My daughter, Raven, will be 14 years old tomorrow. She is leaving tomorrow morning at 4:30am to go to Washington DC for her class trip. She won’t be home until 11pm tomorrow night so we are celebrating her birthday Thursday. Also she does not have to return to school until May 2 because of Easter/Spring break.
My daughter is a talented artist who one day wants to be a manga artist living in Japan. She lives and breathes almost everything Japanese. She can speak and understand a little Japanese right now. Nothing major but it is enough for her to communicate and understand a short conversation with the only Japanese student in her school. She has been immersing herself in the Japanese culture since she was in the 4th grade (she is now in the 8th grade and will be starting high school this fall).
I love the fact that she is into the Japanese culture. I may love it more than most since I am a huge fan of Asian movies (especially J Horror). However, many people in the family are not. I see my daughter’s talent and love for all things Japanese and want to help her achieve her dream. Some family members do not agree.
“She is too obsessed with all this Japanese stuff!”
“You need to nip that in the butt, NOW!”
Those two quotes above are the two most common things we hear from family members about Raven’s obsession with Japan. For some reason, they have a problem with my daughter’s interest.
Does Raven take her interest a bit too far? Maybe. But it’s no different than the diehard Twilight fans or this whole Bieber Fever thing. And in actuality, her learning about another culture (including their language) is a rather educational activity. Something that these asshats don’t seem to realize. They would much rather have her lusting over the latest heartthrob than exercising her brain and following her dream.
However, since she is not their child, they do not raise her nor do they support her in any manner what so ever then they have no say in how she is raised, what we allow her to do or not to do or what her hobbies or activities are. If they do not like it, they can shove it up their ass. I have been pretty damn polite to these people when they say their ignorant comments. That, however, changes today. I don’t care who they are (or who they think you are) but I will tell them exactly where they can stick their opinions (which we never asked for but they seem so inclined to spew out of their mouths) about Raven or her interest.
I really wonder if it makes these adults feel better about themselves when they try to crush a 13 year old’s dream? Well, I have news for them. Raven knows that these people do not truly care about her. That me and her father want her to follow her dreams and will help her anyway we can. She is not going to stop her love of Japan for these jackasses. And just to prove how much more grown up she is then these supposed “adults” she knows that going to college in Japan and breaking into the manga industry is a tough task. Therefore, she has a backup plan.
The funny thing is. Nobody on my side of the family has said any negative comments about Raven and her Japanese obsession. It is always people on my husband’s side of the family.
10 Comments
Zoe
April 20, 2011 at 12:16 amHuh, too right. I actually felt like storming out, but I wasn’t going to let an immature little boy ruin a movie that I wanted to see. How rude! I think it’s great that Raven is interested in another culture, good on her!
It also gives her something to aspire to, as she obviously wants to go to Japan, so not only is it educational, it also encourages her to save for a trip there.
Malin
April 20, 2011 at 1:02 amI also think it’s great that Raven is interested in, in my opinion, a meaningful hobby! So much better than being a hardcore Bieber-fan for example. Screw those who doesn’t understand! She is lucky to have such supportive parents! 😀
Jenny Aster
April 20, 2011 at 10:33 amI hope you don’t take this wrong way but I had no idea your daughter was that old! Your photo to the right looks so youthful!
I’m a firm believer that everyone needs to have something or somethings that they are truly passionate about and truly excel at. If not, whatever is the point of life? It’s kind of sad that your relatives can’t recognize that Raven’s passion for Japanese culture should be encouraged rather than perceived as something negative. My parents always worried about how much time and effort I put into web-designing but it makes me unique in my circle of friends. I’m the only one who has a hobby. 🙂 It’s really important that she has a dream or she could end up going through life without a direction.
Holly
April 22, 2011 at 3:20 amUmmm….why in the world is her interest in Japan and Japanese culture something that needs to be “nipped in the bud”?
In my opinion, that’s a totally reasonable, constructive, age-appropriate hobby for a nearly-14 year old girl! I agree with you, I don’t understand what their problem is. :/
I think you should encourage it, who knows where it might lead her! 🙂
Nonna
April 23, 2011 at 1:10 amI think the adults are trying to crush her dreams because theirs never came to fruitition. I personally find the Japanese culture fascinating and I can see why people love it so much. I don’t understand why Japanomania is so frowned upon, there is absolutely nothing harmful about it and I can think of far, far worse for a 14-year-old to love/be obsessed about (why is the ana-mia boom of tweens and teens not frowned upon, for example?), and seeing as she’s been into it for four years at her age pretty much verifies it’s not a phase, this is something she truly loves, and you’re a great mother for sticking by her! 🙂
kitty
April 25, 2011 at 2:17 amDon’t listen to those people, what gives them the right to say things like that? A hobby like that which is very informative (learning about different culture and all) is the best thing a teenager can have these days because it seems like all they do is drugs and sex.
I bet they never had a dream which they managed to make become true so they are jealous.
good luck to your daughter with her dream ^_^
Afef
April 26, 2011 at 5:59 pmNo one has the right to make fun of someone else’s dream – no matter how far fetched it may seem! 🙂 i hope your daughter really gives them a lesson when she grows up that really nothing is impossibble if you put your heart in it 🙂 (& besides – they should be proud that she’s such an original!)
Aaaand – i live in a very small country, Malta, but this has not stopped my good friend from getting into one of the top universities in japan to learn music production (Keo) & she wants to become a rockstar some day hehehe ;)!!
All the best for the little (very smart) one!! 🙂
Angelica
April 27, 2011 at 4:18 pmI think it’s really weird that they have such a problem with your daughter taking interest in a foregin culture. What’s wrong with that? Do they have a problem with it not being western culture? I’m not into Japanese culture at all myself but I think it’s a much more productive hobby than some other kids her age have. Some kids that age drink, do drugs and have sex. Relatives around her should be happy she’s not into things like that! Learning a foreign language is 100 times better than that!
Karyn
April 27, 2011 at 4:40 pmI love that she is so determined to meet her goals. I loved everything Japan in middle school and took three years of Japanese (two in middle school and two summer courses) I lost interest but that was me. At least she is trying to be something!!!
Terin
April 28, 2011 at 8:56 pmWhen I was that age, I was also really into manga and everything Japanese. I lost interest in it once I turned 16/17, though.
I think it’s great. When my niece was 14, she was saying that she was going to drop out of school and work at Pizza Hut. It’s good to have a goal..no matter how insane it may be.