Ryukyuans in Brazil

Ryukyuans in Brazil
Total population
170,000
Languages
Brazilian Portuguese, Ryukyuan languages, Japanese
Religion
Catholicism, Ryukyuan religion, Bouddhism, Shintoism, Irreligion
Related ethnic groups
Ryukyuan people, Japanese Brazilians

The Ryukyuans in Brazil are Brazilian nationals of Ryukyuan descent.

History

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Many people were struggling economically in the Ryukyu Islands during the late 1800s and early 1900s. As a result, many Ryukyuans emigrated elsewhere to places such as Brazil, Peru, Hawaii and mainland Japan.[1]

On June 18, 1908, the first migrants from Japan arrived at the port of Santos in São Paulo. Half of these migrants were Okinawans.[2] Immigration from the Ryukyu Islands to Brazil would continue in the following years.

Demographics

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Ryukyuans in Brazil make up 9.4% (170,000) of the entire Brazilian Nikkei community (1,600,000), despite Ryukyuans making up only 1% of Japan's total population.[2] The Nikkei communities in neighboring Peru and Argentina are majority Ryukyuan-descended.[2]

The majority of Ryukyuans in South America specifically belong to the Okinawan subgroup.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Aug 2015, Mina Otsuka / 18. "Immigration—Missing Link in Japanese History: Why Are There So Many Okinawan Immigrants? – Part 1". Discover Nikkei. Retrieved 2020-04-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ a b c "A little corner of Brazil that is forever Okinawa". BBC News. 2018-02-04. Retrieved 2020-04-06.