#soogwachi

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#BringingOkinawaHome #SoogwachiResolution

We want to encourage local Uchinaanchu/Shimanchu to start incorporating Okinawan traditions and culture into their everyday lives, in any way possible. We all have to start somewhere and we mustn't let our age ("I'm too old to start learning"), our generation ("as a 5th generation, I'm too far removed"), or how much we know about Okinawa ("my grandparents only taught me 'akisamiyoo'") make us feel unwilling – or "not Okinawan enough" – to embrace our cultural heritage.

Today's guest contributor said it perfectly:

"I'm still new to this, there's a lot of intricacies I never grew up learning–which in itself can be a scary thought– but for this year I'm not letting perfection be the enemy of the intentionality."

Let's make it our 2021 Soogwachi (New Year) Resolution to feel Okinawan enough and dive deeper into Okinawan traditions and culture!

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Photos and words reposted with permission from local Uchinaanchu/Shimanchu Alexyss McClellan-Ufugusuku

ii Sougwachi deebiru! (Happy Lunar New Year!) I don't think I'm the only Shimanchu to not grow up celebrating Lunar New Year (it's not exactly assimilation approved), so this was my first year I attempted to celebrate myself! The last few years I've brought goya champuru to New Years parties, but never tried to celebrate on the day and for myself. So what I ended up making was not totally traditional, a lot of ingredients were hard/impossible to find in store, but still ended up cooking from when classes ended at 11am to about 6pm. Since being totally traditional was not a possibility for me, I chose instead to be very intentional about what I did today. I cooked the things I remembered my Miyoko Obasan cooking last year when I was there: mozuku tempura, and green bean+spam tempura, as well as my Obachan's shrimp tempura. I also chose to make gubu with pork wrapped around, and bought red kamaboko to put in the center of the plate I offered the ancestors. My "butsudan" was an old old photo of my uyafaafuji and a placard I made with Obachan's dad's name (he was killed on Tinian during the war). I'm still new to this there's a lot of intricacies I never grew up learning–which in itself can be a scary thought– but for this year l'm not letting perfection be the enemy of the intentionality. Most importantly, I FaceTimed Obachan to wish her a happy new year. I also brought otoshidama and sata andagi to the kids next door which made the whole day extra worth it. Happy year of the Ox!