Activities View All →
Announcement – OAANY 30th Anniversary Party
OAANY 30th Anniversary Sunday, May 19 @ Hudson Guild’s Fulton Senior Center at 119 Ninth (9th) Avenue (between 17th and 18thStreets) NYC, NY 10011 The party begins at 12 noon, and special guest dancers are coming from Okinawa, LA, & the DC area. This is a potluck, so please bring a dish. Drinks will be provided by OAANY. No alcohol, please. If you’d like to attend submit the form below. There is a seating capacity, so you must RSVP to reserve your spot. The deadline to RSVP is Tuesday, April 30. You must pay your 2012 and 2013 dues at the door if you haven’t paid yet. It’s best to pay now ASAP! If [...]
Read More →New Year Greeting
Dear Members and Friends, Happy New Year ! Wishing you a prosperous New Year! I hope this Serpent (Snake) year brings you good health andprosperity! People born under the year of the Serpent appear to be patient, wise and carry out one’s plan according to the Chinese Zodiac. We can further learn these qualities. Que el ano de la SERPIENTE les traiga mucha salud, paz y prosperidad. FELIZ ANO NUEVO！ I would like to share the following favorite expressions for this year: 1. “We cannot change what happened, but we can let how it affects us.” 2. “Whether you Think You Can or Think You Can’t, You’re Right !” — [...]
Read More →Announcement
30th Anniversary Celebration Event: We are asking you to Donate in order to help with the expenses of the 30th anniversary event. Date: May 19, 2013 (Sunday) from 12 noon to 5 p.m. Place: 119 9th Ave., NYC, NY 10011 (Betw. 17th/18th) Please send inquiry: 1. For Donation for 30th Event: Check pay to the order of OAANY and send it to: Kazue Charley 2. Scholarship: Contact Kazue Charley by 4/30 3. Performance at 30th Event: Contact Kumiko Goldstein by 3/31 __________________________________________________________________ In support of our special event, Master Michiko Maekawa will be performing Ryukyu dance with several of her students. Master Maekawa has been designated by the Okinawan Government as [...]
Read More →OAANY Website is Renewed!
Apologize for long shut down of this website. Due to the site maintenance failure, and a lack of webmaster’s time, the site was unattended for several months. Your understanding and support will be much appreciated.
Read More →Welcome Party
OAANY held a welcome party on February 25th, 2012 for the distinctive Uchina ladies who were on the way back from Puerto Rico after their special mission. With Ms. Suzuyo Takazato as the leader, the group attended the International Women’s Network in Puerto Rico from February 19 to 24, 2012. The group was in NYC for only one full day as they returned to Okinawa. The Welcome Party Announcement was sent out to the members/friends that had access to Email and telephones in NYC and the vicinity. It was decided on very short notice. From Left: Hiromi Minamoto, Emiko Utsumi, Suzuyo Takazato, Harumi Miyagi, Sachika Takara, Atsumi Ikemiyagi, Manami Tasaki [...]
Read More →Relief and Recovery Fund for Japan
To: Members and Friends, Thanks to everyone for their generous contributions to date. While our fund-raising campaign continues and remains strong, we have recently begun discussions regarding the destination of our organization’s donation. After careful consideration, we have decided that the majority of our collection will be sent directly to “The Okinawa Refugee Receiving Team” The team is set up as an emergency Relief Organization. A portion of our organization’s contributions will be forwarded to the disastrous areas in Japan via the New York Lions Club. As many of you may know, during the past several weeks as Japan’s crisis has unfolded, many disaster survivors have relocated to the prefecture [...]
Read More →Upcoming Schedules
November 7th – Celebrating Seniors Day At: Golden Unicorn: (212-941-0911) 18 East Broadway (at Catherine Street) NYC, NY 10002 December 12th – The End of Year Party at JAA/NikkeiJin KaiKan 15 W. 44th St. Fl-11, NYC, NY 10036
Read More →Message from President of OAANY
Hello everyone! Fall is finally here. We had our annual picnic on September 5th. We were blessed with beautiful weather and plenty of delicious food. Above all, the participants exceeded the limited number for the site. There were almost 200 people and this was the record for our association. It is possible that the next picnic in 2011 may be held in a new location. ♪♪♪ ･･･ The following is an announcement for the next two meetings: ★November 7th (Sunday) “Keiro-kai” 敬老会 (Celebrating Seniors Day) For Over 80 yr-oldsの会員たちを祝ってChinatownで行ないます。 At: Golden Unicorn: (212-941-0911) 18 East Broadway (at Catherine Street) NYC, NY 10002 The directions to Golden Unicorn, 18 East Broadway: [...]
