Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS)

Okinawans reaching Australia:, John Lamb

eng

Bibliography: pages 119-126

no index present

non fiction

Okinawans reaching Australia:

John Lamb

This is not only a very thoroughly researched and referenced study, but also very readable. It sheds light on little known aspect of race relations and commercial enterprise in northern Australia during the period of White Australia Policy. While it is generally known that there was Japanese involvement in the pearling industry - at least in the pre-WW2 years, the involvement of Okinawans and the reasons behind that involvement in the post-WW2 years is largely a hidden story in Australian history. There has been very little published on this topic, but this work fleshes out the details and corrects some of the omissions of those limited studies and tackles the general misconceptions that have arisen about the role and performance of Okinawans who reached Australia. John's work in identifying the stories and fate of so many individual Okinawans is exemplary and brings history back to the stories of individual human beings

Acknowledgements -- Introductions -- 1. Uchinanchu -- 2. Early Migration -- 3. Pre-War encalve & Interment -- 4. Beginnings of a Return -- 5. Darwin -- 6. Broome -- 7. Thursday Island -- Postscript -- Appendices -- Endotes -- Bibliography -- Index