A Study on Ethnicity of A Study on Ethnicity of Young Okinawans in Hawai’iYoung Okinawans in Hawai’i

By Nari YamamotoResearch Institute for Subtropics Kinmen Island, TaiwanNovember 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

PopulationLocation

HistoryEconomy

Hawai’i Okinawa

Population 1,211,537

0.7 ％　 of USA

1,356,651

1.0% 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’iKing 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: 2nd to 5th

• 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.Questionnaires2.Individual Interviews

3. Observation and Participation

Data Analysis

Birth Place/Generation Family

Life ExperienceCultural Activity

Ethnicity/Ethnic Identity

Future

What is YOH?

“Young OKinawans of Hawai’i”Okinawan Bon Dance Team Estab

lished in 1981Members: OkinawansActivities: Bon dance

“ ･･･ The keys to the

PreservationAnd

PerpetuationOf our

Uchinanchu culture

In Hawai’iAnd 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

②Relation between Formation level and Life stage

③Plural formation in multi-ethnic society

①Complex Formation

Bon Dance for Young Okinawans with Cultural Activities

①Matsuri which they used to go with parents or grandparents

②Matsuri which they took their children to 　③Event which they merely had chance to join

②Relation between Formation level and Life Stage

Other Young Okinawans

①More influence from Japanese relatives

②Too busy to recognize ethnic culture or identity while they live their everyday life to achieve their　 goal

③Not enough information on Okinawa from parents or grand parents

④Has no chance to aware of their ethnicity 　

Local identity+

Okinawa or Japanese

③Plural and Complex Ethnicity in Multi-ethnic Society

Local

①Born and raised in Hawai’i②Grow up in multi-cultural/ethnic society③Society 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

AsianAmericanContinental 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 membersHUOA membersYoung Okinawans and their fa

milies

Big Mahalo and Ippei Nihei Debiru!