Skip to content
iQ 360
An integrated communications agency
360
  • Home
  • Our Work
  • Capabilities
  • About
  • Join Us
  • Blog
  • Contact
We build + protect reputations
iQ 360’s account director, Lynn Miyahira, giving her speech at the Hawaii United Okinawa Association Installation Banquet on Jan. 18, 2020, where she was recently appointed president of the Association.

In Her Words: Lynn Miyahira on Building Community

01.29.20 | by iQ Staff
  • Share via
Insights, PR
  • Share via

Community relations — the art of developing mutually beneficial relationships in the communities we work in — is an integral part of public relations. Organizations and leaders can benefit from building relationships with people from a wide variety of backgrounds, industries and interests, fostering trust, valuable partnerships and goodwill over time. Community organizations such as churches, Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts, cultural groups, social justice causes, and even sports teams all nurture a sense of trust and bonding.

It can be hard to find precious time outside of work to volunteer with community organizations or nonprofits, but the investment is well worth it. Volunteering in the community allows us to enhance our own lives by building personal and professional networks, while supporting causes we’re passionate about.

iQ 360’s account director, Lynn Miyahira, knows firsthand the importance of building relationships by getting involved in her community. Lynn was recently appointed president of the Hawaii United Okinawa Association, a cultural organization with more than 40,000 members throughout Hawaii.

In her speech at the HUOA Installation Banquet on Jan. 18, 2020, she shares her thoughts on the importance of getting involved — and the strength that comes from bringing people together.

 

“Lynn shares her thoughts on the importance of getting involved — and the strength that comes from bringing people together.”

 

As a child, I was immersed in the Okinawan community — I took Okinawan dance lessons, played taiko and did karate. My father, who was also the president of this HUOA back in 1990, dragged my sister and I to every single Okinawan event possible — so, it’s not like I had a choice!

But it wasn’t until I was in college on the Mainland that I realized what a gift my Okinawan community was. It took moving away and having to explain my Okinawan heritage to people who had no idea what it was that I truly realized how special this community that I grew up in was. I learned about the “Pigs from the Sea” story — how after WWII the Okinawan community in Hawaii galvanized to organize one of the greatest post-war relief efforts by raising enough money to send 550 pigs to Okinawa after the war. It was only after organizing my first fundraiser that I realized what an amazing feat that must have been.

They say it takes a village to raise a child. I AM that child. This community raised me. You were there to love and support me when I succeeded, and you were there to scold me when I was running around backstage at the Okinawan Festival.

When my mother passed away, you were there for my family and especially for my father… to lift him up so that he didn’t feel alone. And then when he got sick and passed away, you were there for me too. It’s because of that love and support that I continue to be involved with the Okinawan community today.

I look around at all of you in the room and feel an incredible sense of pride in our community. And I’m not the only one who thinks that we have something special here.

Back in 1982, in his chapter titled, “Okinawan Migrants to Hawaii,” a University of Hawaii professor named Dr. Scott Matsumoto wrote, “A notable characteristic of the Okinawans in Hawaii has been their ability to organize and work in groups with a strong sense of social solidarity. The network of family ties as well as place of origin in Okinawa have played important roles in the successful development of many business enterprises. They have made important contributions to Hawaii as political, financial, and cultural leaders of the community.”

Isn’t it nice when others recognize that there’s some special going on here? But what is it? What is that something special?

I believe the strength of our community is our ability to span generations. How many times do you see grandma/grandpa, mom/dad and the kids all together at Okinawan events? We don’t only focus on the young, or business professionals, or senior citizens. We are able to bring multi-generations together.

I also think that what unites us is a common sense of pride in overcoming adversity. So, when we face challenges in our own lives, we should pause for a moment and think about the adversities our ancestors had to overcome — they survived the plantations, they’ve survived wars, they’ve built lives from nothing and they did it not by competing with each other, but by helping each other out. We should never lose that immigrant mentality — that grit, that compassion for others…that is what unites and will keep us the Hawaii UNITED Okinawa Association.

