The World Youth Uchinanchu Festival, which was held in Sao Paulo, Brazil in July 2012, will move to the Los Angeles suburb of Torrance in 2013. This festival is a youth version of the World Uchinanchu Festival, which is held once every five years and celebrates immigrants with roots in Okinawa from all over the world gathering in their hometown, Okinawa.
I have never heard of immigrant ancestors gathering in their hometowns in Japan in other prefectures. Moreover, in Okinawa's case, a youth convention is being held overseas, planned and run by the new generation in their 20s and 30s. The convention is organized by the Okinawa Headquarters of the Young Uchinanchu Association. Representative Tamamoto Minami visited the Okinawa Prefectural Association of North America last fall and called on the American side to work together with Japan and the US to make the convention a success. When I asked Tamamoto how she became involved in the event, she gave me the following answer:
"When I studied abroad in Australia, I realized that although the local people knew about Japan, they didn't know much about Okinawa, and that the intonation of my language was different from that of people in mainland Japan. This made me realize that Okinawa is a unique place, and a love for my hometown was born within me. So I wanted to let the world know more about Okinawa, and to create a network of the younger generation of Uchinanchu around the world, and that's what motivated me to start this project."
Inspired by the enthusiasm of the Okinawa headquarters led by Tamamoto-san, several new generation Uchinanchu have also stepped up on the American side. They are now working on venue arrangements, program creation, and securing accommodation and transportation for participants from all over the world in preparation for the upcoming tournament. But what is the source of the power that has them so actively involved in such an event, across borders and generations?
So I decided to talk to the new generation of Uchinanchu who are the US administrative office for the youth conference in Los Angeles this summer. The first person I met was Yuko Yamauchi, who is also the office manager of the Okinawa Kenjinkai of North America, whose office is located in Gardena, a suburb of Los Angeles.
A challenge and a great opportunity
Yuko Yamauchi at the Okinawa Kenjinkai of North America office in the suburbs of Los Angeles
Yuko was born in Okinawa and raised in America. Strictly speaking, she is a Shinsei. She moved to the US with her family when she was seven months old, and after working at a medical non-profit organization in Los Angeles, she put her career on hold and returned to Okinawa as a prefecturally sponsored student. Yuko, who had been familiar with Okinawa's traditional culture of Ryukyu dance since childhood, recalls, "Given my age, I couldn't miss this last chance to be selected as an international student. I decided that I had to go to Okinawa now."
During her stay in Okinawa, she not only improved her Japanese language skills, but also her newly acquired sanshin, and her sense of being an Uchinanchu definitely blossomed. After her study abroad ended, Yuko decided not to return to the U.S. right away, but to stay and work for a company there. She stayed in Okinawa for six years.
After returning to Los Angeles, she began working as a staff member for the Okinawa Kenjinkai of North America in 2006. Using her experience working for a Japanese company and her bilingual skills, she serves as an excellent bridge between the Okinawa Kenjinkai of North America and Okinawa Prefecture.
I met Yuko before she went to Okinawa as an international student. That was about 15 years ago. She was active at her workplace at the time, making the most of her natural sense of responsibility and communication skills. When I met her again after a long time, working at the Okinawa Prefectural Association, I felt that she had become even more attractive as a person. I think that this must be the result of her "rich experiences in Okinawa."
As the office manager for the Okinawa Kenjinkai of North America, it was only natural that Yuko would become a member of the World Youth Uchinanchu Festival U.S. planning committee. She says that when she accepted the role, she felt it was both a challenge and a great opportunity.
"Even though we're holding the event in Los Angeles, we need to call for participation and cooperation from all over the United States. The Okinawan community in America is spread across 47 regions. Bringing them all together is a big challenge, but up until now, one of the issues facing Kenjinkai in North America has been how to get the younger generation involved. Through holding this youth conference, we hope that the next generation of young people will pay attention to the Kenjinkai's activities and get involved. Also, since we're holding the conference in America, we want to convey the charm of American Uchinanchu to everyone who is coming from Okinawa and South America. In America, generations differ depending on the region. Uchinanchu of all generations live in Los Angeles, but in Hawaii, the majority are already fifth and sixth generation. We would like to introduce the unique aspects of such a vast country."
* * *
2013 World Youth Uchinanchu Festival
18-21 July 2013
Torrance, California, USA
For more information, please visit: http://wyuausa.wordpress.com/
© 2013 Keiko Fukuda
