![paper shop projects [ 紙屋 projects ]](http://static.tumblr.com/lluuznt/habmeph0z/tumblr01.jpg)
From Okinawa Shop in Little Tokyo (downtown Los Angeles)
(original “Los Angeles bingata” designed by Kristin Yamauchi)
The Worldwide Youth Uchinanchu Festival (Wakamono Taikai), a global gathering created by and for young Uchinanchu (Okinawans), is set for July 18~21 at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center (Torrance, California). This one-time event offers the opportunity to connect with Uchinanchu from other states and countries as well as activities to explore our collective and individual identities. The 4-day conference includes international performances, socializing and networking, group discussions and projects, and insightful workshops featuring prominent Uchinanchu educators, artists, business leaders, and expert practitioners in Okinawan culture and traditions.
Conference registration has already begun with confirmed participants from Okinawa, Brazil, Peru, and various U.S. cities! The 2013 Wakamono Taikai will be the first of its kind in North America and will travel to Europe in 2014 and Asia in 2015.
MISSION
The conference’s program and guest speakers are planned around the theme of Uchinanchu Identity and will explore ways in which the current and future generations can keep alive the Okinawan traditions, arts, history, and languages. There will also be an emphasis on the Okinawan diaspora with the ultimate goal of expanding the global network of Uchinanchu and maintaining momentum beyond this conference.
SPECIAL GUESTS
The purpose of the workshops is to offer insights and contexts with which participants can explore the conference’s theme and mission. Workshop leaders and panelists include (subject to change):
- Byron Fija,Okinawan language instructor and musician from Okinawa
- Ayano Ginoza, professor at University of Redlands
- Gena Hamamoto, assistant director at UCLA Center for EthnoCommunications and independent film producer (Typhoon of Steel and The Crumbles)
- Jon Itomura, past president of the Hawai’i United Okinawa Association
- Janice Kinjo, celebrity make-up artist
- Aiko Majikina, classical Okinawan dance instructor in Los Angeles
- Tamari Miyashiro, U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team, 2012 Olympic silver medalist
- Rene Nakasone, practice leader consultant at Kaiser Permanente - California
- Annmaria Shimabuku, assistant professor at University of California, Riverside
- Jon Shirota, author and playwright in Los Angeles (Lucky Come Hawai’i and Voices from Okinawa)
- Ken Uechi, restaurateur in Los Angeles (Katsuya Restaurants)
- Wesley Ueunten, professor at San Francisco State University and musician
- Ken Yamauchi, current advisor and past branch leader of Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko - Los Angeles
The Personal Interest Workshops will be conducted in two sessions with the following options: Uchinanchu in Leadership, Uchinanchu in the Arts and Entertainment, Ryukyu 101 (a crash course in Okinawan traditions), Multi-Racial Identity (session 1 only), and Social Activism (session 2 only). These will be followed by one session of Cultural Workshops with the following options: Performing Arts (sub-categorized by sanshin, eisa, and dance), Languages, Fine Arts, and Food. At the end of the day, participants will give short presentations and performances based on what they learned in the Cultural Workshops.
REGISTRATION
Participants in the 18-35 age range are encouraged to download our registration form and mail it along with the $150.00 registration fee by June 30 (fee will increase thereafter): Okinawa Association of America, 16500 S. Western Ave. #203, Gardena, CA 90247. Please make checks payable to “OAA Wakamono Taikai.” Payment plans and limited volunteer discounts are available;please contact the OAA at 310-532-1929 for more information. The participation fee covers daily lunches, access to all activities, a souvenir bag, and a pre-order for the conference DVD.
Anybody outside of the age range (18~35) is welcome to attend the conference as an observer for a flat registration fee of $50. This fee will only guarantee access to the opening and closing celebrations (July 18 and 21), which will feature performances, speakers, presentations, and networking opportunities.
HISTORY
The Wakamono Taikai is the first of its kind to be held in North America and aims to gather participants (ages 18-35) from Okinawa, South America, and domestically. It’s being planned and produced by the North American branch of the World Youth Uchinanchu Association (WYUA) – a grassroots organization headquartered in Okinawa with branches in Argentina, Brazil, Hawai’i, Peru, and the United States mainland – and will be hosted by the Okinawa Association of America (OAA) in Los Angeles, California. WYUA was formed at the 5th Worldwide Uchinanchu Festival (WUF)’s International Youth Conference in 2011, where young representatives from around the world gathered to discuss how the younger generations could preserve and carry on the Okinawan culture and languages. As a result of the conference, WYUA was formed and the organization’s missions and future activities were proposed to the Okinawa Prefectural Governor. One of the proposals was for different countries to host a Worldwide Youth Uchinanchu Festival for every year leading into the 6th WUF in 2016.
