Article August 11, 2003 Issue

When I found God I found myself

By Fujiko Signs

As A girl growing up in Japan, I was told to conform and to maintain harmony. I used to think that speaking up for myself would be a very bad thing to do. I didn't really think much about individual rights or individuality until I came to the United States to study.

During college, I was involved in a relationship with a man who was very domineering and abusive. Most of the time, the abuse was verbal, but other times, when he was angry, he would throw things and break things. Finally, he became physically abusive to me.

I didn't know how to defend myself, but when the verbal abuse turned into physical abuse, I knew I had to break up with him. So we went out separate ways, and he moved out of the state.