This year marks the 100th anniversary of the arrival of Puerto Rican immigrants to the Hawaiian Islands. The first ship carrying Puerto Rican workers to Hawai’i docked at Honolulu on Dec. 23, 1900. For months afterward, shiploads of additional Puerto
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the arrival of Puerto Rican immigrants
to the Hawaiian Islands.
The first ship carrying Puerto Rican workers to
Hawai’i docked at Honolulu on Dec. 23, 1900. For months afterward, shiploads of
additional Puerto Rican workers sailed from the West Coast to Hawai’i.
The
Puerto Rican migration of more than 5,000 workers in 1900-01 was the first
organized transfer of laborers between two possessions newly acquired by the
United States.
Puerto Ricans left their home island for work in the fields
of Hawai’i following a devastating hurricane in 1899, which hit hard on the
southern side of the Caribbean Island.
The Puerto Rican groups traveled to
New Orleans, La. aboard a ship, then boarded a train to Los Angeles or San
Francisco via San Antonio, Texas, to board steamers for their journey to
Hawai’i.
More than 5,200 men, women and chil dren arrived in Hawai’i from
Puerto Rico during this era. Today, thousands of their descendants still live
on Kaua’i and other Hawaiian Islands.
Puerto Ricans were divided up among
plantations across the state. Some say Maui had the first group. Other Puerto
Rican immigrant workers went to Kauai’s Lihu’e Plantation and Kilauea
Plantation.
Puerto Ricans proceeded the main Filipino immigration and moved
from one American territory to another. Puerto Rico became a territory in the
same era as Hawai’i became a territory of the United States in the late 1890s.
Because of this, Puerto Ricans weren’t required to go through immigration when
they arrived in Hawai’i, unlike other immigrant groups.
Because of this
passport-free system, Puerto Ricans in Hawai’i seeking information on their
families sometimes can’t find ship manifest records and other arrival records
to trace their heritage.
The descendants of the early Puerto Rican workers
have been active this year in organizing community events on Kaua’i as part of
a statewide celebration.
Beginning last December, Puerto Rican community
groups across the state have been marking the Puerto Rican centennial with a
wide range of events. These included several events on Kaua’i, such as a
cultural display and dance held at Kaua’i War Memorial Convention Center on
Sept. 2, sponsored by the Puerto Rican Heritage Society. Kachi kachi music —
one of several prominent Puerto Rican contributions to local culture —was
provided the Kaua’i Amigoes, a band led by Bobby Castillo, a Kaua’i
representative on the statewide Puerto Rican Centennial Commission.
Los
Cantores de Bayamon visited from Puerto Rico in July and provided singing and a
salsa band at the Sheraton Kaua’i. The local Puerto Rican community also held a
picnic for the group.
A highlight of the celebrations was the serving of
pastele, a tamale-like food made from ground green banana stuffed with meat and
candude (rice), pigeon peas, plus chicken or pork and special spices.
New
Media Manager Chris Cook can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 222) and [
HREF=”mailto:ccook@pulitzer.net”>ccook@pulitzer.net]
Photo
courtesy
Puerto Rican
Heritage
Society
