Writing a Biography of the Federated States Of Micronesia's Tosiwo Nakayama

This presentation centers on a reflective summary of the recently published biography of Tosiwo Nakayama, the first president of the Federated States of Micronesia.

Against formidable odds, Nakayama endeavored with others to create an independent, self-governing political entity from the "remnants" of United States strategic interests in the western Pacific. His public life offers a site for the critical re-examination of decolonization, nation-state construction, regional crossings, the actual dimension of island worlds, the very idea of a "Micronesia," and the doing of cross-cultural biographies.

David Hanlon teaches history at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. His previous publications include Remaking Micronesia: Discourses over Development in at Pacific Territory, 1944-1982, and Upon a Stone Altar: A History of the Island of Pohnpei to 1890. Hanlon is a past director of the UHM Center for Pacific Islands Studies.

Event Sponsor
Center for Biographical Research, Mānoa Campus

More Information
Center for Biographical Research, (808) 956-3774, biograph@hawaii.edu, http://blog.hawaii.edu/cbrhawaii/

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