Forex Digest

I am planning on going to Japan as a foreign exchange student for one semester during my junior year of high school. I am Asian, and I am told I look a bit Japanese, but I do not speak a single work of Japanese. How are foreign Asians treated in Japan and in high schools?

There are a lot of factors to consider with foreigners and social assimilation in Japan. The fact that you are Asian will not make you blend in, as the Japanese can easily distinguish between different Asian ethnic groups. Even if you were 100% Japanese, but were born in America, you would still get a lot of attention because your dress and hair style, skin tone, mannerisms and certain body and facial features would give it away that you are not a native Japanese. Also, there has been and still remains a long prejudice in Japan with regards to their Asian neighbors, especially China and Korea. However, with the recent adoption in Japan of contemporary youth culture from their foreign neighbors, and especially Korea, the new generation of Japanese are much less prejudiced. Aside from all this, my contention is the Japanese are essentially kind and friendly people who will be open and willing to be friends with you, as long as you make an effort to show them the kindness and respect that you expect them to give you. I am a Korean American myself, and I have been to Japan six times (and I am only 20 years old). I have never had hate or racism afflicted upon me, and I love going there because the cities are so exciting and the people are kind and generous.

2009-05-27 18:29:26 by Ahmad

The official Foreign Exchange video

Next year I'm planning on going to a spanish speaking county for foreign exchange. I'll be a junior then and I was wondering if the classes I take will benefit me and if foreign exchange looks good or bad on a college application?

Apparently foreign exchange can give you an edge on your cv. I don't think it will hurt it.
Talk to your school careers counsellor. They'll be able to give you a more personalised answer for your career goals.

2009-09-11 15:48:15 by Eat.It!

I need to know this because my husbands ex-wife threw my stepson out to accomodate her 4 foreign exchange students. Are there any rules regarding the host responsibilities and is she allowed to use these students for babysitting services?

OK .. this is a very loaded question.

First, is she a representative for the organization and is she listed as the permanent family or just an arrival family? If she is a representative, chances are good she got paid to bring these kids in (very few are volunteer only),

However, it is quite common for a representative to have several students at the beginning of the year as often times permanent host families might be on vacation or unable to take their student on the day he/she arrives.

If it is an arrival (temporary) situation then she could have that many. But if it's a permanent placement then the parents of both students must agree to it IN WRITING as well as the USIA.

This is according to the USIA 514.25
"(l) Host family placement. (1) Sponsors
shall secure, prior to the student’s departure
from the home country, a host
family placement for each student participant.
Sponsors shall not:
(i) Facilitate the entry into the United
States for a student for whom a host
family placement has not been secured;
and
(ii) Place more than one student with
a host family without the express prior
written consent of the Agency."


USIA has VERY DEFINITE rules on host families and exchange students. In general, they cannot work in any capacity that requires a Social Security Number. However, they are permitted to work up to 10 hours a week in such things as babysitting, tutoring, lawn mowing, etc. They can also do a REASONABLE amount of babysitting if it is considered a weekly chore. This is a very gray area as you can see.

If you truly have concerns, and this is not just a matter of families not getting along, you can contact the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel. They are a monitoring agency for exchange programs certified to operate in the U.S.

Having worked with exchange students for so many years, I find stories like this quite disturbing -- if true, not good for the students, which is of paramount importance. If not true, not good for the programs.

I hope this is just a momentary spat and nothing more serious. However, if it IS just a spat between wife and ex-wife, it is not responsible to bring in the exchange students.

You also didn't note the stepson's age. If it was a child it's one thing, but did she "throw out" an adult who could be on his own anyway?

EDIT: My answer applies to SECONDARY (high school) students, not college ones.

2007-08-19 07:27:07 by Donna W

I am looking for a foreign exchange student program that will allow me to live with a host family (for just the summer). I found a couple, but they are for the school year--which im not interested in.

I want to live with a host family like in a country in england or italy (anywhere in europe)

Hi,
I agree with the other poster, if you limit yourself to just a summer program, you lose many of the benefits of being an exchange student -- mainly the culture and language immersion. If you are just there for the summer, it's more of a holiday and not an academic experience.

If you go for a whole year, or at least a semester, you will be studying in a different language -- and you will truly learn it! Also, colleges and universities LOVE exchange students and often offer them preferred admissions and sometimes scholarship money. On top of that, the language you learn will benefit you in the workplace as well, with a higher salary, especially if you maintain that training through college.

All of this equals a much bigger "bang for your buck"!

As to finding a program, you can look at www.csiet.org. That site lists all the programs certified to operate in the U.S. You should also ask your high school counselor, as an organization is only as good as its local representatives. Generally, Rotary is the cheapest, but most competitive, and AFS, Aspect, 4-H and YFU are usually quality programs as well and offer scholarships.

The best time to go is your junior year. Then you can work your credits easier (your school will give you credit for some of what you do as an exchange student too, but get it in writing) and will have all the fun of your senior year and graduating with your class.

For lots of info on being an exchange student, check out http://www.exchangestudentworld.com/ -- a site written by exchange students for exchange students!

Good luck -- and PLEASE consider the longer program!

2007-09-30 13:27:59 by savvy

Just wondering why the crisis in the US is getting worse and the value of the dollar on foreign exchange is going up. Something stinks in the state of Denmark.
.
Who creates foreign exchange rates? Please be specific. Thanks
I do understand that demand and supply determine it. Just wondering demand and supplly from who! And who sets the final ratio.

As the value of things in America go down, foreign countries look to buy up American exports

this drives demand for dollars, which in turn increases the value of the dollar

2008-10-11 14:08:34 by Mick