Former Resident Director: 2008-2009

Jonathan Okamura, UHM Ethnic Studies Department (Fall 2008 in London)

I gained professionally as an ethnic studies scholar by acquiring new theoretical and empirical knowledge of London and the UK in general as another important setting of race and ethnic relations, besides Hawai‘i and the continental United States. As a specialist in Asian American studies, I learned quite a bit about the status and experiences of British Asian groups, including Indians, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis and Chinese, and how they are both similar and different from those of Asian groups in the United States. Being here, I was able to observe and make direct inquiries about the nature of race and ethnic relations and of different minority groups in London rather than have to rely on only published materials. I will make immediate use of the knowledge and perspectives I gained by incorporating them in my course next summer on ethnic identity and in a course on comparative race and ethnic relations I am proposing for the new master’s degree program in ethnic studies. I also established a friendship with Prof. John Eade, director of the Centre for Research on Nationalism, Ethnicity and Multiculturalism at Roehampton that should result in a mutual exchange of publications and research information.