[4] Okinawa's declining economy was the main contributor of emigration, but other factors included the recession caused by the Russo-Japanese War and draft dodging.
[4] While many Okinawans wanted to return home after making enough money in Hawaii, many also stayed behind and permanently settled.
[4] Okinawans in Hawaii faced discrimination by the local Japanese community, who saw them as backwards due to cultural and linguistic differences.
[6] Common insults included "pig-eater", and many customs such as the hajichi (Okinawan female tattoos) were made fun of.
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[7] (内地, "inner lands").