Yuimaaru: Okinawan Prisoners of War Shape Okinawan Identity and Transnational Connections

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis article is a transnational study examining the Okinawan diaspora in Hawai‘i through their connections to Okinawa strengthened by their World War II experiences. This article argues that Okinawan immigrants formed a unique identity, Uchinanchu, among plantation communities as a “minority within a minority,” distinct from the dominant Japanese plantation immigrant population in the Hawaiian Islands. The Uchinanchu identity emphasized yuimaaru (ゆいまーる, “mutual assistance and cooperation”) to overcome hardships on the plantations. The value of yuimaaru continues to inform the relationship of Okinawa with diasporic communities in Hawai‘i, connecting Uchinanchu communities worldwide with Okinawan POWs’ pre-war immigration experiences.