I am just beginning to understand the life of Ted Tetsuo Aoki.  After reading “Reflections of a Japanese Canadian Teacher Experiencing Ethnicity”, I feel more connected to him as a person.  He faced numerous road blocks on his journey to become a teacher, challenges that I, as a  Caucasian female, cannot fully relate to.  Being born in Canada near the end of World War I, Aoki undoubtedly faced significant adversity growing up.  Navigating the political climate during World War II and beyond to become a teacher in Alberta, Canada was and insurmountable task.  Yet he, like many people of colour, persevered in pursing their goals.  The resilience he and other demonstrated is truly impressive.  

Photo by NEOM on Unsplash

There was no comparison between his journey to become an educator and mine.  My journey was realatively straightforward.  The only struggle I faced was maintaining my GPA, as spots in the Education program was limited.  Itook some summer courses to improve my GPA to be more competitive.  After waiting an additionally year, I was accepted into Brandon University.  I worked hard but never considered my that my application was denied because of my race or ethnic identity.  I grew up with the concept of affirmative action but never considered if it affected my applications.  I have always been of the mind that my actions and demonstration of my educational abilities should prove enough to obtain my place and if not, then I need to improve my abilities to match my goals.  Historically, for many that is not the case.

Another event that influenced my view of Aoki was the mention of the death of his daughter at the age of nineteen.  Losing someone at a young age has a profound impact on a person.  My high school gym teacher lost his eldest child, a son, when he was twenty from a drunk driver.  Said teacher and his family were devastated.  I was completing my first year of university at the time.  His son, a dear friend of mine, was a year older than me.  I remember the looks of hopelessness and anguish on their faces.  That teacher stepped away for a couple years and was never the same.  His normal, jolly and gregarious manner was quietly subdued many years after.  

For the first 3 years after the son’s death, the family would gather his friends and celebrate his birthday the deceased’s birthday.  Each year it became harder to gather people to their house.  That sense that we all were moving on while their the son could not hurt me too much to go back another year.  Death of a child is an insurrmountable loss, and for Aoki to have to circumvent that on top of all that he experience makes him a remarkable man.  Aoki’s story is a powerful reminder of the strength and perseverance required to overcome adversity, and it inspires me to approach  my own journey with greate empathy and compassion.

Pinar, W. F., & Irwin, R. L. (2004). Reflections of a Japanese Canadian Teacher Experiencing Ethnicity                            1                          (1979). In Curriculum in a New Key. Routledge.