The Northwest Times

THE NORTHWEST TIMES

Y-Teen Delegate to Grinnell Cites Need to Rid Selves of Complex

(Editor's note: Etsuko Ichikawa was one of seven Y-Teen leaders who attended the national Y. Teen and Hi-Y conference, sponsored recently by the YWCA and the YMCA, in Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa. A senior at Garfield high school, she is a member of the Y-Teen Interclub cabinet.)

By ETSUKO ICHIKAWA

On the hot and humid night of June 20, a train-weary group of high school teenagers, alias the Northwest YWCA delegation to the National YM-YW Conference, arrived in Grinnell two hours overdue.

I was one of them. We tried to slink inconspicuously into the fieldhouse where the first meeting was well on its way, but without much success. All eyes turned toward the twenty-seven latecomers who stalked into the room and onto the empty bleachers.

That was how we made our grand entrance.

During the following five days I learned and experienced more than I have ever had in such a short time. A good part of the conference was spent listening to speakers who were experts in their special field of work, and discussing their topics later in the day in smaller work groups.

The first thing I noticed about my fellow conferees were the different accents. The honey-dripping drawl of the South was just as fascinating to me as the short and well-clipped accent of New York and Canada. Beyond this and the difference in the styles of dancing the kids were alike in that they had the same problems and were eager to accomplish the same things.

The first subject to be tackled was that of boy-girl relationship.

This turned out to be one of the most interesting subjects but one which had the least satisfying answers. And in my opinion, a problem which will continue as long as there is a boy or a girl. However this much we agreed upon. Too often young people look for romantic interest in the opposite sex rather than friendship. It always appeared to me that Nisei teenagers were inclined to be too quick in tagging a couple as "going steady" after they had had a few dates together.

I learned soon enough that others had the same problem.

One thing that we Nisei must do is to get rid of our inferiority complex. I have learned that other teenagers do not think us inferior so why should we?

As Nisei it is up to us to be well-informed about our own problems as well as those of the rest of the world. If we want to understand the problems of other race groups we must know our own first.

I have seen kids having fun but I have never seen them so deadly serious as the ones with whom I worked at the conference. They talked on religion, the atomic bomb and other world problems. I certainly believe informal discussions like these will be a great asset to the teenagers in preparing themselves for future duties in their community.

The life at Grinnell was an ideal one where someone's friend was everybody's friend, where people were genuinely interested in each other and what was going on in the world.

Perhaps the ideas of youth are too idealistic as many adults say but neither are they anything to be laughed at.

Two resolutions were passed at the conference which I sincerely hope will have some effect sooner or later. One was a bid for world peace by making the UN stronger and the other to encourage sex education in schools and community agencies.

The Grinnell conference was an experience I shall never forget. I only wish that more teenagers could have had the chance that I had. I have returned with a stronger faith in the Youth of America.