The following essays were among the best produced in Joel Friederich's ENGL 101 class at Yokosuka.

Even with the risk of hostilities and conflicts because of drunken sailors or grouchy local nationals, the presence of military personnel stationed abroad is an important step in building positive personal relationships. With the occurrence of intercultural dating, children of interracial marriages, and friends of different nationalities, we can see that United States military bases overseas promote intercultural development through personal relationships.

Living here in Japan we have the opportunity to build friendships with Japanese people on many levels. It is a relief to find that although America and Japan are an ocean apart, the Japanese people are not so different. Military bases overseas provide the opportunity for Americans and Japanese to meet. Without these bases, having the chance to live in another country and to learn about another culture would be difficult. In Japan I’ve met drunks, musicians, potheads, jocks, artists, horn-dogs, grouches, bleeding-hearts, and every other variation that I would find in the States. Here in Japan I’ve learned that there is no such thing as a “Japanese personality” and that all Japanese are unique. Through shared interests, hobbies, and of course, alcohol, many friendships have been formed between Japanese and Americans. For example I am a member of a local gym off-base and have made new friends. Some of my friends like to talk about girls, some like to talk about fighting, and some don’t like to talk at all, but they are all good people whom I would not have met if I didn’t live here. These friendships give the opportunity for us to learn about different cultures in a laid-back, friendly atmosphere.

Another example of promoting intercultural development is when military members date local nationals. With many people living on base looking for an eligible mate, and with Yokosuka Naval Base having a limited population to choose from, it is understandable and unavoidable that people would go off base. These off base meetings bring about the opportunity for people of different cultures to get together and build relationships. These intercultural couples get the chance to share an experience of learning and understanding on an intimate level. When these couples go beyond the friendship level, they can experience foreign formalities and rituals of dating, formalities and rituals that could not be experienced if they lived an ocean apart. These couples form different cultures, possibly getting married, and can learn about each others' family traditions on a domestic level; they can also have the "pleasure” of dealing with foreign in-laws.

A third example that shows how military bases overseas promote positive intercultural relationships is the interaction between children of varying cultural backgrounds. The children of military members living abroad have the opportunity from a young age to associate with people from different cultures. With military bases all over the world, and with children being born between Americans and nationals of the host countries, the racial backgrounds of children of interracial marriages are unlimited. These children of interracial marriages learn the different traditions and values of their parents. Their household creates its own unique cultural environment. These children have a deep understanding of two cultures and share this understanding and openness with their peers. For example, in the food court at lunch, you could observe separate tables of Japanese adults, Filipino adults, white adults, and in contrast, you could observe tables of mixed race children sitting together.

In sum, military bases have a positive impact on promoting relationships between cultures. These bases afford the opportunity for varying cultures to interact and build greater knowledge of each culture’s uniqueness and similarities. Being overseas brings us to a personal level in which all of us can learn the lesson that maybe we are not so different.