Okinawan Consciousness and Identity Salience and Development among Okinawan University Students Studying in Hawai‘i

Authors

  • Kazufumi Taira University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, United States
  • Lois A Yamauchi University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, United States

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v8i1.173

Keywords:

grounded theory, identity development, identity salience, international students, Okinawan identity, Okinawan consciousness

Abstract

After Japan’s annexation in 1879, Okinawa came under the unprecedented influence of Japanization. This research examined how learning in Hawaiʻi influenced the Okinawan sense of identity of 11 Okinawan students. Grounded theory analysis of interview transcripts indicated that students became more conscious as Okinawan through encounters and interactions with local people, including Okinawans, and Hawaiians in Hawai‘i, and Okinawan events and activities there. Participating in an Okinawan club at the university provided opportunities for the students to express their Okinawan identity, interact with club members, and take responsibility as representatives of Okinawa, which promoted students’ Okinawan consciousness and identity salience.

Author Biographies

  • Kazufumi Taira, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, United States

    KAZUFUMI TAIRA is a PhD candidate in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. His research interests include international education and identity salience and development. 

  • Lois A Yamauchi, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, United States

    LOIS A. YAMAUCHI is a professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Her research focuses on cultural influences on learning and the educational experiences of students, teachers, and families from indigenous and other minority groups. 

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Published

2018-01-01

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 1 (2018)

Section

Research Articles (English)

License

All published articles are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 Unported License.

How to Cite

Okinawan Consciousness and Identity Salience and Development among Okinawan University Students Studying in Hawai‘i. (2018). Journal of International Students, 8(1), 431–452. https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v8i1.173