Okinawa and the U.S. Military

Identity Making in the Age of Globalization

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, International, Treaties, History, Asian, Japan, Social Science
Cover of the book Okinawa and the U.S. Military by Masamichi Inoue, Columbia University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Masamichi Inoue ISBN: 9780231511148
Publisher: Columbia University Press Publication: April 17, 2007
Imprint: Columbia University Press Language: English
Author: Masamichi Inoue
ISBN: 9780231511148
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Publication: April 17, 2007
Imprint: Columbia University Press
Language: English

In 1995, an Okinawan schoolgirl was brutally raped by several U.S. servicemen. The incident triggered a chain of protests by women's groups, teachers' associations, labor unions, reformist political parties, and various grassroots organizations across Okinawa prefecture. Reaction to the crime culminated in a rally attended by some 85,000 people, including business leaders and conservative politicians who had seldom raised their voices against the U.S. military presence.

Using this event as a point of reference, Inoue explores how Okinawans began to regard themselves less as a group of uniformly poor and oppressed people and more as a confident, diverse, middle-class citizenry embracing the ideals of democracy, human rights, and women's equality. As this identity of resistance has grown, however, the Japanese government has simultaneously worked to subvert it, pressuring Okinawans to support a continued U.S. presence. Inoue traces these developments as well, revealing the ways in which Tokyo has assisted the United States in implementing a system of governance that continues to expand through the full participation and cooperation of residents.

Inoue deftly connects local social concerns with the larger political processes of the Japanese nation and the global strategies of the United States. He critically engages social-movement literature along with postmodern/structural/colonial discourses and popular currents and themes in Okinawan and Japanese studies. Rich in historical and ethnographical detail, this volume is a nuanced portrait of the impact of Japanese colonialism, World War II, and U.S. military bases on the formation of contemporary Okinawan identity.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In 1995, an Okinawan schoolgirl was brutally raped by several U.S. servicemen. The incident triggered a chain of protests by women's groups, teachers' associations, labor unions, reformist political parties, and various grassroots organizations across Okinawa prefecture. Reaction to the crime culminated in a rally attended by some 85,000 people, including business leaders and conservative politicians who had seldom raised their voices against the U.S. military presence.

Using this event as a point of reference, Inoue explores how Okinawans began to regard themselves less as a group of uniformly poor and oppressed people and more as a confident, diverse, middle-class citizenry embracing the ideals of democracy, human rights, and women's equality. As this identity of resistance has grown, however, the Japanese government has simultaneously worked to subvert it, pressuring Okinawans to support a continued U.S. presence. Inoue traces these developments as well, revealing the ways in which Tokyo has assisted the United States in implementing a system of governance that continues to expand through the full participation and cooperation of residents.

Inoue deftly connects local social concerns with the larger political processes of the Japanese nation and the global strategies of the United States. He critically engages social-movement literature along with postmodern/structural/colonial discourses and popular currents and themes in Okinawan and Japanese studies. Rich in historical and ethnographical detail, this volume is a nuanced portrait of the impact of Japanese colonialism, World War II, and U.S. military bases on the formation of contemporary Okinawan identity.

More books from Columbia University Press

Cover of the book The Columbia Guide to Contemporary African American Fiction by Masamichi Inoue
Cover of the book Brains, Buddhas, and Believing by Masamichi Inoue
Cover of the book The Universe as It Really Is by Masamichi Inoue
Cover of the book Cinema in the Digital Age by Masamichi Inoue
Cover of the book Polishing Your Prose by Masamichi Inoue
Cover of the book Albert Camus the Algerian by Masamichi Inoue
Cover of the book The Political Impossibility of Modern Counterinsurgency by Masamichi Inoue
Cover of the book The Millennial Sovereign by Masamichi Inoue
Cover of the book Globalizing the Streets by Masamichi Inoue
Cover of the book Before Victoria by Masamichi Inoue
Cover of the book Sirens of the Western Shore by Masamichi Inoue
Cover of the book Protection Amid Chaos by Masamichi Inoue
Cover of the book The Self Possessed by Masamichi Inoue
Cover of the book There’s No Such Thing as a Sexual Relationship by Masamichi Inoue
Cover of the book Mission Revolution by Masamichi Inoue
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy