Name: Mina Takada
Major: Communication Studies
Classification: Senior
Graduation date: Fall 2023
Hometown: Tokyo, Japan
Extracurricular activities: “I love exploring like … coffee shops in the [Rio Grande] Valley. … I also love tacos. So, [places that] my co-workers or, like, my friends recommend, I would go and then try, like, a new taco.”
What are the differences between your hometown and the United States? “I’m from Japan. … Our culture is, like, collectivistic. And then here is individualism. … And it’s, like, more dialect. But in Japan, we care about other people’s, like, opinion, or … we always think, like, what is the best for us, like, as a group or … a big community. So, we care about, like, other people’s feelings rather than our own opinion. So, that is really, like, big differences.”
What is on your bucket list? “I would like to travel [to] other countries. And then, I also want to go to Mexico because my friends actually come from, like, Mexico City … Monterrey or Reynosa. So, I want to go to visit my friends or co-workers hometown. … I want to try tacos over there.”
Who is your role model? “My grandfather. When he was young … his boss … passed away because of [an] accident. So he needed to be president [of a company] instead of [his boss]. … He didn’t have any, like, skills or anything, but he needed to support that company. Because that … suddenly happened. … He is really strong. … He is the person who can protect everyone who he loves. Even if … it’s so hard. He would never give up.”
Why did you choose the major you are in? “I was very interested in [the] difference [of] how we communicate with each other. … Japan has different communication styles. … First, I wanted to get [the] ability to adapt other person’s communication styles. That’s why, like, I wanted to choose communication majors.”
What movies or shows do you like? “I like Disney movies in general. … Especially, I like ‘Moana.’ … She is really independent. … Even if, like, she was scared … she went by herself and then … she overcame so many harder steps. … She, like, got … the thing that she wanted. … Yeah, I like that movie.”
What advice would you give other international students? “Leaving our … home country, it’s so hard, like, living in a different country. And then we have, like, the different cultures, different perspectives. Everything is different. … So, like, maybe there are a lot of hardships, but we should believe someday we can see people who love each other … [and] support each other.”
–Compiled by Fatima Gamez Lopez
