Hello, ¡Hola!, Kon’nichiwa:

As the new president of Springfield Sister Cities Association, I want to take a minute to share why this is such a special organization. Being an educator who focuses on cultural competence, I have seen the impact that can be made in the simple act of meeting, talking with and building a friendship with someone of a different culture through my work on campus but more importantly through study abroad experiences.

This is why SSCA’s mission of “Peace through People” really resonates with me. You could say that my connection with SSCA started in 2002, when I proposed to my wife in the Japanese Stroll Gardens.

However, my actual understanding of the organization and the impact it has on the Springfield community and our partners abroad really stems from working more closely with SSCA since 2021 as a member of the Board of Directors. In fact, I would probably have been hard pressed to mention something SSCA did beyond the Japanese Fall Festival at the time. I think my experience is not unusual in our community; we appreciate the work of SSCA, but many times don’t realize who makes it happen.

The Japanese Fall Festival has been growing consistently again after the pandemic and brought in about 20,000 participants last year. Our Cherry Blossom Kite & Piñata Festival has set records for single-day attendance at a Parks event for the last two years. We host the popular Gigs in the Garden at the Peace through People Pavilion in October and May. Every fall, performers from Mexico visit and connect with students in Springfield Public Schools, and with the public at our Taste of Tlaquepaque.

We clearly bring the culture of Isesaki, Japan, and Tlaquepaque, Mexico, to Springfield. What is likely less known is the exchange we have in those cities. Each year, we lead citizen trips to our sister cities abroad, where Springfieldians forge life-long friendships with counterparts from different countries and cultures — and that is where the magic happens! Whether it is in Springfield, Missouri, Isesaki, Japan, or Tlaquepaque, Mexico, we put into practice the idea of peace through people by facilitating the recognition of how similar we really are, and cultivating an appreciation of our differences.

Tim Robbins, Ph.D., is an associate professor of Spanish at Drury University.