Uchina Columnウチナーコラム

I think that feelings towards Okinawa or feelings as an Uchinanchu transform into kindness and “chimugukuru”,

It’s something within Okinawa, but I originally wanted to study Okinawan culture, so I would like to try and participate in a lot of activities.

Introduction 私は平良東明と申します。平和で良心的で、東のごとく明るい人と自己ＰＲをしております。南米のペルーの港町カヤオというところで生を受けました。その後、リマ日校に約２カ年の後に、ペルーの首都リマに移り住んで、そこで小学校１年生かな。リマ日校でお世話になりました。教育のために沖縄県に、父が、戦争の勝ち組で、君は日本人だから、やはり日本人に教育をさせたいと、沖縄に送られてきました。それからもうずっと沖縄におりますけれども。 現在のご活動 私はペルー協会で約27年間、会長と副会長を含めて務めさせていただきました。その間にいろいろな交流をしてまいりましたけれども、ちょっと話が飛ぶけど、ペルーの料理に関しては、足てびちではなくてロモサルタード、それからセビチェ、大好きですよ。そのほかには「カルネ　デ　バカ」と言って、コマアホウ、それは肉ですよ。これはアルゼンチンあたりではカルネって牛肉です。アホはにんにくです。「カルネ　デ　アホ」というのは、日本人には「馬鹿」と「阿呆」という感じだけど、そうならないように努めて、読書というのかな、努めております。 次世代のウチナーンチュへ一言 沖縄県の取り組みのおかげで、今の若い方々は自由に研修、県費留学生の１年の研修に来られている方々が、ボリビアにも多くいらっしゃいますので、その方々がボリビアで行っています研修生のＯＧ・ＯＢ会をやっていらっしゃるので、その方々にはやっぱりこういう形を、沖縄県で学んだことをボリビアに持ち帰って広めてもらう。その活動の中で、私どもができるものは少しなりともお手伝いができればなと思っております。なので、ウチナーンチュのアイデンティティーを持って、ボリビアのコロニアを支えていっていただければなと思っております。

I believe that the play of Okinawa is made up of Uchinaaguchi, the dialect of Okinawa. That is why although it is a play that indicts emotions, you cannot laugh or cry if you do not understand the dialect. That’s because you wouldn’t understand the meaning. That is why I want the children of Okinawa to learn Uchinaaguchi, the dialect of Okinawa. Nowadays, most fathers and mothers speak in standard Japanese, which their kids pick up and use as well, which is why the Okinawan language is disappearing. Using the dialect is fun, you can say “Oi, maakaiga, amakai, kumakai (Hey, where did you go? Here or there?),” whenever you want. This is the chimugukuru, or the spirit of the Uchinanchu. That’s why I believe we should teach the children the Okinawan dialect, and continue to spread Okinawan culture even more. You can even use the dialect in Brazil. I truly treasure Okinawan culture.

Now, outside of what I am doing for work; for the time being, I don’t think the scope of my work will not expand. However, I want to gradually plan more work with various international exchange groups.

The programs that Okinawa prefecture puts on, such as the Okinawan Emigrants' Descendent and Asian Scholarship Program as well as the World Wide Uchinanchu Festival and The Uchinanchu Junior study, the Kaiho Yoshu Network Building Program, these sorts of initiatives are those that I truly value and thank from the bottom of my heart. These sorts of programs are not just limited to Argentina, using them, all those in the overseas Uchinanchu society can learn about Okinawa, and can strengthen their own Uchinanchu Identity, and feel a greater sense of duty to aid in the succession of their culture. At the grass roots level, for example as I am from Argentina, with the effective working at the grass roots level with the young people of Okinawa, and the young people of Argentina to further engage in exchange, the Uchinanchu network that spreads across the world has gained a deeper meaning, and we as the Okinawa Argentina Friendship Association have realized the further value of our organization. As such, we are working hard to put all out energy into further forming the Uchinanchu network.

The Okinawa Hawaii Association is working with a focus on the Business world. The Generation is now moving to that of the young people. In doing that, the young people and speaking about the so called Uchinanchu, the “Shinkanuchā Network” putting hard work into the net work of the younger generation, As the Okinawa Hawaii Association I have been thinking that. That is why, from this year forward, it seems that Hawaii will also have a “Shinkanuchā network” Including those who went to the same high school, or those who did exchanges together, the number of those who completed a high school exchange is more than 700 people. With a focus on these people, I would like to facilitate, strengthen, and create a bond between these young people.

My goal as of now is, and I’m currently speaking with the Okinawa Prefecture International Exchange Division about this, Santa Cruz province and Okinawa are connected with sister cities, and they have been connected this way for about 20 years, but, so far this connection has not been used for exchange. Going forward I would like to connect Colonia’s providence Santa Cruz using it sister city connection and between it and Okinawa create cultural exchange to be done once a year. Whether it be karate, or dance, anything is ok, that sort of initiative would be very good I think, it is my hope and it also is the hope from the side of those in the Colonia Okinawa Association.

The most important things is what you can and cannot do with language. Language comes later. The most important thing is the feeling of wanting to go somewhere. Whether you have that feeling,

The creation of various association buildings for the different Okinawa Association, or museums and things like that, have always been planned for one another for charity, and go around gaining the cooperation of all of the municipalizes, the box has been made,