EXCHANGE SURVEY RESULTS

NEW: Charlie Lang, a former member of the LEX America Board of Directors, conducted a survey of past LEX/4-H exchange program participants, including both delegates and host families. See below for selected quotes from the survey respondents, as well as a summary of conclusions drawn from the survey results.

“I think learning about another culture is amazing and everyone should try it. In the end, you learn we are all alike.”

“The experience of having a Japanese person stay with us and also myself staying with a family has been one of the best periods of my life.”

“This trip really opened my eyes to what it means to be a decent human being. It does not matter what the person’s skin color is, their religious beliefs, their cultural differences – people are people, and their spirit, wants, and basic needs are to be respected.”

“We are now living in an area that is near the Honda factory and have Japanese neighbors. It’s been fun to use some of my Japanese words with them and it is easier to become acquainted and good neighbors.”

“Hiromi reinforced that boundaries are not what define us. Our families and love for one another define all of us. Her depth of character was so great and getting to know her enriched all our lives.”

“Being part of the 4-H Exchange Program opened my eyes to even more viewpoints of people from a culture other than my own. I am intensely curious to learn others’ points of view and understand why they think the way they do, whether it be cultural differences or simply personal differences. I am always interested in meeting new people and people from cultures other than my native one.”

“Our daughter’s curiosity about other cultures grew with enormous intensity after her first experience hosting a Japanese student through the LEX program! . . . She continued to nurture the friendships she developed through the exchange program and felt fortunate to travel to Japan three times during her exchange years.”

 

Conclusions

The LEX/4-H Exchange Program…

• successfully promotes cultural awareness and intercultural understanding
• sparks curiosity and lifelong interest in learning about languages and cultures
• makes participants appreciate cultural differences
• makes participants appreciate the many things that all people have in common
• leads to wonderful, lifelong international and intercultural friendships