동아시아의 평화와 화해의 정치학 Scrapbook: a Ryukyuan (native Okinawan) child...

2024-10-10

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This photo of a Ryukyuan (native Okinawan) child forced to wear a sign reading “I spoke in dialect” because he spoke Okinawan…Such punishments were a common tactic Japan used to eliminate native languages from the Okinawan islands and replace them with national Japanese language

May be an image of 2 people, child and text

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You, Susan Menadue-Chun and 516 others

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Naoto Iwawaki

This is one of dark side of history of Japan.

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Dorine Viltrouvé

Same story in France !

Nowadays, fortunately, dialects are officially supported, taught and spoken.

Carol Takahashi

Dorine Viltrouvé The Uchinaaguchi language IS NOT a Japanese dialect! It is a completely different language on its own.

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Allen Chang

The same situation occurred in Taiwan during the early period of the KMT's rule.

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Yoko Smith

Okinawan here.

Unfortunately this is true.

I'm a living proof.

Although I was born and raised in Okinawa I can't speak the okinawan language just like most of people in my generation （im almost 50）and below.

My parents' generation is probably the last generation who can speak it.

Both my parents can use Okinawan and Japanese fluently. I only know some words and expressions.

My family members were forced to lose the language and one of the ways to accomplish it was by using this very placard in the pic. It's nothing but cultural genocide. This happens everywhere and anytime in the world in human history unfortunately. The conquerer takes away peoples languages first in order to take their identity and pride away from them in order to conquer them.

In the article it says "dialect" but actually it's an independent "language" that's different from Japanese. Japanese call it a dialect for a political reason so they can get away with not teaching Okinawan people their own language that they stole.

In Hawaii they have an effort to revive the Hawaiian language but in Okinawa I don't see enough of it. It's very sad. I'm praying for the revival.

Okinawan language is such a beautiful language. Very poetic and sophisticated.

Ryan Gilliam

Yoko Smith Okinawan-American, 4th gen.

My great grandparents spoke both Japanese and Okinawan, only passed down Japanese, not Okinawan.

Believe they were a bit ashamed of it.

M.A. Basitul Wasiah

Yoko Smith Yeah, Forced assimilation at it's finest.

Dominic Manning

The English did this as well!

Mitsuha Chan

Pretty much the same in many places though, at one point in history. It's quite sad that the oppressed people had to lose their culture and language to survive.

7h
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Yasuo Shigemura

Dialects exist not only in Okinawa but all over Japan, and although there was a time when people were discriminated against, they are now carefully preserved and you can generally tell which region someone is from by the way they speak.

However, it is unfortunate that some countries still insist on using their own language.

Because language is the culture and history of a country.

12h
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サムスティーブンソン

Done by Spaniards, French, English, etc. Lol, The Era of Colonizer!

山本カーリー安生

This is not discrimination.

Japan is long from north to south. The climate and language are completely different.

In the military, even a moment of language incomprehension could be fatal, so language unification took place in schools.

At that time, most young Japanese were sent to the army.

Ryan Gilliam

山本カーリー安生 This is discrimination and the broader history and the whole story, speaks exactly to that.

Sorry, but Mainland Japanese didn't treat Okinawans well, even when they moved to the states.

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山本カーリー安生

Ryan Gilliam

I don't understand.

Are the Japanese (Okinawans) in the US being treated poorly by the Japanese?

Are youKorean？

Ryan Gilliam

山本カーリー安生

私の家族は沖縄から来ました

I'm 4th generation Okinawan American.

My great grandparents, as well as my grandmother's generation, weren't treated well, by those of Mainland Japan, origin.

Our 一世 and 二世 have told stories, of how Japanese would not associate with them and treated them poorly/differently.

I've heard and read first hand accounts from many Okinawans/people of Okinawan descent, of how they were treated in the past.

Especially given, that our first generations, some of them didn't speak Japanese, just Okinawan languages...Came with hajichi(hand tattoos, for which they were ridiculed for) and different customs, for which they were also ridiculed for.

Carol Takahashi

山本カーリー安生 It is/was definitely discrimination!

M.A. Basitul Wasiah

山本カーリー安生 This what I've been called Forced assimilation at it's finest.

Charmine Joy B. G

I don't see no difference for modern American karens now who demands people to "speak English" because they are in america! When people are (minding their own business talking on their native language!!!

And this is still happening now!

6h
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Nicolas Bezedache

Probably all European countries did the same thing in their own countries, sometimes with far worse punishments. Not to mention all of America, Africa, Oceania... Fortunately, these countries have evolved and now, like Japan, the path is reversed.

Unfortunately, there are countries that are doing much worse right now, notably 2 very large countries in terms of surface area but very small in terms of their actions, which oppress a large part of their population, try to erase entire cultures... And threatening to invade by force those who have fled...

Kat Jones

Reminds me of the Welsh Not, a similar thing the English did to try and get rid of the Welsh language and failed.

