Mariko Middleton │Podcaster, Activist and Future Hajichaa

Multi-racial, second-generation diasporic Okinawan

I first met Mariko Middleton through the Ichariba Choodee Podcast as I was trying to follow a thread to my Okinawan roots. Ichariba Choodee is Uchinaguuchi for “when we meet, we become brothers, sisters, family.” For me, it was family at first sight.

Mariko is part of my monchu… another Okinawan word that means “one family” that is often translated (usu…