The first recorded emigration of Ryukyuans was in the 15th century when they established an enclave in Fuzhou, in the Ming dynasty (China).

Regardless, some of the Ryukyuan diaspora view themselves as a distinct group from the Japanese (Yamato).

Many people were struggling economically in the Ryukyu Islands during the late 1800s and early 1900s (Meiji era).

[2][3] The first Ryukyuans to migrate to the United States were 26 Okinawan contract laborers led by Kyuzo Toyama.

[4] The first Japanese migrants to Brazil arrived at the port of Santos in São Paulo on June 18, 1908.