The conflict between Okinawan and Japanese languages hinges on the problem of definition. The current Japanese government views the conflict as an intralingual issue, since they claim Okinawan is a mere dialect of Japanese. The Okinawan people see their language as distinct from Japanese and have since the 19^th century. Therefore, they view the language dispute as a geo-political minority conflict. In 1879, the Ryūkyūan islands were annexed and became a Japanese prefecture. Standardization efforts began with the promotion of second language education, with “Okinawa Conversation” – a bilingual Okinawan-Japanese textbook – used in all schools by 1880 [Heinrich, 2005].  The 1907 Ordinance to Regulate the Dialect enforced the sole use of Standard Japanese in schools and public offices, wherein schoolchildren were taught to monitor and enforce language use between their peers [Heinrich, 2005]. With the 1931 Movement for the Enforcement of the Standard Language, attempts to enforce Standard Japanese entered all forms of Ryūkyūan society [Heinrich, 2005]. While Japan has stopped actively suppressing the language, most native Okinawan speakers today are elderly, and many of the current generation cannot understand it at all. Some younger people are attempting to revitalize their language, but Okinawan, along with the other Ryukyuan languages, is slowly dying out.