Okinawan music and literature are now trendy among mainland Japanese, but this represents a departure in the long history of the ancient Ryukyu Kingdom. Rabson (emeritus, East Asian studies, Brown U.), who first encountered Okinawa as a US army draftee in the late 1960s, presents a first such history in English of, and survey excerpts on, the prejudice and discrimination that Japanese citizens from Okinawa Prefecture faced on Japan's mainland from large-scale migration beginning in 1879 to 1945-72, when travel restrictions were imposed by the US military occupation. Excerpts from his survey reveal how this diaspora experience has inspired a vibrant culture and pride in roots, as among minorities elsewhere. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)