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A Message from Susan Hamaker
The planning for the OAANY 30th Anniversary Party is underway, and I’m happy to be a part of it. We’re working hard to bring you a wonderful event filled with fun, food, and the joys of our rich cultural heritage. I’m looking forward to welcoming our special guests from Okinawa and to sharing this important anniversary with all of you. See you on May 19!
Read More →HOMESTAY in the U.S.A. by Ai Nakasone (Naha International H.S.)
I have experienced home stay from August 19th, 2011 to July 14th, 2012 as an exchange student in the United States (Pennsylvania). The reason I was the only one selected from Okinawa, for I believe that since I was very young I have been taught Okinawan traditional performing arts by my mother and grandmother. We are to have several host families in Rotary exchange program, and I got 3 of them. There were a lot of things to learn such as; the differences and similarities not only between my host families and Japanese one but also between each family in the U.S. Of course, there were some hardships that I had to overcome. But whenever I faced [...]
Read More →Lorraine Mitsu Teramura
Hi everyone! My name is Lorraine Mitsu Teramura. I was born and raised in NYC to a dad of Japanese descent and a mom of Okinawan descent. They were both born here in the states, so I’m known as “sansei”, third generation. My mom’s mother was from Kin village in Okinawa. She settled in California in the early 1900′s. I have two sisters, both of whom attend the OAANY gatherings whenever they can. Not being able to speak Japanese, the two cultures are a bit “foreign” to me, but as I get older, I appreciate both the Japanese AND the Okinawan cultures. I have never been to Japan but really [...]
Read More →Kumiko Goldstein
Happy New Year! This is Kumiko Goldstein. This year, I’d like to remember more names of OANN members. I’ve been a member for 4 or 5 years, but I only know the names and faces of a few people. So please tell me your name the next time we run into each other! Sometimes I play the Sanshin at OANN, but I haven’t actually performed in Okinawa where I’m from! I started practicing Sanshin in NY because I was always thinking about Okinawa and its music. When I had stress, I searched for Sanshin practice groups on the Web. I feel like my life in the US really improved at [...]
Read More →Marcelo Mitsuoka
Hello, my name is Marcelo Mitsuoka. I’m a Sansei born in Argentina. My father’s ancestors were from Kumamoto and my mother’s were from Okinawa. My grandfather was from a tiny island named Hama-Higa which belongs to Katsuren. On the other side, my grandmother was from Oroku, Naha-shi. Both of my grandparents immigrated to South America in the nineteen tenths, more than a hundred years ago. Additionally, my mother’s last name was Maeyoshimoto. My family is composed of my wife Hideko, who is a Nisei from Kanagawa-ken and my 24 year old daughter Natalia who is a Yonsei. We all currently live in Hoboken, New Jersey. My wife and I moved [...]
Read More →Hurricane Sandy by Susan Hamaker (English Only)
At around 8:30 p.m. on Monday, October 29, a policeman with the NYPD drove down my street in the Manhattan neighborhood of Chelsea and made an announcement on a loudspeaker. “If you have a car, we suggest you move it to higher ground,” he said. A few minutes later, our apartment building lost power. My husband, Marc, and I had been watching television coverage about Hurricane Sandy since the prior morning, so it was strange not to hear the voices of the news anchors. The power outage signaled, more than the light rain or the wind in the trees that the storm had indeed arrived. Armed with flashlights, Marc and [...]
