Hamilton’s Okinawan Collections active in 125th anniversary of Okinawans in Hawaiʻi
While Aug. 25 kicked off a busy week on campus with fall classes commencing, it was even busier for Okinawan Studies Librarian Lynette Teruya, who was also working tirelessly to promote the annual Okinawan Festival on Aug. 30–31.
Teruya was invited for an interview that day on the Island Life Live show, where she talked about the two Okinawa-related exhibits at Hamilton Library commemorating the 125th anniversary of Okinawans in Hawaiʻi. She also discussed the library’s Sakamaki and Hawley Collections, and she promoted the Hawai ni ikiru (Life in Hawaiʻi) film screening event on Sept. 3. Watch her interview here.
Later in the week, Hamilton Library hosted members of the Okinawa Prefectural Library. Director Ms. Katsumi Ogimi and two staff members, Ms. Makiko Kohatsu and Mr. Yo Mizuno, were taken on a brief tour of the library on Aug. 29 and shown materials from the Hawaiian, Maps, and Okinawan collections. They also met with UL Clem Guthro and Hawaiian Collection Librarian Jodie Mattos.
That same day, Teruya was invited to the 40th Anniversary Hawaiʻi-Okinawa Sister-State Reception hosted by Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke at Washington Place, where she met some of the Okinawa delegates in attendance.
Over the weekend, Teruya volunteered at the 43rd Okinawan Festival, and she also coordinated an exhibit and tour for Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki and his delegation at Hamilton Library on Aug. 31.
The following day, Teruya and Mattos attended the Hawaii United Okinawa Association (HUOA)’s Aloha Party, where Teruya talked with the new president of the University of the Ryukyus, Dr. Ikue Kina.
Wrapping up the festivities was the Sept. 3 film screening of a 1965 documentary film, Hawai ni Ikiru (Life in Hawaiʻi) by Thomas Taro Higa. The event, which the library co-sponsored with HUOA and the UH Center for Okinawan Studies, marked 60 years since the film’s production and commemorated the 125th anniversary of Okinawans in Hawaiʻi. Following the film, Higa’s son, Dr. Nolan Higa, gave a presentation about his father and what inspired him to help the community. Teruya emceed the program, and it was well attended with 141 people present.
Teruya would like to thank Jim Hearon and his staff for their patience and for adding the subtitles to the video. She also sends a big mahalo to Jodie Mattos for her tremendous support and help with the speaker’s slideshow. There will be one more showing of the film for the Club 100 (100th Infantry Battalion Veterans) at their clubhouse on Saturday, Sept. 6.
