Staff Spotlight - Miho Matsufuji

Minasan, ohayou gozaimasu.

My name is Matsufuji Sensei, and I’m a Japanese teacher. I was born and raised in Japan, but my background is Chinese Vietnamese.

My father is Chinese Vietnamese and my mother is Vietnamese. They are both originally from Vietnam.

My father was adopted into a Japanese family when he was a teenager, and my mother moved to Japan in her 20s.

My family first moved to Australia when I was a little kid. I went to kindergarten and primary school in Sydney for a year, then we moved back to Japan.

In 2011, a big earthquake hit Japan and it affected many people, including my family. My mother became worried about our safety and future, so we decided to move back to Australia when I was in high school.

We already had relatives here, and since we had lived in Australia before, it felt familiar.

Starting again here was challenging because I had forgotten most of my English. Learning English again was my first big step, but it took time. I was often misunderstood or ignored because I couldn’t speak well, and I was also shy, so it was hard to make friends at first.

I started high school only one year before the HSC, so I had to study very hard. Fortunately, my school had a supportive and diverse community with students from many cultural backgrounds, including international students. With help from my teachers and friends, I gained confidence and improved my English.

I stay connected to my culture by celebrating important Vietnamese festivals like the Lunar New Year and Moon Festival with my family. We also enjoy traditional Vietnamese food at home, and I speak Vietnamese with my parents and relatives.

At the same time, I also stay connected to Japan through language, culture, and enjoying Japanese fashion and modern culture like anime, manga and music.

I wish others understood that my culture is a mix of Vietnamese and Japanese, and both are very important to me. Sometimes people don’t know that families can have many different backgrounds, and that it’s special to keep both cultures alive. I also want people to know that traditions, food, and language are important ways we stay connected to our roots.

Growing up, I didn’t always feel accepted in Japan because of how I look or my family background, even though I was born in Japan and speak Japanese fluently, some people said I was Vietnamese. But I also didn’t feel fully accepted as Vietnamese because I don’t look like Vietnamese and don’t speak Vietnamese perfectly.

I felt very Japanese inside, but many people told me I wasn’t. But here in Australia, people accept who I say I am and respect my opinion. I like my Vietnamese side and don’t hide it, but I feel more confident and connected as Japanese. I have a Japanese passport and feel I belong as Japanese. That has helped me believe in myself more and feel proud of who I am.

I’m most proud of my mixed heritage and how it makes me unique. Growing up in a rich cultural environment helped me become open-minded and respectful toward other cultures. It also sparked my passion for learning languages. Being both Japanese and Vietnamese allows me to see the world from different perspectives and connect with people from diverse backgrounds. My Japanese made it easier to learn languages like Korean and Spanish, while my Vietnamese helped me understand Chinese. I feel proud to keep both cultures alive by celebrating traditions, speaking different languages, and sharing my story with others.

I want to say that respect and acceptance are very important. Everyone comes from different backgrounds, and that makes our community stronger. At our school, we also host our sister school from Japan, which helps us learn about each other’s cultures. It’s important to listen, be kind, and include everyone so we all feel like we belong. Unity happens when we accept people for who they are and celebrate our differences together.  Arigatou gozaimasu.

Miss Miho Matsufuji
Japanese Teacher