Ryukyuan Language Reclamation: Individual Struggle and Social Change

This chapter explores language reclamation in the Ryukyu Islands. Language reclamation is defined as “a larger effort by a community to claim the right to speak a language and to set associated goals in response to community needs and perspectives” (Leonard, 2012), and therefore differs from language learning. Drawing on data collected from 13 semi-structured interviews with individuals who are learning or have learnt a Ryukyuan language, we zoom in on their personal experiences to highlight the unsettling effects of language reclamation on their identity (including national identity), emotions, and interpersonal relationships. We then consider the societal and political implications of reclaiming a language in a sociocultural environment which has been hostile to diversity and therefore calls for a critique of the current attitudes, practices, and policies.