Read More →Greeting
Happy New Spring! I hope this Dragon year brings you good health and prosperity! According to the Asian Zodiac, people born under the year of the Dragon appear to have magical traits; they are strong and full of energy and forever on the go! OAANY President, Teiko Yonaha Tursi ● Spring Party: Sunday 12 p.m. April 22, 2012 @ American Legion Post 116 Address: 1165 River Road, Edgewater, N J 07020 Tel: 201-886-9705 (Only a couple of Miles from Mitsuwa Store on the same side) / No alcohol Please. ● As usual it is a potluck party. ● For Performance: (For the Spring Party) Volunteers! Please Contact Sayaka B. in [...]
Read More →Message
Mrs. Sueko Nakachi, whose husband, late Masao Nakachi, served as the President for OAANY in the middle of 1990s. He worked as the director of Information Department in the United Nations and he was a great mentor to all of us. Here’s the message from Sueko san after interval of eight years. “Dear members, I have been back to attending the Kenjinkai since the picnic last year. It’s been eight years—. I really feel like returning to my missed parents’ home. I experience warmness from being with everyone and it gives me a sense of relief. When I think of those friends that passed away during the past several years, [...]
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Japan’s Big Disaster By Kayla Colbridge
I feel really bad about the earthquakes and the tsunami that hit Japan. I wish I could help them. My 3rd grade classmates talked about it on the morning of Friday, March 11th. Many people that suffered the disaster died. People went in hospitals and looked on a list of people who died to see if their loved ones passed away. I see children looking for their parents and parents looking for their children. I feel sad and painful to see that. The Japanese were quiet and did what they needed to do in that horrible situation. My Obachan (Teiko) said that some scenes remind her of her time in [...]
Read More →Mo~ Ashibi Gundan
Suibi was the restaurant where the current tightly knit Mo-Ashibi-Gundan traces back its origins… Unfortunately, this once popular Okinawan restaurant is closed, but its Uchina~ spirit lives on with the friendships and Ichariba Chode- family! Professional Photographer,Tokio Kuniyoshi and Jamie Holland working at a Japanese trading company, both met at Suibi in New York. The two became acquaintances and exchanged information. They met on a few occasions and each time brought more friends who were Okinawan and wanted to hang out with other Okinawans in New York. There were many different walks of life that came together, artists, professionals, students…but they all shared the urge to meet other Okinawans and [...]
Read More →From Okinawa Time 4/7 Edition
“Yahata” san family of six has been relocated to Naha, Okinawa from Fukushima, Japan. The family consists of two little girls (8 & 9) holding their new book bags; their parents and grandparents are behind them; the far left is their Okinawan friends.
Read More →Junior Study Tour 2010 Report – Ivan Kikuyama (English Only)
I believe the Junior Study Tour has been a very meaningful experience for me and the other chaperones as well. I don’t think a lot of people can have the opportunity to participate in special occasions such as this one. I would say it was a great job having everybody including the participants, staff and chaperones join their hands together to bring the Junior Study Tour to a great success. Nevertheless, the best achievement we had was the bond that was created between every single participant that came to the tour. The Junior Study Tour was a good chance for me to try new things. Also, I got to realize [...]
Read More →2010 JST Report – Yuki Kikuyama (English Only)
It was a surprise when my older brother told me about the yearly Junior Study Tour Program. When my acceptance to this year’s Junior Study Tour was notified, I was in shock, yet in awe. I have not had the chance to travel since my immigration to the United States and my chance to actually learn first-hand about my motherland was a thought I only saw in my dreams. Waiting for the month of July was a torture! I could not wait to be in the relaxing atmosphere of the island, meet new people, and embark in an once-in-a-lifetime journey. Within the first five days of my newfound freedom, [...]
Read More →Ivan’s Story Junior Study Tour (JST) 2010
The first thing I thought when I heard about the JST was “I wish I still was that age so I can participate.” One day, I got a phone call from Teiko san in the morning and she said that my sister (Yuki Kikuyama) was selected as a participant for this year. They said that to qualify as a participant Japanese/English bi-lingual student has priority, so I suggested both my little sister and my little brother to apply. They have never been to Okinawa so I said to them this might be a great opportunity. My sister ended up being selected, and my brother, who did not get selected, was [...]
