9
University Daily Kansan / Monday, December 10, 1990
Professor stretches stay in U.S.
One year turns to 20 to study languages of American Indians
By Tatsuya Shimizu
Kansan staff writer
Akira Yamamoto came to the United States to study English. He originally planned to stay one year, but his extensions extended for more than 20 years.
Yamamato, professor of anthropology and linguistics, taught English in a Japanese high school for three years before he came to the United States.
Yamamoto first studied at California State University in Long Beach, Calif., in spring 1966.
He decided to extend his stay to study more linguistics after he took an English class at the university.
"That opened up my eyes to not just English, but more about the relationships between languages, cultures and societies," Yamamoto
He transferred to Indiana University in Bloomington and pursued his interest in languages and cultures. He went on to go back to Japan to teach English.
In his third year at Indiana, he took a linguistics course taught by an American Indian language specialist. The instructor used American Indian languages as examples in his class, and Yamamoto was attracted to these languages, in which he found similarities with his native Japanese language.
"It was a kind of beginning of getting into American Indian languages," Yamamoto said.
Since then, his interest in American Indian languages has kept him in the United States for more than 20 years.
For about 10 years, Yamamoto has
Akira Yamamoto
Indian languages, she said.
Brown has been working with Yamamoto to develop teaching materials of Kickapo, one of the Ojima dancers languages common in Oklahoma.
"He is well-accepted among Indian people," she said. "Kickapo Indians just loved him. They jokingly call him 'Bhakta' and feel like he is a part of their family."
Yamamoto has been active in trying to protect American Indian languages with legislation, she said. He was one of the trustees of the language institute who drafted the resolution that supported the legislation of the Native American Languages Act, which became law Oct. 30.
"It gives us rights for the first time in the history to use our own languages, to exercise rights to preserve our language to protect their use." Brown said.
expanded to include Japanese culture in general.
Yamamoto said he would stay in the United States because of his interest in American Indian language.
"IUntil I came to the United States,
"Ipaid too much attention to who
I was and what Japanese culture might be."
"Yamamoto said, 'When you
arrived after a while you begin to appreciate
you have, your own heritage.'"
Stephen Addiss, professor of art history, worked with Yamamoto to prepare exhibitions of Japanese art in 1890 and 1985. Next semester, he and Addiss will prepare for another Japanese art exhibition, "Humor in Japanese Arts," which they plan to display in 1993.
"He has a wide knowledge of different cultures around the world." Addiss said of Yamamoto. "He is able to combine the best parts of Japanese culture and the best parts of Western culture together."
Yamamoto has been observing Japanese economic success from the United States. He is glad about its recent aggressiveness, but its recent aggressiveness, be said.
"In general, Japanese people still work with concentrating energy toward one goal," he said. "I think they are too aggressive."
Yamatoa becomes uncomfortable when Japanese companies become too aggressive to do their work. Japan criticizes Japan too much, he said.
"We don't know each other very well," he said.
Another thing that keeps Yamamoto in the United States is the atmosphere at U.S. universities, he said. Compared with Japanese university students, Yamamoto said, between professors and students in the United States, Yamamoto said.
Yamamoto hopes that he can foster mutual understanding between the United States and Japan by teaching them about knows about both countries, he said.
Mary. How . Larry.
Keep the cycle going . . . Recycle this paper!
CONCERNED, CONFIDENTIAL & PERSONAL HEALTH CARE FOR WOMEN
- SAFE & AFFORDABLE ABORTION SERVICES
* GYN CARE + FREE PRIGRANCE TESTING
* BIRTH CONTROL SERVICES
* DIAGNOSIS & TREATMENT OF EXQUILY-
- DIAGNOSIS & TREATMENT OF EXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES
COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH
FOR WOMEN
Toll Free 1-800-227-1918
Providing quality health care to women since 1974 VISA, MasterCard and insurance plans accepted.
CLIP A COUPON!
KU libraries finals hours
Anschutz Science and Watson Libraries
Monday
Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday
Law Library
Monday - Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday:
8 a.m. - midnight
9 a.m. - 10 p.m.
9 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Noon - midnight
Engineering Library
Monday - Thursday:
Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday:
7:30 a.m. - midnight
8 a.m. - midnight
10 a.m. - midnight
Art and Architecture Library
8 a.m. - 11 p.m.
8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
1 - 11 p.m.
Monday - Thursday:
Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday
Government Documents/Maps
8 a.m. - 10 p.m.
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Noon - 5 p.m.
1 - 10 p.m.
Monday - Thursday:
Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday:
8 a.m. - 10 p.m.
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
1 - 10 p.m.
Music Library
Monday - Thursday:
Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday:
8 a.m. - 10 p.m.
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Noon - 5 p.m.
1 - 10 p.m.
Source: University of Kansas libraries
COME FILL YOUR CUP!
21 FOUNTAIN FLAVORS
22 OZ.-49¢
32 OZ.-59¢
44 OZ.-69¢
BRING IN YOUR OWN CUP
AND GET A 10¢ DISCOUNT!
COME GET THE "BEST DEAL IN TOWN"
9TH & INDIANA
Tues- $1.50 Domestic Beers
Wed- Chicks Drink Cheap
Thurs- $.75 Drafts
Underground Dance Music
By D.J. Ray Velasquez & D.J. G³
"We get ours in the net!"
KU Lactose Team -
we are offering a -
$1.00 OFF
any Pyramid Pizza.
in salute to the
KU Lacrosse Team,
we are offering
$3.00 OFF any
December 10, 1990 FALL FINALE
SUA
WTA $2.00 DECEMBER 12
DDS AND MARRIAGES
UNIVAL STORIES
NATIONS • BABIN JAY
O SERVICES
FREE AFTER 5 PM
BARN SPECIAL