Discovering a U.S. that’s not just a Hollywood image

_{This story was produced in partnership with the First Days Project.}

Claire Komori’s impression of the United States — in particular Pasadena — was different from what she had been expecting from the Hollywood images she had seen in Tokyo, Japan.

But rather than missing the adventurous lifestyle she had been led to expect from movies and television, living in a “normal city” and regularly seeing childhood friends from Japan who are also here in the United States helped her adjust to life in this country.

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Katie Fenton

Katie Fenton is a communications student at the University of Washington. She’s interested in community journalism and the arts, and enjoys taking photos whenever she can.