Continuity of Colonial Legacy for Middle Class Okinawan : Repatriates from Taiwan in the Postwar Okinawa

For repatriates from Imperial colonies of Japan, continuity of human capital such as education, work experiences, and social class, is mainly examined those who return to main islands of Japan and only a few examined those who return from Taiwan. This study examines the repatriates from Taiwan to Okinawa, where reconstruction of the post-war period had been done by the control of United States. In particular, this paper focuses on those who were middle class in colonial Taiwan as bureaucrats, teachers and business men, and considers how they acquired social status at the time of decolonization and reconstruction of Okinawa with utilizing their human capitals. Moreover, with comparing the female repatriates to main islands of Japan, the life course of their daughters is considered. The findings of this study are as follows. First, the repatriates who were bureaucrats or teachers to Okinawa mostly take different job from the one in Taiwan. This is a sharp contrast to those who return to main islands of Japan got jobs that have any continuity with former career. Secondly, their daughters are also quite different, not only they did not quite jobs and be housewives, they could have university education and important positions in the reconstruction of Okinawa such as pharmacist, medical staffs, and teachers. Finally, these differences found to be based on different social background in post-war reconstructions