was full of foreigners -- people very Why does an different and inaccessible. You can't Joel Brozovsky worked as editor for reach much of a meeting of the minds Oomoto in Japan. He taught Esperanto American Use with "foreigners" because they are summer courses in Finland and Esperanto? foreign, right? Denmark, and was a guest lecturer in Esperanto on ecology, intercultural But because of my experiences using communication and understanding, and by Joel Brozovsky Esperanto, I discovered that this image travel. For many years was Director of was very wrong. The world is full, not the Central Office of Esperanto-USA. New acquaintances at times express of foreigners, but of people just like surprise when they learn that I, an me and my family. And, more, a great American, use Esperanto instead of number of those people want to be my Contact Esperanto-USA for more English in Japan. Sometimes they friends, if they have the chance to information about learning and using don't even believe that I am really an meet me and get to know me. So they Esperanto. American, because they have only are not foreigners, but friends or future Email address: eusa@esperanto- heard me speak Esperanto. friends. usa.org Well, it's true that the majority of Americans prefer to use English. What a difference! Now I feel myself Buy Esperanto books and other Many Americans are of the opinion linked in reality to people throughout materials at our online store: that English is enough, and that the world. And I no longer fell myself www.esperanto-usa.org/retbutiko tied to only one part of the world, to everybody in the world ought to learn only one language, only one culture. I it. Why, then, do I prefer to use am free to interact with people Esperanto to communicate with non- throughout the world, because there 10 copies of this brochure may be purchased Americans? Here are a few reasons: for $1.50 from our online store in the category are friendly people everywhere, and 'Promotional Material' ● Friendship. On long trips I have because Esperanto gives me the means noticed that the majority of people of easily speaking with them. Published by: who speak to me in English are not interested in me as a person, nor in Esperanto USA my culture. They are primarily www.esperanto-usa.org interested in money. Either they want 2016.12.06 to learn English from me, to be able to I passed the night in 150 homes as the ● Creativity. I love to use Esperanto, receive a better education and a better- guest of Esperantists during the three-year because it leads to further creativity. salaried position, or something else. journey, and paid for a hotel only once! Because of the language's great By contrast, a large percentage of the Through Esperanto and Esperantists I was flexibility, I feel freedom when people with whom I speak in able to enjoy a very rich culture, meet writing or speaking in Esperanto by Esperanto are interested in me as a many different people and intimately get comparison with English, whose person, or in my culture. Many of to know their lives, cultures, homes, structure and vocabulary are them want to become friends, and in thoughts, etc. relatively fixed. The possibilities for fact many of them do become friends. creating new expressions in Some of my good friends, after years of Esperanto are almost unlimited; it's a ● Equality. If I speak English with a friendship, have admitted to me that, great pleasure to explore them and Japanese or someone else whose before meeting me, they disliked find striking expressions by using native language is not English, I Americans. So if I had used English I already existing units. always, without fail, have the position would certainly not have been able to of an expert in the language, and, it become friends with these people, who ● Valuable experiences and self- doesn't matter how much that other are now very dear friends. Esperanto has confidence. When passing through person has studied English, he or she indeed opened the door to them. the doors that Esperanto has opened, must necessarily speak from a lower I have gained many valuable life- position, as pupil to teacher or ● Helping the world. When working to experiences which I could not easily subordinate to master. If instead we spread Esperanto, I have the feeling that I have had without Esperanto. Such talk in the language of the other am doing something useful for the world. rich experiences have contributed person, for example Japanese, the If people throughout the world can greatly to my self-confidence, and situation would be the same but in the communicate freely as equals, and prepared me to act more competently opposite direction. Such inequality is a become friends through Esperanto, the in the world. great hindrance to friendship. world will certainly become better, more just, more likeable. I don't imagine that ● A new world-view. Perhaps the ● Opening doors. During my long Esperanto alone will solve all the world's most important profit I've gained global journey, Esperanto opened a problems, but it can help people devise from my use of Esperanto is a drastic huge number of doors for me, both solutions. change in my world-view. figuratively and literally. Previously, I imagined that the world