They might not have their official diplomatic credentials quite yet, but 37 local high school students can accurately call themselves ambassadors for their country.

Nominated by a teacher or others to take part in the program, the teens recently spent roughly two weeks in Japan as student ambassadors through People to People International, the exchange program founded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower with the express purpose of “enhancing international understanding and friendship.”

And it seems the trip fulfilled the organization's founding purpose: The student ambassadors said that, while the occasional cultural misstep occurred, the trip - which included excursions to Tokyo and Hiroshima - fostered a deep respect within them for the Japanese people.

The best part of the trip “was getting a chance to see how other people live,” said Righetti High School student Shawna Weston, 15.

On the heels of World War II, Eisenhower founded People to People in 1956.

“Eisenhower wanted more interaction between normal people, not government to government,” said Susan Camarena, a chaperone on the trip. “The government is not really going to solve our problems, it's people.”

To date, several hundred thousand students from around the United States - including the Central Coast group - have served as student ambassadors through People to People in more than 38 countries.

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And the itinerary for the Japan trip is not for the weak or the faint of heart.

On the agenda was a tour of Kyoto, picking green tea leaves, a visit to the Hiroshima Memorial, a three-day stay in the home of a Japanese family in Ogaki, and, of course, exploring Tokyo, among other activities.

The responsibility associated with being a student ambassador cannot be taken lightly, and requires the ability to function at a maturity level beyond that associated with the “typical” teen.

“You have to be on your best behavior,” Shawna said. “You have to remember that you represent the U.S.”

That's not to say that there wasn't ample time to relax, let loose and have some fun.

“Going to Tokyo at night was really exciting,” Shawna said, adding that she also enjoyed the uniquely Japanese ritual of sento, or public bathing.

The 400-year-old ritual, which originated when the Japanese people did not have private baths in their homes, involves cleansing oneself first and then relaxing - au naturale, of course - in a communal spa.

“When I explain it to people, they think it's really weird,” Shawna said, adding that it's a tradition that's difficult for most Americans to appreciate or feel comfortable with.

Part of experiencing Japanese traditions also involved learning Japanese history, and the ambassadors got a gut-wrenching taste of it when they visited Hiroshima, one of two Japanese cities attacked by the U.S. with an atomic bomb at the end of World War II.

“The memorial was really emotional,” said Keyona Richey, who is half Japanese and half African-American. “I felt like crying.”

For several of the ambassadors, one of the most interesting parts of the trip involved experiencing the many ways in which east meets west in the Land of the Rising Sun.

The family Keyona stayed with in Ogaki treated her to a night of Karoke.

“They actually knew some American songs, like ‘Livin' la Vida Loca,” she said.

The group also witnessed first-hand how language can truly become “lost in translation,” as demonstrated by some of the English language souvenirs sold on the streets of Tokyo.

“One girl bought a shirt and we just couldn't stop laughing because it said ‘shine like star you want,'” Keyona said, laughing. “What does that even mean?”

However, Marc Rubio, an

18-year-old Righetti High School student, said what struck him the most was not the language barriers or the differences between American and Japanese teens, but rather their similarities.

“Even though we have an ocean between us ... and we were raised in different cultures,” he said, “we're all just people when it comes down to it.”

Natalie Ragus can be reached at 347-4580 or nragus@santamariatimes.com.

October 6, 2008