A Study on Ethnicity of Young Okinawans in Hawai’i By Nari Yamamoto Research Institute for Subtropics Kinmen Island, Taiwan November 2004 Photo by Jon Itomura

Outline I Hawai ’ i and Okinawa II Okinawans in Hawai ’ i III Who Are Young Okinawans? IV YOH members V Young Okinawans VI Conclusion

Location of Hawai’i & Okinawa Hawai’i Okinawa

Sandy beach in O’ahu, Hawaii

Oppama beach in Okinawa

Similarities between Hawai ’ i and Okinawa Population Location History Economy

Hawai’iOkinawa Population 1,211, ％ of USA 1,356, % of Japan Location ・ Island State Remote from Mainland ・ Island Prefecture Remote from Mainland History Island Kingdom annexed to USA 1898 Island Kingdom annexed to Japan 1879 Economy Tourism, Agriculture, US military Bases Tourism, Agriculture, US military Bases

Ranking of Races in Hawai’i White ・・・ 22 ％ Japanese ・・・ 20 ％ Hawaiian ・・・ 17 ％

Okinawans in Hawai’i Japanese ･･･ 262,113 people Okinawan ・・・ 5,998 people

Cultural Events in Hawai’i King Kamehameha Festival Aloha Festival Independence Day New Year Festival Bon Festival Okinawan Festival

Bon Festival in Kobo-ji temple

Okinawan Events in Hawai’i Okinawan Festival Uchinanchu Conference

Okinawan Festival

Lion dance by YOH

Uchinanchu Conference 2003, Oct.

Who Are the Young Okinwans? Descendants of Okinawan Immigrants Generations: 2 nd to 5 th Age: 20’s to 40’s

Ethnicity/ethnic identity at Hare occasions and daily life may not be the same. VIEWPOINT

Ethnicity/ethnic identity of Young Okinawans in Hawai’i YOH （ Young Okinawans of Hawai’i ） members Other Young Okinawans Young Okinawans with Okinawan cultural activity Research Targets

Research Method 1.Questionnaires 2.Individual Interviews 3. Observation and Participation

Data Analysis Birth Place /Generation Family Life Experience Cultural Activity Ethnicity/Ethnic Identity Future

What is YOH? “ Young OKinawans of Hawai ’ i ” Okinawan Bon Dance Team Established in 1981 Members: Okinawans Activities: Bon dance

“ ･･･ The keys to the Preservation And Perpetuation Of our Uchinanchu culture In Hawai’i And into the Millennium.” Leaflet of Young Okinawans of Hawaii

Bon dance practice

Bon festival at Jiko-en temple

YOH members ・ Questionnaires （ 27 people ） ・ Individual interviews （ 6 people ） ・ Participation and Observation

Young Okinawan with Okinawan Cultural Activity ・ Individual interviews a ． Young Okinawans （ 5 people ） b ． Parents of Young Okinawans （ 2 people ）

Okinawan Karate class

Okinawan music band Traditional Okinawan music

Other Young Okinawan ・ Individual interviews a ． Young Okinawans （６ people ） b ． Grand parents of Young Okinawans （２ people ）

① Complex formation ② Relation between Formation level and Life stage ③ Plural formation in multi-ethnic society

① Complex Formation

Bon Dance for Young Okinawans with Cultural Activities ① Matsuri which they used to go with parents or grandparents ② Matsuri which they took their children to ③ Event which they merely had chance to join

② Relation between Formation level and Life Stage

Other Young Okinawans ① More influence from Japanese relatives ② Too busy to recognize ethnic culture or identity while they live their everyday life to achieve their goal ③ Not enough information on Okinawa from parents or grand parents ④ Has no chance to aware of their ethnicity

Local identity + Okinawa or Japanese ③ Plural and Complex Ethnicity in Multi-ethnic Society

Local ① Born and raised in Hawai’i ② Grow up in multi-cultural/ethnic society ③ Society in continental U.S. and Hawai’i is different social position shared with other ethnic groups

Okinawa American/Nikkei How to Identify Ethnicity ※ Third generation Okinawan man who has lived in Okinawa before AsianAmerican Continental U.S. Hawai’i Japanese/Okinawan

Perpetuation of Ethnicity ・ Perpetuation of Ethnicity has already started

Rise of New Culture

Concerns for Perpetuation of Ethnicity ・ Growth Number of Marriage between Different Ethnicities ・ Shin-Issei, “New First Generation”

For in depth analysis … More samples Comparison with other ethnic groups in Hawai ’ i

Ｍａｈａｌｏ to ・・・ YOH members HUOA members Young Okinawans and their families

Big Mahalo and Ippei Nihei Debiru!