[race/colonialism] I have such a desire to do a comic someday about Okinawa but I am not even close to wrapping my head around the how or what I want to do with that

Okinawa is complicated.

I’ve been reading Night in the American Village by Akemi Johnson and it’s a truly amazing read and kind of confirms how much we brush over in American culture and history our continued close ties with Okinawa

periodt.

Including a refusal to acknowledge those ties

Yeah it’s SUPER COMPLICATED

Also technically Okinawa doesn't even belong to the Japanese. TO START WITH.

Okinawan culture is also like, severely underrepresented in American knowledge

As are many, may cultures (Especially a disproportionate number of ones that we maintain military presence in)

*many

Like there are several valid reasons the people in Okinawa view themselves as Okinawan FIRST.

Yeah definitely, it has an autonomous culture and history and the modern merger of japan and the Okinawan island was....mostly to throw Okinawa under the bus.

If I had my dream of dreams (aka all the money and time I could need) I would love to do a research trip to Okinawa. Doing a story that draws on the cultural trappings of a culture that doesn’t get represented much or....nearly ever in the US is something I would like to do.

I think it just involves even more care than usual because of the complex nature of the relationship with America.

Someday I’ll convince my mom to go with me....I think she’s warming to the idea.