On Thursday, November 10, we had a lecture at Nippaku Gakuen in Oizumi-cho, Ora-gun, Gunma Prefecture, about a questionnaire survey on the mental health of Japanese-Brazilian high school students living in Japan. This lecture was accompanied by research collaborators Mr. Miura of the NPO MAIKEN and Ms. Ruth Toyomi Fujii as an interpreter.
The survey revealed that Japanese-Brazilian high school students had lower mental health than Japan high school students, and that the group with low ethnic identity had lower mental health, suggesting that establishing ethnic identity may lead to the prevention of mental health problems.
Japanese-Brazilian students and teachers participated, and the students asked questions such as “Is it bad to have stress?” and “Is there anyone who dies from mental disorders?” and the teachers consulted about the students’ specific daily life problems and career paths.
After the lecture, we exchanged opinions with Vice Principal Sedinha and others, summarized the current situation and issues at Brazilian schools in Japan based on the differences with schools in São Paulo and the cultures and customs of both countries, and listened to Vice Principal Sedinha talk about the efforts she has made so far. We shared that the identity of Japanese-Brazilian people is an issue that the teachers have felt for many years, and that we will continue to work together to establish it.
Thank you to all the students and teachers who participated in the lecture.