Read More →Two Okinawan Exchange Students Meet the OAANY Youth
Two Okinawan exchange students, Yuuki Yagi (25) and Kenichi Tanaka (22), studying at Lee University in Tennessee, met several OAANY Youth at the Mitsuwa store in New Jersey on December 27th, last year. During their winter vacation, they traveled through the Northeast, sightseeing and greeting the Okinawa Kenjinkais. They visited the Chicago Kenjinkai on their way to New York. Unfortunately, our Kenjinkai had already finished the Bonenkai by the time they arrived. Yuuki san is the son of Masaaki and Tsuneko Yagi, from Matsumoto, Okinawa City. He graduated from Okinawa Christian University with a major in English Communication, where he obtained certificates to teach English in junior high and high [...]
Read More →Isami Shiroma
Mr. Isami Shiroma grew up in Shuri, and graduated as a member of the first graduating class from Konan High School. After receiving a full USCAR (United States Civil Administration of Ryukyus) scholarship, he graduated from the University of Hawaii in 1970. He was among the first group of Okinawan students to receive this undergraduate scholarship. After graduation, Isami san traveled for eighteen months around the United States, Central and South America, taking photographs. He settled in Colombia for 5 years, taking photographs, teaching karate at the Naval Academy, and teaching Statistics at Universidad Atlantico. His first son, Koichi (now 36) was born in Barranquilla, Colombia. The family moved to [...]
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World Youth Uchinanchu Association
We are grateful for all your support. And we would like to let you know that we publish “WYUA NEWS LETTER” to report our activities. We hope you enjoy reading it. In addition, we’ll hold “The 2nd Worldwide Youth Uchinanchu Festival America 2013”at L.A. We are planning to do it in next July, but it hasn’t decided yet. We’ll inform you of more details in next March. Sincerely, NEWS LETTER PIC /Omichi,Taira and Higa WYUA – World Youth Uchinanchu Association Okinawa head office WYUA NEWS LETTER PIC/ Hanae Omichi, Mano Taira and Chiho Higa WYUA ■Website: http://yuao.org/ ■Blog: http://youthuchinanchunetwork2011.ti-da.net/ ■Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WYUAofOkinawa
Read More →7/18 Friendship Meeting
On Sunday, July 18, 2010: From 12 noon ~ At JAA《Japanese American Association》 日系人会館：15 W. 44th Street, New York, NY (Floor 11)
Read More →More announcement regarding our activities, now and future
DVD Spring Party 2010 will be sold at our next meeting on July 18th in NYC and annual Picnic on Labor Day weekend. The DVD contains highlights from our annual Spring Party at the American Legion Post in Fort Lee, NJ. For example: dance and music performances from our members, Sanshin Musical performance, Taiko drum performances from our members. Please support for your organization. The cost – $12. Thank you ! And Thank you to Mr. Anthony Alvarez for your ongoing volunteer work ! We in planning stage for a bus trip in fall and future. Please submit your suggestions for bus trip to our officers, Teiko, Riki, Ivan, Sayaka, [...]
Read More →The 5th Uchinanchu Festival
The 5th Uchinanchu Festival will be held in Okinawa in the Fall of 2011, next year. This event is a getting-together of world-wide Kenjinkais in our homeland that takes place once every 5 years. In the first festival in 1990 about 2,000 Uchinanchus/members gathered in Okinawa. The last one (4th) in 2006 had about 5,000 people. The event lasts five consecutive days. There are numerous sub-events and parties. You just have to be there to experience it yourself. Seeing is Believing ! I’ve been thinking about the one-mile parade, the stage show and other events that our association can participate in. If I am allowed to organize it again I [...]
Read More →Rememberance Ceremony Announcements Mr. Matsukawa, a founder of OAANY
This is a very sad news for every one of us. Mr. Shigeichi Matsukawa, our founder for this association, passed away on Friday, May 1st, 2009 due to the illness. He was 81 years old. We wish to express our deepest sympathy upon his untimely death to his family. The following is the arrangement of funeral service: Wake/Viewing: May 8th(Friday) 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. / 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Location: Andrett Funeral Home: 353 2nd Avenue (between 20th & 21st street) New York, NY 10010 (212) 475-2024 Funeral Service: May 9th(Saturday) 10:00 a.m. Location: same as above Funeral Home then Motorcade to Maple Grove Cemetary, 83-15 Kew Gardens [...]
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