Interesting Indiegogo campaign by an artist from Houston, Texas who spent three months as a sugar cane farmer in Okinawa
“This latest project, after three-months of back-breaking labor in the ‘satou-kibi’ sugarcane fields, will be the first EVER picture book in English about the field, cute critters therein, traditional and modern harvest and processing methods and some of the colorful local characters involved here on Ishigaki Island.”
The Worldwide Youth Uchinanchu Festival (Wakamono Taikai), a global gathering created BY and FOR young Uchinanchu (Okinawans), is set for July 18~21 at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center (Torrance, California). This one-time event offers the opportunity to connect with Uchinanchu from other states and countries as well as activities to explore our collective and individual identities. The 4-day conference includes international performances, socializing and networking, group discussions and projects, and insightful workshops featuring prominent Uchinanchu educators, artists, business leaders, and expert practitioners in Okinawan culture and traditions.
Conference registration has already begun with confirmed participants from Okinawa, Brazil, Peru, and various U.S. cities! The 2013 Wakamono Taikai will be the first of its kind in North America and will travel to Europe in 2014 and Asia in 2015.
MISSION
The conference’s program and guest speakers are planned around the theme of Uchinanchu Identity and will explore ways in which the current and future generations can keep alive the Okinawan traditions, arts, history, and languages. There will also be an emphasis on the Okinawan diaspora with the ultimate goal of expanding the global network of Uchinanchu and maintaining momentum beyond this conference.
SPECIAL GUESTS
The purpose of the workshops is to offer insights and contexts with which participants can explore the conference’s theme and mission. Workshop leaders and panelists include (subject to change):
- Byron Fija,Okinawan language instructor and musician from Okinawa
- Ayano Ginoza, University of Redlands
- Gena Hamamoto, independent filmmaker, “Typhoon of Steel” and “The Crumbles”
- Chogi Higa, Okinawan language instructor in Los Angeles
- Jon Itomura, past president of the Hawai’i United Okinawa Association
- Janice Kinjo, celebrity make-up artist
- Aiko Majikina, classical Okinawan dance instructor in Los Angeles
- Rene Nakasone, practice leader consultant at Kaiser Permanente - California
- Annmaria Shimabuku, University of California, Riverside
- Jon Shirota, author and playwright in Los Angeles, “Lucky Come Hawai’i” and “Voices from Okinawa”
- Ken Uechi, restaurateur in Los Angeles, Katsuya Restaurants
- Wesley Ueunten, San Francisco State University and musician
- Ken Yamauchi, current advisor and past branch leader of Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko - Los Angeles
The Personal Interest Workshops will be conducted in two sessions with the following options: Uchinanchu in Leadership, Uchinanchu in the Arts and Entertainment, Ryukyu 101 (a crash course in Okinawan traditions), Multi-Racial Identity (session 1 only), and Social Activism (session 2 only). These will be followed by one session of Cultural Workshops with the following options: Performing Arts (sub-categorized by sanshin, eisa, and dance), Languages, Fine Arts, and Food. At the end of the day, participants will give short presentations and performances based on what they learned in the Cultural Workshops.
REGISTRATION
Participants in the 18-35 age range are encouraged to download our registration form and mail it along with the $150.00 registration fee by June 30 (fee will increase thereafter):
Okinawa Association of America
16500 S. Western Ave. #203
Gardena, CA 90247
Please make checks payable to “OAA Wakamono Taikai”
Payment plans and limited volunteer discounts are available;please contact the OAA at 310-532-1929 for more information. The participation fee covers daily lunches, access to all activities, a souvenir bag, and a pre-order for the conference DVD.
Anybody outside of the age range (18~35) is welcome to attend the conference as an observer for a flat registration fee of $50. This fee will only guarantee access to the opening and closing celebrations (July 18 and 21), which will feature performances, speakers, presentations, and networking opportunities.
HISTORY
The Wakamono Taikai is the first of its kind to be held in North America and aims to gather participants (ages 18-35) from Okinawa, South America, and domestically. It’s being planned and produced by the North American branch of the World Youth Uchinanchu Association (WYUA) – a grassroots organization headquartered in Okinawa with branches in Argentina, Brazil, Hawai’i, Peru, and the United States mainland – and will be hosted by the Okinawa Association of America (OAA) in Los Angeles, California. WYUA was formed at the 5th Worldwide Uchinanchu Festival (WUF)’s International Youth Conference in 2011, where young representatives from around the world gathered to discuss how the younger generations could preserve and carry on the Okinawan culture and languages. As a result of the conference, WYUA was formed and the organization’s missions and future activities were proposed to the Okinawa Prefectural Governor. One of the proposals was for different countries to host a Worldwide Youth Uchinanchu Festival for every year leading into the 6th WUF in 2016.
If convicted of hacking-related crimes, Lostutter could face up to 10 years behind bars—far more than the one- and two-year sentences doled out to the Steubenville rapists. Defending himself could end up costing a fortune—he’s soliciting donations here.
