Week 7 Discussion

The Battle of Okinawa is one of major battles happened in Pacific areas. During the battle, Japanese imperial army was defeated by United States’ troops and Okinawa people lost nearly half of population. Okinawa was fought on the side with Japan, so Americans are responsible for victims on the island. Those Okinawa women experience a tremendous trauma after seeing their husband, children, and friends slaughtered by Americans. These traumas raises their fear of war and hatred for American troops. As a result, when these women saw that Americans, their past enemy, are building military bases on Okinawa, they were fighting bravely against this action. What is more, in the process of building the military bases, American took over most productive Okinawa land from farmers, and compensate Okinawa poorly. These cruel actions cause new trauma for Okinawa residence. The US military took Okinawa’s best farmland in the harvest season, as a result, Okinawans not only had to face the cold fact that they were dispelled from their own houses, but also experienced hunger in the following. This new trauma also contribute to Okinawans’ objection towards US military base.