Mark H. Higa
Special to The Hawai‘i Herald
At a local izakaya (Japanese-style pub) one night, three young Uchinanchu were sharing their dreams for the future of Hawai‘i’s Okinawan community and what they thought they could do to share their unique culture with those not as closely connected to it.
“I want our children to experience and enjoy all the things we do and have the same support we have from our community,” said Lisa.
Conversations like Lisa’s and her friends are likely being echoed throughout our community as our local ethnic organizations struggle to attract new members and share a sense of relevance to the younger generations, who, because of the cycle of life, are becoming increasingly more distant from the experiences of our Issei and Nisei trailblazers. Our world of mobile devices, Pokémon GO, entertainment venues, and even soccer or baseball practice, provide a myriad of options that early members of Hawai‘i’s numerous ethnic community organizations did not have to compete with in their day.
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