So, to all of you young kids in the audience — I was once an 8-year-old kid sitting at this very banquet wondering why I needed to be here and sit through speeches for hours. Hopefully, one day you’ll understand what a gift this community is.

Like most fourth-generation Uchinanchu in Hawaii today, I never got a chance to meet the Issei generation. But it’s not only that first generation who has left behind gifts. The second and third generations also worked incredibly hard to gain a deep respect from the wider community. They have built a proud place for us here in the multi-cultural fabric of Hawaii.

Let’s make sure that we continue to work together and remember the Okinawan value of yuimaaru as we head into 2020! Chibariyo!

  • Share via

Top Picks for You


March 22, 2023

Welcome iQ 360’s New Account Executive, Bianca Kahele-Fontanilla →

March 15, 2023

Welcome iQ 360’s New Senior Account Coordinator, Josh Adachi →

Post navigation

 Bringing Brands to Life Through Experiential Marketing
6 Tips to Improve Your Business Writing Skills 

Categories

C-Suite
Tactics & Tips
Visual Communication
iQ Insights

Must Reads

December 18, 2019

Reflecting and Goal Setting for Communicators [WORKSHEET] →

January 8, 2020

PR and Marketing Predictions for the Next Decade →

December 4, 2019

Create a Company Culture That Reflects You →

Stay in the know with our quarterly newsletter
Loading...
iQ 360

We believe in the power of communication to change the world

808.536.2729
Privacy Policy | ©2023 iQ 360 Inc. All rights reserved.
We are a certified minority- and woman-owned business.
iQ 360

We believe in the power of communication to change the world

808.536.2729
Privacy Policy
©2023 iQ 360 Inc. All rights reserved.

We are a certified minority- and woman-owned business.

Privacy Policy

Last updated on June 5, 2018.

 

This privacy policy explains our collection, use, disclosure, retention, and protection of personal information collected through our website, www.iq360inc.com (the “Website”).

 

  1. Information We Collect

We collect personally identifiable information about you, including your name, email address, and phone number, when you send an inquiry to us on the contact form on the Website.

 

  1. How We Use Your Information

We will use your information only to respond to you regarding the reason you contacted us. We will contact you by the means by that you have consented to us contacting you, as you indicate when you submit an inquiry to us via the Website.  We will not share your information with any third party outside of our organization.  We do not send any promotional emails; however, we may contact you via email in the future to tell you about changes to this privacy policy.

 

  1. Cookies

 

  1. Storage of Information

Personally identifiable information that you submit to us via the Website is processed and stored, if at all, in the United States.  We will not keep your personal data for longer than is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.  We determine the retention period based on the purpose for which the information was obtained, our legal obligations, and our technical and business requirements. 

 

  1. Your Access to and Control Over Information

You have the right to opt out of any future contacts from us at any time. You may do the following at any time by contacting us via info@iq360.inc.com or 808-536-2729:

  • See what data we have about you, if any.
  • Change/correct any data we have about you.
  • Have us delete any data we have about you.
  • Express any concern you have about our use of your data or if you feel that we are not abiding by this privacy policy.

  

  1. Security

We take precautions to protect your information. When you submit sensitive information via the Website, your information is protected both online and offline. Only employees who need the information to perform a specific job (for example, customer service) are granted access to personally identifiable information. The computers/servers in which we store personally identifiable information are kept in a secure environment.

 

  1. Updates to This Statement

This privacy policy may be subject to updates.  Any material future changes or additions to the processing of personal information as described in this privacy policy affecting you will be communicated to you through an appropriate channel.  For example, we may email you to let you know about updates to the privacy policy.

 

 

Subscribe

Emails collected through this form will be used for marketing and business updates. We are the sole owners of the information collected on this site. We only have access to information that you voluntarily give us. We will not sell or rent this information to anyone. You may opt out of any future contacts from us at any time by contacting us via the email address or phone number given on our website. Please see our privacy policy for full details.