Category Archives: Education

Welcoming Miyakojima Students – 2019

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In August 2019, a group of middle school and high school students from Miyakojima Island spent a few days in Hawaii to improve their English and learn about Hawaii and American culture. Miyakojima is part of the Ryukyuan island chain of which Okinawa is part. The students stayed the first few days at Hawaii Tokai International College, located in Kapolei. Their chaperone was local boy Ryan Ohta.

I happen to be teaching Sociology 100 at the time of their visit. During a break time, I presented them with a box of ono coco puffs from Liliha Bakery. It was fun and meaningful connecting with fellow shimanchus (island people).

WUB is committed to supporting students, the future generation of shimanchus and uchinanchus, and strengthening our ties with fellow uchinanchus around the world.

Robert Arakaki

  • Prof. Robert K. Arakaki with Miyakojima students – 2019.

Please see my 2018 article “Greeting Miyakojima Students.”

Meeting Chiaki Maehara – Director of Okinawa AMICUS Intl.

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One important means of strengthening ties between the Okinawan homeland and the Okinawan diaspora is through educational exchanges.  Chiaki Maehara, Director of Okinawa AMICUS, was in town networking with leaders of the Hawaii Uchinanchu community.

Standing: Chiaki Maehara – Director of Okinawa AMICUS with Gregg Takara – incoming WUB Hawaii President; Sitting Left to Right: Courtney Takara – HUOA 2018 President, Robert Arakaki, Cyrus Tamashiro, David Arakawa, Yuichiro Harry Masuda, Jo Ige – HUOA 2019 President, John Tasato, and Bob Nakasone

East-West Center grantee, Yuichiro Harry Masuda, wrote:

It was a great first step for AMICUS to make connection with Hawaiʻi Uchinanchu.

I hope AMICUS can build a connection with Hawaiʻi and send students to Hawaiian schools after their graduation from AMICUS. Or launch some educational program with students/people in Hawaiʻi.

I believe that AMICUS can also help Uchinanchus in Hawaiʻi in many ways, such as becoming a host school when Hawaiʻi students go to Okinawa for short stay program or becoming translating/interpreting volunteer when Hawaiʻi Uchinanchus make contacts with relatives in Okinawa, especially during the World Uchinanchu Festival period.

 

Okinawa AMICUS campus

 

Okinawa AMICUS educational philosophy is:

Developing global citizens who can think, learn and act independently
in a learning environment where students forge their own paths for the future.  Link

 

Okinawa AMICUS middle school students on outing

 

 

Greeting Miyakojima Students

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In August 2018, a group of middle school and high school students from Miyakojima Island spent a few days in Hawaii to improve their English and learn about Hawaii and American culture.

East-West Center student Yuicihi Harry Masuda and I drove over to the Hawaii Tokai International College out in Kapolei to greet the students and give them a box of ono Leonard’s malasadas.

Robert Arakaki and Yuichi Harry Masuda with Miyakojima students. We gave them a box of ono Leonard’s malasadas.

The Ryukyu Kingdom (present day Okinawa prefecture) comprised many islands and multiple languages.  The Miyakoan language also Sumafutsu is a language distinct from Nihongo (the language of mainland Japan) and Uchinaaguchi (the language of Okinawa island).  Where the people of Okinawa island say “nifedebiru” for “thank you,” the people of Miyakojima say “tandigatandi.”  Since coming under Japanese administration, the indigenous language of Miyakojima has been slowly dying out.  Today most people in Miyakojima below the age of 60 do not speak Sumafutsu.

Originally from mainland Japan, Harry Masuda moved to Okinawa and learned about Okinawa’s distinctive culture and history.  When he attempted to speak to the Miyakojima students in their mother tongue, they waved their hands in embarrassment saying that they spoke Japanese.  This cultural and linguistic assimilation presents a serious challenge to the future of Uchinanchu identity in the Uchinanchu/Shimanchu homeland as well among the  worldwide Uchinanchu diaspora.

Note: “Uchinanchu” means “people of Uchina or Okinawa Island.”  “Shimanchu” means “island people” implying those who belong to the Ryukyus but not necessarily Okinawa Island.

See “Okinawa’s Endangered Languages” also published on the WUB Hawaii website.

 

 

STEM Education and Research in Hawai`i and Okinawa

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Panelists: OIST Pres. Peter Gruss, UH Pres. David Lassner, Prof. Kenneth Kaneshiro, Mr. Glenn Lee, and Gov. David Ige

On 26 March 2018, a distinguished panel spoke on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education and research in Hawai`i and Okinawa.  On the panel were Hawai‘i Governor David Ige and University of Hawai‘i President David Lassner, with Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology President Peter Gruss.  Also on the panel were prominent local biologist Kenneth Kaneshiro and outstanding educator Glenn Lee, whose students have won numerous robotics competition titles.

Uchinanchu Talk Story VII “Views From the Cutting Edge” was sponsored by WUB Hawai`i chapter, the East-West Center, Okinawa Institute for Science and Technology, and the Center for Okinawan Studies of the University of Hawai‘i.

Keynote speaker Peter Gruss said that with the growth of knowledge and information complexity in the world accelerating at an exponential rate, scientific research and education are vital for communities to ensure future economic opportunity. STEM knowledge is also the key, he said, to addressing what he called  global “mega-challenges,” including food, water and energy supplies; climate change; urbanization; and health care.

Dr. Gruss heads the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) which was founded by the government of Japan to be Japan’s MIT – a world class center for research and education.  His visit to Hawaii was for the following purposes:

  • Develop stronger relations between Hawaii and Okinawa,
  • Explore ways to encourage more students to consider careers in STEM, and
  • Encourage Hawai`i students to consider studying at OIST.

Governor Ige, a former engineer, said:

The challenge in our economy going forward is really about creating high-quality jobs that allow our young people to find challenging, successful careers here at home. And I truly believe STEM education is fundamental to achieving that.

UH President David Lassner cited San Diego as an example of a city with similarities to Honolulu that has transformed its economy from being tourism-dependent to being an innovation hub, and that the key to the change has been “collaboration between the government, the private sector and a great research university.” Lassner notes:

We used to talk about luring great companies here. Now we talk more about growing them here.

 

Uchinanchu Talk Story VII — March 27, 2018

 

Prof. Dennis Ogawa Honored

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Prof. Dennis Ogawa

Prof. Dennis Ogawa wearing the Order of the Rising Sun

Prof. Dennis M. Ogawa, long time WUB Hawaii member, was recently awarded the Order of the Rising Sun by the Emperor of Japan.  The ceremony took place at the Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu.

The medal was bestowed on Prof. Ogawa in recognition of his contribution to the development of Japanese studies in the US and his promotion of mutual understanding between Japan and the US.

For a more detailed article, please visit our new WUB website.