Wesley Ueunten

Wesley Ueunten is a Professor in the Asian American Studies Department within San Francisco State University's College of Ethnic Studies. Currently on a Fulbright fellowship at Meio University in Okinawa, he researches Okinawan cultural identity in diaspora contexts shaped by U.S. and Japanese colonialism.

Education:

• Ph.D. Ethnic Studies, University of California at Berkeley
• M.A. Sociology, University of Hawai'i, Manoa
• B.A. Ethnic Studies, University of Hawai'i, Manoa

His research critically examines Okinawan identity formation through cultural transmission, intergenerational trauma, and resistance against appropriation. He investigates how discrimination within Japanese immigrant communities forced Okinawan traditions into private spheres, and how these practices later emerged as public symbols of identity amid commodification trends. His work centers Okinawan women's experiences and U.S. military occupation impacts.

Analysis of his publications reveals a cohesive trajectory from historical resistance movements (e.g., 1970 Koza Uprising) to contemporary identity politics, with consistent focus on diaspora communities across Hawai'i, the Americas, and Okinawa. His scholarship demonstrates evolving methodologies from oral history to critical discourse analysis, highlighting gendered dimensions of cultural survival.

Scientific Awards:

• Community University Empowerment Grant, SFSU Cesar Chavez Institute (2010)
• New Uchina Goodwill Ambassador Activities Support Program Grant

Professor Ueunten actively mentors through campus roles as Faculty Advisor for the Asian Student Union and Hmong Student Association. His community leadership includes Vice Presidency of the Okinawa Kenjinkai of San Francisco, founding membership in Genyukai Berkeley, and research contributions to the Japanese Peruvian Oral History Project.

His current Fulbright project documents the transnational journey of a traditional Okinawan song from hidden family practice to global symbol of identity, interviewing diaspora communities in Hawai'i, California, and Okinawa including South American return migrants.