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 Most
of us remember something our parents made us do that we hated. Maybe
it was piano lessons, religion classes, or etiquette training. For
Lynn Miyahira ’03, fourth generation Hawaiian and daughter
of a long line of proud Okinawans, it was Okinawan dance lessons.
That once dreaded cultural obligation has become a passion that’s
shaping her future.
 “From
the time I was six years old, my parents force fed me Okinawan culture,”
says Miyahira, a former politics major. “While other kids
were out playing soccer or going to parties on Saturday, I was squeezing
into a kimono and learning Okinawan dance. It definitely wasn’t
the cool thing to do.”
Miyahira’s family lives in Kanehoe, Hawaii, about 20 minutes
from Honolulu. They’re part of the islands’ 40,000-member
Okinawan community. Her father, a leader in the Okinawan community,
felt it was important for his daughter to embrace her ethnic and
cultural heritage.
“By the time I came to Willamette, I knew my Okinawan culture
had given me a unique gift,” says Miyahira.
 It
was at Willamette University that Miyahira learned that since World
War II, 20 percent of Okinawa, a prefecture or state of mainland
Japan, is covered by U.S. military bases. Many Okinawans resent
the U.S.’s military presence while others can’t imagine
the island without it. Miyahira became fascinated by this divided
Okinawa. “I wanted to explore the conflicting attitudes and
get a grasp of the tension that exists between the U.S. military
bases and the Okinawan people,” she says.”
To fund her studies, Miyahira applied for and won a Carson Undergraduate
Research Grant, a prestigious $2,500 stipend that enables Willamette
University students to study during the summer a subject not covered
in class. She spent four and a half months in Okinawa, braving two
typhoons during her first two weeks, and she interviewed 60 Okinawan
residents about how they feel about the bases.
Perhaps because of their first-hand experience with war, Miyahira’s
interviewees universally said that war isn’t the answer. “Okinawans
of all ages are the first to say that war doesn’t work,”
she says. Another common theme was that most Okinawans dream of
a future free of U.S. military bases on their island. Few believe
it will happen, but that’s what they’d like to see.
Her experiences in Okinawa honed Miyahira’s Japanese language
skills and made her feel more confident about travelling and working
abroad. Perhaps the most lasting part of her research project is
that it’s given her focus for the future and made her want
to use her Okinawan heritage in her work. “I want to continue
studying about Okinawa and I’d like to work with these issues
in an embassy or maybe in public relations acting as a liaison between
the U.S. military and the Okinawan people.”
No one has to force Lynn Miyahira to embrace her culture anymore.
She’s taking karate lessons and taiko drumming. Her father
was right – her Okinawan heritage is a precious gift.
– Bobbie Hasselbring
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