Ryukyuan diaspora

Ryukyuan diaspora
琉球人
Total population
1.9+ million[1][2]
Regions with significant populations
 United States580,000[3]
 Japan480,000[2]note
 Brazil260,000[4]note
 Peru150,000[5]note
 Taiwan-[5]note
 Argentina-[5]note
 Canada-[5]note
 Mexico-[5]note
 Chile-[5]note
 Philippines-[5]note
Languages
Ryukyuan languages, Japanese, English, Tagalog, Chinese, and others
Religion
Ryukyuan religion, Buddhism, Shinto, Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Japanese diaspora

^ note: Ryukyuans living in Japan outside of the Ryukyu Islands are considered part of an internal diaspora.
^ note: The exact number of Ryukyuans living in other countries is unknown. They are usually counted as Japanese or Asian in censuses.

The Ryukyuan diaspora are the Ryukyuan emigrants from the Ryukyu Islands, especially Okinawa Island, and their descendants that reside in a foreign country. The first recorded emigration of Ryukyuans was in the 15th century when they established an exclave in Fuzhou in Ming Dynasty (China). Later, there was a large wave of emigration to Hawaii at the start of the 20th century, followed by a wave to various Pacific islands in the 1920s and multiple migrations to the Americas throughout the 20th century. Ryukyuans became Japanese citizens when Japan annexed the Ryukyu Kingdom in 1879; therefore Ryukyuan immigrants are often labeled as part of the Japanese diaspora. Regardless, some of the Ryukyuan diaspora view themselves as a distinct group from the Japanese (Yamato).

  1. ^ Noguchi, Mary Goebel; Fotos, Sandra (2001). Studies in Japanese Bilingualism. Multilingual Matters. p. 69. ISBN 978-1-85359-490-8. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  2. ^ a b Rabson, Steve. The Okinawan Diaspora in Japan: Crossing the Borders Within. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2012. 2.
  3. ^ Mitchell, Jon (2016-10-22). "Welcome home, Okinawa". The Japan Times Online.
  4. ^ Nakasone, Ronald. Okinawan Diaspora. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2002.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Nakasone, Ronald. Okinawan Diaspora. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2002.

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