#immigrantfarmworkers

Couple weeks ago, an #Uchinaanchu cousin from #Brazil contacted me after finding me as a DNA match. How awesome we got to "meet" last week via Zoom.

When I got my brother to take a DNA test few years ago to aid in genealogy research of our dad’s / American family, I definitely wasnʻt expecting anyone on my mom’s / Uchinaanchu side of family to show up as matches. But Iʻve been pleasantly surprised by the #Shimanchu cousins Iʻm encountering across the #diaspora.

As I've sifted through various documents and ships’ manifests in search of possible relatives that connect us cousins, I've come across descriptions like those pictured here, which made my heart race as I felt something tug at it and my eyes widen:

"Tattoo marks on back of 2nd and 3rd finger of both hands."

"Tattoo marks on backs of all fingers of both hands..."

Hajichi.

I could almost picture their hands blessed with #hajichi, holding so many stories past/present/future - connecting their lives in Ryukyu islands and journey to new shores with our present and collective memories and all our connected roots in our beloved ʻnmarijima, across #LooChoo.

This manifest is filled with pages of passenger names almost entirely young Uchinaanchu arriving as “farm workers.”

These Shimanchu arrived in Hawai'i as #ImmigrantFarmworkers or traveled on to Mexico, US, Peru, Brazil, Argentina... Many were recruited with promises of guaranteed work, steady pay, and in some cases land or free lodging. Many would discover otherwise upon their arrivals.

My cousins are here now reaching out to each other because somehow the passengers of this ship and others that passed through these ports found ways to persevere. It is important we do our part to remember and learn from them, even if we must dig a little together now to do so.

Whenever I review ship manifests and immigration documents, I often wonder what folks thought and felt as their new home could be seen on the horizon and their future came more clearly into view...

Hi Tumblr family! 

For those of you who may not know me, my name is Tiffany and I’m a sophomore at Lehman College in the Bronx,NY. i’m a part of a volunteer program at mycollege and we do service in the community and abroad. Most of my friends in the program are going to places like Honduras, D.R. and Nicaragua. I decided to do my service within the United States because I think one should look to help their own neighbors before extending a hand to those overseas.  This spring break (beginning the first week of April) I will be going to Apopka, Florida. In Apopka, will be working with undocumented/migrant farm workers.As a volunteer, I will be working on the farm, alongside the workers from Sun up to Sun down and will also be informing them of their rights as non citizens and how to handle situations when they come across a police officer. i have to raise 100% of the expenses and so I have been asking family members and members of my church for donations but it’s not enough.  I took on more hours at work while going to school full time and I’m very behind on my payments. I decided to make a gofundme page in hopes that my fellow Tumblr community will support me in this. The link to my donation page is http://www.gofundme.com/ooi3r4  

Every donation will be a tremendous help.