Okinawan Studies: BLOG / News

New Publication on Okinawan Diaspora

A new book on Okinawan diaspora was published in Australia. 

Image source: https://bit.ly/2EZT1Se (Hesperian Press' Facebook Page)

• Author: John Lamb
• Title: Okinawans rearching Australia
• ISBN: 978-0-85905-747-9
• Publisher: Hesperian Press, Australia
• Publication Year: 2019 

"This publication fills a large gap in research into aspects of the pearl-shell fishing industry and Japanese immigration to Australia in general. Through careful research, and with over 200 photographs, John provides a comprehensive record of all Okinawans known to have ever reached Australia up until the early 1960s. He fleshes out how and why Okinawans came to be chosen over mainland Japanese in the post-war period and challenges some of the misconceptions that have arisen around their role and performance. Through identifying the stories of many individuals, including some who spent most of their working lives in Australia, he brings to life this little-known history of northern Australia. In detailing the deaths of some forty men and a half dozen births, he creates a very detailed picture of their circumstances and creates a valuable record for their families and descendants, as well as for those interested to understand more about indentured Asian labour during the time of restricted immigration."

Source: http://www.hesperianpress.com/

The Okinawa Collection plans to purchase a copy. 

About the author from the Australian Government's site: https://dfat.gov.au/people-to-people/foundations-councils-institutes/australia-japan-foundation/grants/2016-17-grantees/Pages/an-unknown-history-emigration-of-okinawan-seamen-to-australia.aspx

According to the Australian Government's page above, Mr. John Lamb describes his project as follows.

"The project aims to present as comprehensively as possible the largely forgotten history of Okinawan emigration to the northern Australian pearling centres of Broome, Darwin and Thursday Island through historical text and an extensive array of photographic records, and through that to establish an ongoing interest in this shared heritage. Okinawan immigration extended over more than half a century and the arrival of a significant number of seamen not long after the Pacific War was a matter of considerable public and policy debate, as was their subsequent performance and treatment. It is hoped that publication of explanatory material, both in English and Japanese, will inspire considerable interest, better understanding between Australia and Japan and ongoing connections."