琉球人 | |
|---|---|
| Total population | |
| 415,361[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Brazil | 162,892[1] |
 United States | 105,670[1] |
 Peru | 71,831[1] |
 Argentina | 16,390[1] |
 Bolivia | 6,946[1] |
 Canada | 2,017[1] |
 Mexico | 1,026[1] |
| Languages | |
| Religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Japanese diaspora | |
TheRyukyuan diaspora areRyukyuan emigrants from Japan'sRyukyu Islands, especiallyOkinawa Island, and theirdescendants. The first recorded emigration of Ryukyuans was in the 15th century when they established anenclave inFuzhou, in theMing dynasty (China). Later, there was a large wave of emigration toHawaii at the start of the 20th century, followed by a wave tovarious Pacific islands in the 1920s and multiple migrations to theAmericas throughout the 20th century. Ryukyuans becameJapanese citizens whenJapan annexed theRyukyu Kingdom in 1879; therefore Ryukyuan immigrants are often labeled as part of theJapanese diaspora. Regardless, some of the Ryukyuan diaspora view themselves as a distinct group from theJapanese (Yamato).
Many people were struggling economically in theRyukyu Islands during the late 1800s and early 1900s (Meiji era). As a result, many Ryukyuans left the islands when emigration was legalized in Japan, arriving in places such asBrazil,Peru,Hawaii andmainland Japan.[2][3]
The first Ryukyuans to migrate to the United States were 26 Okinawan contract laborers led byKyuzo Toyama. They arrived in theTerritory of Hawaii on January 8, 1900, and worked on the sugar plantations there.[4] In 2020, there were an estimated 45,000 to 50,000Hawaiians of Ryukyuan ancestry, totaling around 3% of the state's population.[4]
The first Japanese migrants to Brazil arrived at the port ofSantos inSão Paulo on June 18, 1908. Half of these migrants were Ryukyuans.[5][6]
