The Okinawan Diaspora as an Immigration Network:

The Case of the Brazilian, Bolivian and Argentine Migrants in Tsurumi, Yokohama

Abstract

In Japanese-South-American Migration Studies, the term “nikkei” has been used to refer to Japanese descendants, but this word has concealed a difference between people who have roots in mainland Japan and Okinawans. Historically, many people have emigrated from Okinawa to other countries and mainland Japan where they formed unique multilateral networks, which the author calls Okinawan Diasporic Networks. In this article, by analyzing the migration of Bolivian, Brazilian and Argentine migrants to Tsurumi, Yokohama, the author suggests that the Okinawan Diaspora has functioned as an immigration network for Okinawan-South-American people's migration to Japan. Tsurumi was connected to some communities in South-American countries through the Okinawan Diasporic Networks, and Okinawan people who are from these communities migrated to Tsurumi.