What is your ethnicity?

[newroots]

Re: What is your ethnicity?

i'm chamoru.



being haole ... its not bad at all... the problem is that... the people in the states ... they dont really have like ... a heritage ... a history... a past ... its not like most other kinds of people... such as the chinese , the egyptions , the kanaka , the japanese , and so on ...


they do have a history , but its like the old country western ..... but people in like new york , or other big cities , cant really identify themselves with that heritage. so thats the down part..

theres an advantage to that though....... since white people are really diverse. they dont get blamed for what their fellow white people do...


for example .... some black people like to boast about drug dealing , murder , and theft. stereo type with black is really bad. they get judged alot. if a white person and a black person where going to be blamed for something thats been stolen ... the white person would have the advantage. (although it really depends on the type of person)) he'd have the advantage becuase well , black mainstream media , like hiphop music and stuff ... like to boast about drug dealing , murder , and theft. Plus ... pimps and hoez. thats how the popular media identifies them.


where-as whites ... their super diverse... you got country people , rock people , christians , nazis , all kinds. so its hard to place a stereo type on just WHITE people ... unlike how easy it is to place a stereo type on BLACK people.


yeah.

[achow]

Re: What is your ethnicity?

I am pure Chinese and I am proud of it!

[newroots]

Re: What is your ethnicity?

N u should be

[Shaun]

Re: Ethnicity that you identify with...

Like Glenn Miyashiro, I am 100% Uchinanchu (Okinawan) -- which makes it easy to identify with a single ethnicity.

However, I had a bit of ethnic confusion as a child with people referring to me as "Japanese" although my family was quick to educate me that "Okinawan" is different from "Japanese."

Yes, Okinawa was part of what was known as the Ryu-kyu Islands. During the Tokugawa Shogunate, Okinawa was not part of Japan. I wonder at what time in history was Okinawa made part of Japan?

I wonder if Okinawans understand the feelings of Scottsmen since Okinawans were forced to be part of Japan, like the English made Scottish part of the UK.

[Shaun]

Re: What is your ethnicity?

Didn't I just answer this on another thread? Oh well the looong answer is over there. But simply enough I'm Portuguese (with some Spanish too that I usually just lump in with the Portuguese as to not make mainland peoples head explode by being so many things) and Hawaiian, Chinese (Cantonese). But mainland peoples head still cannot wrap their minds around what a Hawaiian is exactly. Either they think that means I'm Samoan or more Asian. I try explain but gets me all huhu after a while and I just go on with life. Not sure what is so confusing about understanding that native Hawaiians/Kanaka Maoli are Polynesians but are not Samoan. Go figure.

Not saying all mainland folks are like this but I'm sorry to say a good 98% of the ones I talk ethnicity with are. What on earth do people learn in geography and history classes?!!!

About Georgraphy classes, I gotta admit, I too am cofused as a mainlander about Hawaii. I have German and Scottish descent in my blood. (He he. German and Scottish mix is really not a mix since UK is Anglo-Saxon to begin with anyways. By the way, those who are Japanese and Korean mix are not really a mix, since most Japanese except Ainus have Korean blood mixed with them.

[Miulang]

Re: Ethnicity that you identify with...

Yes, Okinawa was part of what was known as the Ryu-kyu Islands. During the Tokugawa Shogunate, Okinawa was not part of Japan. I wonder at what time in history was Okinawa made part of Japan?

I wonder if Okinawans understand the feelings of Scottsmen since Okinawans were forced to be part of Japan, like the English made Scottish part of the UK.

Yes, the Okinawans don't like being called Japanese. And they don't like the Americans, either, because of what some US soldiers have done to their women.

Miulang

[Leo Lakio]

Re: What is your ethnicity?

Okinawa has a lengthy history of being "part" of another nation, having been occupied repeatedly throughout its history, yet with a distinct culture, language, etc. Japan is just the most recent landlord.

The Alpha Female from Kane`ohe describes her ancestry as half-Japanese/half-Okinawan (she is yonsei nikkeijin); one reason she thinks that many other Asians have trouble identifying her specific background is because it's hard to know what ethnic bloodlines are now part of the Okinawan makeup, as a result of all those occupations.

As to Shaun's question, a simple search resulted in this:

Okinawa was once an independent nation known as the Kingdom of the Ryukyu Islands. However, in 1609 Okinawa was conquered by force and occupied by the Japanese clan Satsuma. Yet they remained the Kingdom of the Ryukyu Islands until the Meiji Restoration took place and formed the Government of Japan. In 1879 the islands were officially recognized as the Japanese prefecture, Okinawa. The US military presence in Japan and on Okinawa began at the end of World War II. Although the US occupation in Japan ended in 1952, US administration continued on Okinawa until 1972. In 1951, when the San Francisco Peace Treaty was officially recognized, Okinawa legally became a possession of the United States. In 1972, control of Okinawa was reverted to Japan.

