Mixed Race Identity lecture/discussion at Okinawa Association

On Saturday, December 5th, 3:00 PM, the Okinawa Association of America (OAA) in Gardena will host a special event focusing on mixed race identity. Titled “Okinawan and All Mixed Up,” this mini seminar will be led by Annmaria Shimabuku, Ph.D, an Assistant Professor of Japanese/Comparative Literature at University of California, Riverside. RSVP is required due to limited seating and parking.

Lecture topics will include the history of racial mixing in Okinawa, Okinawa’s “American-Uchinaanchu” movement, and mixed race identity as it relates to larger issues in Okinawa and Japan. Audience members will also have a safe space to share their personal experiences with mixed race identity.

The goal is to address the complexities of mixed race identity in Okinawa, which includes a history of discrimination. “In the end, we will question the notion that being mixed makes us less Okinawan,” Professor Shimabuku writes, “and instead understand how mixing is fundamental to the Okinawan experience itself.”

The December 5th event is open to everybody, but we will be focusing on the specific experiences of mixed race Okinawans. This event is part of an ongoing series of educational/cultural programs at the OAA. Admission is free for current OAA members and $5 for non-members. The OAA is located at 16500 S. Western Ave., Gardena 90247. RSVP is required: oaamensore@gmail.com or 310-532-1929.