From the Publisher
"Every time an elder passes, a library is lost. This African saying came to mind as I read the personal essays that make up Voices from Okinawa. Thanks to the foresight of co-editors Stewart and Yamazato, an important part of five 'libraries' has been preserved in a collection that captures the Okinawan experience in the post-plantation era. In their own voices, Hawai`i Okinawans June Arakawa, Philip Ige, Mitsugu Sakihara, Jon Shirota and Seiyei Wakukawa share their experiences as Okinawans. Together, the writers' stories paint a well-rounded picture of Okinawan identity--their love for their music and dance, but also the issues that have conflicted them. Voices is a journey inside the heart and soul of the Uchinanchu." --Karleen C. Chinen, editor of the Hawai`i Herald