Apparently hacking is a far more heinous crime than rape.
It’s official:
Byron Fija will be attending the 2013 Wakamono Taikai on July 18~21 in Los Angeles, California!
The Worldwide Youth Uchinanchu Festival (Wakamono Taikai), a global gathering created BY and FOR young Uchinanchu (Okinawans), is set for July 18~21 at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center (Torrance, California). This one-time event offers the opportunity to connect with Uchinanchu from other states and countries as well as activities to explore our collective and individual identities. This 4-day conference includes international performances, socializing and networking, group discussions, and insightful workshops featuring prominent Uchinanchu educators, artists, business leaders, and expert practitioners in Okinawan culture and traditions.
Conference registration has already begun with confirmed participants from Okinawa, Brazil, Peru, and various U.S. cities. The 2013 Wakamono Taikai will be the first of its kind in North America and will travel to Europe in 2014 and Asia in 2015.
I’m sure there are far more artistic and innovative .gif posts here on Tumblr, but I thought this one was really cool… ^_^
(Source: universalhorrorfilms)
Torrance man’s film about Japanese-American veterans tells story of sacrifice
by Nick Green, staff writer, Daily Breeze
Torrance filmmaker Steven Itano Wasserman, a fourth-generation American of Japanese and Russian Jewish descent, was always fascinated by the story of Japanese-Americans who proudly fought for their adopted nation during World War II - even while their families were imprisoned in internment camps.
The lesson was never taught in school, said the 1995 West High School graduate, who is named in part after his maternal grandfather.
Yet to Wasserman, 36, it was a story that helps define what it means to be American.
“These veterans decided to serve at a time when no one would have blamed them for saying, ‘I’m going to sit this one out,’ ” he said. “It was the only way they could prove the government wrong.”
“To me, part of what’s fascinating about the story on multiple levels is the idea of being able to define what is an American, what does make an American,” he added. “These veterans decided through their actions, and in the case of many of them their (ultimate) sacrifice, to redefine what is an American, not just for themselves, but for the larger culture.”
Now Wasserman has told their story in a 90-minute documentary that is part of the Smithsonian touring exhibit “American Heroes: Japanese American World War II Soldiers and the Congressional Gold Medal.”
The exhibit is making its third stop in a seven-city national tour at the Japanese American National Museum in downtown Los Angeles. It runs through June 9.
The movie plays outside the Hirasaki National Resource Center, where the Congressional Gold Medal and exhibit is located, museum spokeswoman Helen Ota said.
“It gives a bit more history on the (segregated units) and their contributions,” she said. “(Wasserman) does such a great job of telling the story. He has such a good eye.”
The documentary tells the story of three members of the trio of famed military units - including the late Sen. Daniel Inouye.
The units were among the most decorated and suffered some of the heaviest combat fatalities of any in the U.S. armed forces. They were collectively awarded the medal - the nation’s highest civilian honor - in 2011.
Wasserman, a graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts, managed the Hanashi Oral History Program for three years at the Torrance-based nonprofit Go For Broke, supervising 100 volunteers who conducted more than 300 interviews. So he was a natural to produce the documentary for the traveling exhibit.
The service of the Japanese-Americans is not just an uplifting military story; it had post-war implications for how American society viewed them and other immigrants.
“It’s a very inspiring story about people who can actually take real initiative and control of a bad situation and turn it around into something that benefited not just their community, but Americans as a whole,” he said. “In a lot of ways their service did impact the way they were accepted in American society after the war and how they were treated differently after the war than before.
“At its core, the Congressional Gold Medal is a reflection of what we value as Americans,” Wasserman added. “In that context, when you look at what Japanese-American World War II veterans did … it has really influenced the fabric of how we view ourselves as Americans. Without the contributions of these different groups, we wouldn’t live in the culture that we do.”
First batch of pictures from our “mini Okinawan cultural showcase” at Crafted at the Port of Los Angeles (in San Pedro)! Many thanks to the staff and shoppers at Crafted for giving us a warm welcome!
(from top):
- Sayuri Kinjo performing a traditional Ryukyuan dance, “Nuchibana”
- Sachi and Sayuri Kinjo performing a traditional Ryukyuan dance, “Tanchame”
- Ai Teshima performing a Tahitian-Hula-Okinawan fusion dance set to “Dynamic Ryukyu”
- Choichi Kai Los Angeles (Monika Solis, Yuko Yamauchi, Tomio Prehoda, Kyle Yamamoka, and Joseph Kamiya) performing Ryukyuan classical and traditional folk music on the sanshin
- A family gets dressed in various styles of traditional Ryukyuan kimono and yukata at our fitting station!
The showcase was organized to promote the 2013 Wakamono Taikai, a 4-day conference set for July 18~21 in Torrance, California. So far we have young adult participants from Okinawa, South America, and across North America, with 11 confirmed special guest speakers and workshop panelists (so far).
