The Okinawans in Hawaii ( Okinawan: ハワイ沖縄人, ''Hawai uchinānchu'') are a Ryukyuan ethnic group, numbering anywhere between 45,000-50,000 people, or 3% of Hawaii’s total population.

History

Immigration

The economy of

Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...

plummeted following its incorporation into

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

after 1879. As a result of worsening conditions, many Okinawans wished to move elsewhere for a better life. Previously, Japan had prohibited emigratIon from

Okinawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city o ...

, but this decision was later reversed in the late 1890s. In 1899, the first group of Okinawan migrants were formed, numbering 26 people. Led by emigration activist

Kyuzo Toyama was an Okinawan political activist. He is commonly referred to as the "father of Okinawan emigration" due to his work in sending Okinawans abroad. Early life In 1868, Toyama was born in the town of Kin, Okinawa to a wealthy family. However, h ...

, these laborers arrived in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

on January 8, 1900. Subsequent waves of migrants came to Hawaii in the following years, with the second group, also led by Kyuzo, arriving in 1903. This group had 40 people. Okinawa's declining economy was the main contributor of emigration, but other factors included the recession caused by the

Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...

and draft dodging.

Settlement

While many Okinawans wanted to return home after making enough money in Hawaii, many also stayed behind and permanently settled. This caused the formation of the Okinawan community of Hawaii. By 1908, over 8,500 Hawaii residents were of Okinawan descent. Okinawans in Hawaii faced discrimination by the local Japanese community, who saw them as backwards due to cultural and linguistic differences. Common insults included "pig-eater", and many customs such as the

hajichi are traditional tattoos worn on the hands of Ryukyuan (mainly Okinawan) women. History The custom was first recorded in the 16th century but is believed to date back much further. The tattoos could represent pride in being a woman, beauty, and ...

(Okinawan female tattoos) were made fun of.

Identity

Because Okinawa used to be an independent country from Japan, many Okinawan migrants viewed themselves as a distinct group from the Yamato Japanese, or ''Naichi''. The attitude of being a distinct group persists today among Hawaii Okinawans. There are numerous cultural organizations for the Okinawans in Hawaii, the largest one being the

Hawaii United Okinawa Association The Hawaii United Okinawa Association (HUOA, ja, ハワイ沖縄連合会, ''Hawai Okinawa Rengō-kai'') is a cultural organization for the Okinawan community of Hawaii. History The HUOA was founded in 1951 under the name “United Okinawan A ...

. As of 2020, it enrolls over 40,000 people across 50 different member clubs, each pertaining to a specific region in Okinawa. Since the 1970s, the HUOA has held an annual Okinawan Cultural Festival.

Notable people

Ryan Higa Ryan Higa (born June 6, 1990), also known as nigahiga ( ), is an American Internet personality. Best known for his comedy videos on YouTube, Higa began making YouTube videos in 2006 and was one of the most popular creators on the platform in it ...

, YouTuber *

David Ige David Yutaka Ige (; born January 15, 1957) is an American politician and engineer who served as the eighth governor of Hawaii from 2014 to 2022. A Democrat, he served in the Hawaii State Senate from 1995 to 2014 and the Hawaii House of Represen ...

, current governor of Hawaii * Rob Kajiwara, Okinawan-Hawaiian political activist * Yeiki Kobashigawa, Medal of Honor recipient (WW2) *

Herbert Matayoshi Herbert Tatsuo Matayoshi (November 21, 1928 – July 11, 2011) was an American politician and businessman. Matayoshi was the mayor of Hawaii County from 1974 to 1984. He was the third Mayor of Hawaii County, as well as its second elected Mayor ov ...

, former mayor of Hawaii county * Shinyei Nakamine, Medal of Honor recipient (WW2) *

Robert Taira Robert Taira (November 5, 1923 in Hilo, Hawaii – May 29, 2003 in Torrance, California) was the founder of King's Hawaiian bakery. Taira was born and raised in Hilo, the ninth of eleven children of Ryukyuan people, Okinawan immigrants. He serv ...

, restaurant owner * Dwight Takamine, state senator *

Roy Yamaguchi Roy Yamaguchi (born 1956) is a Japanese-American celebrity chef, restaurateur, and founder of a collection of restaurants, including 30 Roy's Restaurants in the United States and Guam, the Tavern by Roy Yamaguchi and Eating House 1849. He is one ...

, chef and entrepreneur *

Stephen K. Yamashiro Stephen Kei Yamashiro (July 15, 1941 – May 24, 2011) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the former Mayor of Hawaii, Mayor of Hawaii County, Hawaii, Hawaii County from 1992 to 2000. Yamashiro served on the Hawaii County council ...

, former mayor of Hawaii county

References