Donate to Center for Okinawan Studies
The Center for Okinawan Studies is very fortunate to have three local Okinawan community members, Robert Nakasone (Senior Advisor), Edward Kuba (Senior Advisor), and Lloyd Arakaki (Fundraing Coordinator) who work tirelessly to raise funds for COS. Thanks to them, we have had donors from the local community make contributions to our Center. We salute these three gentlemen and appreciate their efforts to help sustain the Center’s activities and growth.
What Donations Go Toward
The donations made for COS will go toward having events, such as the free public lectures that we offer, and also, we hope that someday soon we will be able to provide scholarships to students. We hope to provide financial assistance to them in order that they may do their research in Okinawan studies. We can further build and develop Okinawan studies to be a field rich with human resources, research materials and strong interest in learning about Okinawa and its culture and people.
How You Can Help
To make a gift in support of COS, please visit the UH Foundation website to make your pledge online or please call the UH Foundation at 808-956-8849 or 1-866-UHOHANA.
Mahalo
THANK YOU for your continued support of the Center for Okinawan Studies at the University of Hawaii.
Scholarships
MATSURO AND TSURUKO NAKASONE ENDOWMENT FUND
The purpose of the Fund is to provide students, preferably graduate students, with the opportunity to travel outside of Hawai’i to engage in study or research in Okinawa-related subjects. These students should have an academic focus or interest in Okinawan studies and have demonstrated a commitment to learning about or acquiring a deeper understanding of Okinawa, its people, culture and history. First priority use of the Fund shall be for travel with educational purposes that are directly related to Okinawan studies, and may be used for, but not limited to: attending conferences, presenting papers, conducting research, and participating in educational activities such as student competitions, training or special or joint projects. Second priority use of the Fund shall provide general support and aid to students, which include, but are not limited to: scholarships (tuition, books and fees), awards, conference fees, project materials and supplies, or training directly related to Okinawan studies.
Matsuro Nakasone was born in 1903 in Okinawa and immigrated to Hawai’i in 1920. Tsuruko Tamanaha, born on Maui in 1910 and sent to Okinawa to spend most of her childhood there, returned to Hawai’i in 1925 and, in 1932, married Matsuro Nakasone. They had five sons and one daughter. Matsuro started out as a plantation field worker and later became the cook at the Lana’i Plantation. Because of limited educational opportunities in Lana’i, the family moved to Honolulu and started a small “hot dog stand” on Hotel Street. They worked hard to support families in Hawai’i and Okinawa. As with many poor immigrant families, life in the beginning was difficult, but with a tremendous amount of hard work and determination, they were able to develop a successful small business.
Since both Matsuro and Tsuruko had limited education, they were determined to send all their children to college. Today, their family includes an accountant, two engineers, a businessman, a computer programmer, and a banker. Matsuro died in 1995. Tsuruko celebrated her 100th birthday in 2010, but passed away at the age of 101 in 2011.
Education and Okinawa were important to them in their lives. On the occasion of Tsuruko Nakasone’s 100th birthday, the Matsuro and Tsuruko Nakasone Endowment Fund was established in their honor at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa Center for Okinawan Studies. This endowment fund will allow students to further thelr Okinawan studies while continuing the legacy of Matsuro and Tsuruko Nakasone’s interest in education and Okinawa.
Criteria
(1) Recipients must be full-time or part-time, undergraduate or graduate students enrolled in any area of study at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, who have an academic focus or interest in Okinawan studies and have demonstrated a commitment to learning about or acquiring a deeper understanding of Okinawa, its people, culture and history. Preference shall be given to graduate students.
(2) Financial need shall be a criterion in making this award, although not necessarily as defined by federal guidelines.
Selection
Recipients will be selected by a committee appointed by the Director of the Center for Okinawan Studies.
Application process
MORE INFORMATION TO FOLLOW
