As Okinawa is an island prefecture with scarce arable land , the poor of Okinawa sought a means of escape by overseas emigration.
In 1899 the first 26 immigrants from Okinawa were dispatched to Hawaii under the efforts of Kyuzo Toyama and in the seven years after, over 4670 joined them in their immigration, most of them to Hawaii. The Okinawans seeking to escape the Cycad Hell occupied over 10% of the Japanese who immigrated in the years between 1923 and 1930.
The funds sent from overseas back to Okinawa gave significant and much needed support for their families and aided the economy of Okinawa as a whole. While there were some great success stories, most of those who went to work overseas had to endure hardships while continuing to work.
In addition to those working overseas, there were many Okinawans who moved to the mainland to find work. Most of the immigrants to the mainland settled in the Kobe-Osaka region and worked in the spinning and weaving industries. Many worked in appalling conditions and were humiliated by the discrimination against Okinawans.
Many formed organizations and associations of Okinawans as peer support seeking to raise the appalling living standards of Okinawan workers. They survived and got stronger.