Faces of Midland: Randi and Tsune Kawakita
Faces of Midland is a collaborative storytelling project celebrating the vibrant lives of those who live, work, and thrive in Midland.
A Life Enriched by Diversity
A Kawakita Love Story
By Trisha Fenby
Photo by Renee’ Deckrow, Captured Studio
Randi and Tsune Kawakita have been married for over fifty years. Their diverse backgrounds and experiences enriched their lives even as they endured financial struggles and cultural adjustments.
Randi, a descendant of Swedish immigrants, was raised in the Midwest, where it is customary to be identified by your ethnic and cultural backgrounds. She knew her neighbors and friends to be Dutch, Polish, or German. Growing up in Omaha in the 60’s, Randi attended a Swedish-American church where she was first introduced to social ministries through her youth pastor. It was there that her passion for social justice was born.
Half a world away, in Japan, Tsune rarely thought about ethnicity or culture. There was such a small minority population and as part of the majority, it was hardly in his consciousness. Years later, upon arriving in the United States, he suddenly found himself in the minority. While he rarely felt overtly discriminated against, he became aware of what it meant to be part of a minority group.
Because of her academic standing and cultural curiosity, Randi was awarded a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; a full year in Japan, volunteering for a non-profit for two months and attending Waseda University in Tokyo, while living with a host family. Tsune was studying at the same university and his family hosted an American student, Gary. He and Randi were in the same overseas study program.
After a full year, Randi returned to the States full of memories. In 1970, Tsune made every effort to come to the U.S, just to see her. A few years had passed before Randi and Tsune married and together they moved to Vancouver, Canada. Tsune received a full ride Rotary Scholarship for a second graduate study. After Canada, they returned to Tokyo, where they welcomed their first child. Tsune began working for Dow in Japan. They lived in Tokyo and in the states before settling in Midland, Michigan.
Tsune believes his relationship with Randi marks the beginning of his global curiosity and diversity of cultures. “The gain of knowing someone from another culture and country expanded my insular awareness. That was a feeling of satisfaction and pleasure.”
This experience of his youth eventually drove Tsune to work with the UN Volunteers in several countries after his retirement from Dow—another opportunity to meet people from many cultures. His passion and curiosity led to sharing the experiences in his book, Going Global and Beyond Japan and the U.S. After returning from his international commitments for development, he changed direction and has been tutoring people from other countries English as a second Language. He continues to connect with people from around the world.
“Living in Tokyo with our two sons, they were viewed as “gaijn” or foreigners. But here in the states they were assumed to be Asian. When I took them out, strangers would ask me when I adopted them. I am thrilled both of them have a strong sense of their backgrounds,” Randi says.
“It’s human nature, how we perceive other people. We have a very quick way to make a judgment whether this person is with us or outside the group and tend to see the difference more strongly than the similarities.” Tsune shares. Randi agrees.
Their cultural curiosity led to a lifetime commitment. As their grand daughter embarks on her adventure in Barcelona, Randi and Tsune know that every journey begins with curiosity, courage, and an open heart.