italy, Japan, Syria, Guatemala, Nigeria, and Peru.

The first half-hour features an interview with Ana Isabel Reyes Lam, a student from Guatemala City, Guatemala. She shares her experience moving to the United States and her love for travel that influenced her to study abroad.

“It was that desire to get something different – to get to know a different country and a different environment in general,” she said. “I saw the opportunity to just experience the world in a different way.”

The second half-hour features an interview with Kota Yanagidani a student from Osaka, Japan. His interest in peace studies peaked during his high school years. After studying peace studies for two years at a university in Japan, Yanagidani moved to the United States to complete his degree.

“My primary interest is in peace studies in the United States. Usually, it is said that we should study peace studies in English, and in Japan, of course, we have to study in Japanese,” he said. “Also political science and politics or…any other social sciences, (the) United States is one of the leading countries to study these topics.”

The students share their experiences abroad, cultural differences, stereotypes and views about studying in the Twin Ports and the U.S. They also share their opinions on the current political climate towards foreigners.