In 1956, President Dwight Eisenhower promoted the “People to People” concept which focused on developing relationships nationally and internationally via pen pals, stamp exchanges, events, sister cities and student exchange programs which reached all the way into the 1980s. From this, the Huntington Beach Sister City Association was born. The non-profit organization has connected students from Huntington Beach, CA (HB) with students from Anjo, Japan for the last 42 years.
The program allows students to visit Japan and truly experience Japanese culture and life. Students spend more than a week living with a Japanese family and getting to know their day-to-day life. This connection creates international friendships and deepens connections with the family, often resulting in life-long bonds.
Delegates from HB also host those same students, showing them amazing sights within the city and the greater Los Angeles area. This experience often reveals parts of the city that are typically not open to the public like Tower 0 and the lifeguard headquarters.
Maureen Anzivino, the program’s coordinator, has seen all facets of the program, starting as a parent volunteer and eventually joining and becoming a chaperone.
Anzivino said, “A few of my favorite memories are when my daughter was selected as a Huntington Beach High School Ambassador in 2013 and the amazing experience we had as a family hosting our Japanese student here in our home, and showing them everything that we love about our city including the [Independence Day] parade.”
The HB Sister City has held a position in the parade for over 10 years where both alumni of the program, the exchange students and the association staff all participate.
The program is beloved within the community, so much so that one of the 2024 exchange students, HBHS junior Phoebe Morris, started a club to digitally connect students to those from Anjo, Japan. The club has begun building these international bonds and promoting the program within the HBUHSD program.
The application process is a simple Google Form asking about interest in the program, academic and extracurricular activities and other information to get to know students. From there, each student is brought in for an in-person panel interview with the Sister City Exchange Board. From there, students are selected and preparations begin for the exchange. Japanese language and cultural lessons are taught to prepare for the cultural differences between the nations. Students are then paired with a Japanese student and the exchange typically begins in early Jan. and Aug., where Japanese students come to HB, and American students go to Anjo.
Applications are due Jan. 24! To apply you must live in HB or are a student within the HBUHSD. Apply at: Huntington Beach Sister City Association Website.
