What is an Uchinānchu?

Okinawa Island is called “Uchinā” in the Okinawan language while its inhabitants the Okinawans, are called “Uchinānchu”.
Depending on whom you ask, some may define the Uchinānchu solely as the inhabitants of Okinawa Island by itself, while others include the inhabitants of the other Ryukyuan Islands.

There are over 1.3 million Uchināhchu in the Okinawa Prefecture, and over 300,000 Uchinānchu residing in other Japanese prefectures. Due to large scale immigration, there are hundreds of thousands of Uchinānchu living outside of Japan, with Brazil, Hawaii, and Peru being the next largest centers respectively.

The origins of the Uchinānchu are unclear, but genetic evidence have shown that today’s Uchinānchu are descended from an ancient ethnic group, the “Jomon”, which are considered to be the earliest inhabitants of Japan. Another ethnic group, the “Yayoi”, entered Japan from mainland Asia, and began displacing some of the Jomon. Some Yayoi later migrated south towards Okinawa Island and mixed with the local inhabitants to form the Uchinānchu. Aside from the Uchinānchu, today’s Ainu and mainland Japanese also share descent from these two ethnicities, although at varying degrees.

Finally, there are also the “Uchinānchu at heart” who are not of Uchinānchu blood, but have strong interests in Okinawa and its culture and people. Many Uchināhchu at heart have made great contributions to Okinawa, its history, culture and people

Further Reading:
Anthropological Science Site
The Genetic Origins of the Japanese
Journal of Japanese Studies Vol. 26 No.2