伊馬京祐

Kat Jones Okinawans were only forced to do so, not excluded. Please do not take the posts from this account at face value.

Jang Seob Lee

伊馬京祐 No, I disagree with you.

Under Japanese ruling times from '1910 to '1945, Japanese distroied Korean own traditional culture and force to change Korean name to Japanese style (ex, two words) and forced to learn and speak Japanese at School and in …

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伊馬京祐

Jang Seob Lee Do you still believe that lie? Japan has not excluded Korean language. In fact, the opposite is true. we popularized the Korean language that was being used and taught it to children at the same time as Japanese language. there's plenty o…

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Jang Seob Lee

伊馬京祐 Based on your opinion, I can't help doubting about the view of history and the quality of history education at school in Japan.

Again regretfully I disagree with you.

Japanese ruling times, many Koreans were killed by Japanese and forced to cha…

伊馬京祐

Jang Seob Lee “Based on your opinion, I can't help doubting about the view of history and the quality of history education at school in Japan.”

That word. I'll give it back to you.

pls change “in Japan” ➝ “in Korea”

10h
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伊馬京祐

This is a comment from a Korean who received a distorted historical education.

Nicolas Bezedache

伊馬京祐 History of Japan and Korea is very similar to France and Algeria. Things were complicated and everything wasn't all good or all bad... So you are probably both right. Now it is time to move on...

I think the situation is better for Korea than Algeria now, so it is much easier to move on... And in fact it is, I know many Koreans who love Japan and Japanese who love Korea...

Ryan Gilliam

伊馬京祐 You actually believe that forcing children to learn and speak a different language than their parents and grandparents, isn't excluding them from anything?

Especially when using violence and ridicule/bullying, to discourage usage of their native language?

The language that their parents and grandparents spoke?

That is;

A.) Literally excluding older generations of Okinawans. Especially excluding them fron their children and grand children's life.

B.) Ridiculing them for their entire culture, is literally excluding them to force conformation.

Mona Ohya

Be proud, Okinawa. Ryukyu was a Kingdom. Okinawa language, the Uchināguchi is part of a rich heritage.

ジャクジャク

That’s how nation-state build. All modern state did it.

Nicolas Bezedache

ジャクジャク Indeed, but they were clearly too strict, even violent. Fortunately they're doing things differently now, in Japan too, in Okinawa and Hokkaido.

Unfortunately, some developing countries are making the same mistakes today, and even worse...

Julie Lee

Same to Chinese dialects, I grew up speaking Cantonese.

Today I'm forced to speak standard Chinese Mandarin.

My great grandmother will punish us, if we do not speak our native dialect.

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Adrien Roma

In France, I was harassed in a school because I spoke Breton. Whether it was my friends or the teachers. I had serious problems afterwards. Every people should be able to speak the language of their country without being worried.

Jeff Strain

I learned it from my grandfather. Thanks now the Okinawan language is on UNESCO listed six Okinawan language varieties as endangered languages in 2009. Only 7.5 % of the youth can speak it

Jeff Strain

Never too late to learn your heritage

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Ryan Gilliam

Jeff Strain I wish my great grandparents would have passed it down.

Jay Hardy

Japanese know more about Australian Aborigines than Ainu…

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Jang Seob Lee

Japanese had the same language tactic in Korea during Japanese ruling times.

They forced Korean to name Japanese style name and to learn and speak Japanese so as to replace Korean own language, culture and even name with Japanese style.

11h
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Taku Eishin

KMT do this to Taiwanese too

now there’s few people can speak Taiwanese in my age cause their parents used to speak chinese

Byron Man

A lot of dark sides of Japanese history .

David Cole

Can’t have a nation without a national language.

John Delgala

Okinawa is part of japan

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Gary Kaneshiro

Did not know this happened mom never mentioned this!

Ivan Ulbrik

All countries did it with no exceptions!!!

Hiroyuki Ohta

This article is intended to separate Okinawa from Japan and then make Okinawa a protectorate of China.

Mike Nelson

Hiroyuki Ohta There are many such propaganda tactics being used by Russia these days. It’s in almost every forum. Not sure about this one, but it certainly is in line with Russia trying to divide countries and turn people against each other.

Ryan Gilliam

Hiroyuki Ohta This article is just stating facts.

Vern Blair

Forced assimilation is still practiced elsewhere.

In North America, Canada and the U.S. did worse to native Americans through Indian Boarding Schools.

In the U.S. four are still in operation today. In Canada 139 are still in operation today.

M.A. Basitul Wasiah

This what I've been called Forced assimilation at it's finest.

สวย เจ้าหญิงเกรซ

Me know nothing but words "Hirigana" "Katakana" "kanji" but didn't even speak & doesn't know the difference

Jefferson Gerbracht Bello

To this day still many Japanese consider them foreigners. Even native Japanese born there on the main Honshu island but raised in the USA or elsewhere are considered gaijin/外人/outsiders and treated as such and thus excluded.