[Shaun]

Re: Ethnicity that you identify with...

Yes, the Okinawans don't like being called Japanese. And they don't like the Americans, either, because of what some US soldiers have done to their women.

Miulang

Hey, speaking of Japanese soliders, Miulang, what would they think of an AJA second lieutenant serving in Okinawa be looked upon by Okinawans? Please explain how this would be seen upon by Okinawans with the officer's identity being "Japanese mainlander" and "Okinawan".

How would you AJA's in Hawaii feel about doing that to your land of ancestoral origins? Is there issues regarding honor, or do you guys feel American enough that it doesnt matter? Or is it something you fellas are willing to do all the more out of you fella's need to prove your Americanness?

[sinjin]

Re: Ethnicity that you identify with...

I wonder at what time in history was Okinawa made part of Japan?

"In 1879 Japan abolished the Okinawan royalty and formally annexed Okinawa as a Japanese prefecture. Suppression of Okinawan language, customs, and culture followed, and in response to a ban on Okinawans owning weapons they invented the martial art of karate."

http://www.japanvisitor.com/index.php?cID=357&pID=1157

[Miulang]

Re: Ethnicity that you identify with...

Hey, speaking of Japanese soliders, Miulang, what would they think of an AJA second lieutenant serving in Okinawa be looked upon by Okinawans? Please explain how this would be seen upon by Okinawans with the officer's identity being "Japanese mainlander" and "Okinawan".

How would you AJA's in Hawaii feel about doing that to your land of ancestoral origins? Is there issues regarding honor, or do you guys feel American enough that it doesnt matter? Or is it something you fellas are willing to do all the more out of you fella's need to prove your Americanness?

As long as that 2nd Lt. didn't rape or murder their women, I'm sure it wouldn't be too much of an issue (except for the fact that Okinawa really doesn't want to host our base there anymore).

He wouldn't be a "Japanese mainlander" if he was AJA. As far as people from all other countries go, they look at us as Americans first. It's only Americans who like to discuss their individual ethnicities.

Miulang

[joshuatree]

Re: Ethnicity that you identify with...

Yes, the Okinawans don't like being called Japanese. And they don't like the Americans, either, because of what some US soldiers have done to their women.

Miulang

That and the fact that half of their island is off limits to them because the US uses it as permanent forward base.

[Shaun]

Re: Ethnicity that you identify with...

As long as that 2nd Lt. didn't rape or murder their women, I'm sure it wouldn't be too much of an issue (except for the fact that Okinawa really doesn't want to host our base there anymore).

He wouldn't be a "Japanese mainlander" if he was AJA. As far as people from all other countries go, they look at us as Americans first. It's only Americans who like to discuss their individual ethnicities.

Miulang

It is possible Miulang. An Issei can become American, and do such a thing. Or if he was a dual citizen. (I know this is not allowed on paper, but many do have dual).

I wonder if there were Isseis who were sent back to Japan during the WWII who then had to become Japanese soliders, who then had to fight Americans. I know the Americans were humane enough to make Nisseis who did fight to go to Europe, so they didnt have to shoot their own, but I dont believe that was the case with Japan. I heard that in Japan, they would have them fight in Midway to prove that they are truly going to be Japanese and not American again! And often, they would be used as interpreters. Imagine helping naval ships to shoot targets of ships knowing that your friends back in USA would be on board. Because believe me, fitting into WWII Japanese culture would be harder than for a Japanese who wanted to leave to come to USA to adapt here. I bet it was in some ways tougher on the Isseis who were forced to return, especially if they came to USA as youngsters returning as Kikokushijos. How they would have to learn Japanese quickly, as speaking Japanese was forbidden back then. It was known as Tekiseiyogo, or a.k.a. "language of the enemy". Pre-War Japanese customs were harder to fit back into going for Emperor Warship after being influenced by Western democratic way of thought. Holy cow. I wonder how they felt.

[Miulang]

Re: Ethnicity that you identify with...

It is possible Miulang. An Issei can become American, and do such a thing. Or if he was a dual citizen. (I know this is not allowed on paper, but many do have dual).

A naturalized American issei would, when signing up to join the military, have to swear allegiance to America. So his presence in an American military uniform would signify to an Okinawan that that guy was American, not Japanese.

Miulang

[Shaun]

Re: Ethnicity that you identify with...

A naturalized American issei would, when signing up to join the military, have to swear allegiance to America. So his presence in an American military uniform would signify to an Okinawan that that guy was American, not Japanese.

Miulang

Yes, but if they got to have conversations, wouldnt people be asking why he would do such a thing? A sense of shame and loss of honour? I think the AJA's wouldnt think this way, but Isseis would still retain that shame/honour mindset.

[christa]

Re: What is your ethnicity?

germans and italians made me. all jews.