Coral and Concrete tackles the multiple stories of Kwajalein, an atoll in the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean. In the early 20th century, Kwajalein was part of the Japanese empire’s nan’yō (south seas). A battlefield during the Asia-Pacific War where many soldiers of the Japanese died, it was a place which US forces later claimed. It became the site of US nuclear and missile tests during the Cold War, receiving an influx of American military servicemen, professionals, and their families. In the 1980s, the islanders who were displaced by the American Occupation sought to reclaim their land through the Homecoming Movement. At present, Kwajalein is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, which, along with the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of Palau, is in “free association” with the United States. Their Compact of Free Association provides the US with military authority on the islands, in return for economic assistance.
Author
Maria Cynthia B. Barriga (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) has a PhD from Waseda University, Japan.
Article Information
Type of Manuscript: Review Volume, Issue, Year: Volume 58, Issue 1, Year 2022 Pages: 162–166 URL: https://asj.upd.edu.ph/index.php/archive/20-58-1-2022/181-coral-concrete-remembering-kwajalein-atoll-between-japan-america-marshall-islands-greg-dvorak
