Event
Brandon Marc Higa; From the Ryukyu Kingdom to Honouliuli: Okinawan POWs in Historical Context
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Dr. Brandon Marc Higa is a lecturer in law with a doctor of juridical sciences (S.J.D.) and juris doctor (J.D.) degrees from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa William S. Richardson School of Law. His presentation complements Professor Kaori Akiyama’s talk by providing essential historical background on Okinawa before World War II. Drawing from his dissertation research, Dr. Higa traces Okinawa’s transformation from the independent Ryukyu Kingdom to its annexation as a Japanese prefecture in 1879, highlighting the complex political and cultural shifts that shaped Okinawan identity under imperial rule. This historical context helps explain the distinct experiences of Okinawan POWs at Honouliuli and other internment sites, setting them apart from other Japanese detainees. Dr. Higa’s talk invites reflection on Honouliuli’s legacy as a site of remembrance and a lens through which to examine civil liberties, war, and the ongoing formation of indigenous identity.
Brandon Marc Higa is a lecturer in law and licensed attorney with a doctor of juridical sciences (S.J.D.) and juris doctor (J.D.) degrees from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa William S. Richardson School of Law. Higa received a NSEP Boren Fellowship to complete post-graduate research at Stanford University’s Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies in Yokohama, Japan. His undergraduate study abroad experience includes exchanges to Waseda University (Tōkyō, Japan) as a Freeman - ASIA awardee and Kyung Hee University (Seoul, South Korea) through the Critical Language Scholarship while completing dual bachelors and master's degrees in international relations at the University of Southern California.