12-29-2014, 02:01 AM
I have observed, in reading this history of Hawaii, that the waves of immigration to the islands since the days of Captain Cook and whaling anyway have been driven by the large landowners.
One by one the large landowners imported workers for the fields. Portugese, Chinese, Phillipino and Japanese were all invited here and one by one took their place and slowly took made their way up the social ladder.
Each ethnic group brought their own cultural affinities to the mix and for the most part were controlled and contained by the plantation system. One did not rock the boat or there were serious consequences.
Then in the late 1950's the large landowners, especially on the Big Island, made what could be called a mistake. They subdivided huge tracts of land, mostly in Puna, and planted for sale signs. In doing so they invited mainland haoles here and we came. We also brought our cultural affinities with us and those included going to meetings, taking notes and complaining.
We newcomer haoles did not owe our jobs and income to the plantation and could not be threatened with themselves or family members losing their jobs. We were generally economically independent and as such outside traditional control. But we were invited to come and here we are.
It is my position that like other ethnic groups we are as entitled to stay as are the Portugese, Phillipino, Chinese and Japanese. The powers that be will just have to adjust. It was their decisions which made the present reality
It is not a good/bad thing. It is just they way it is... and it all comes back to what has proven to be the illegal subdivision of tens of thousands of lots on the Big Island.
The Hawaiian are not to blame for this. Neither are we. If there is resentment it should be aimed at the large plantation land owners who still exercise as much control as they can over the politics and economic structure of these islands as they can.
One by one the large landowners imported workers for the fields. Portugese, Chinese, Phillipino and Japanese were all invited here and one by one took their place and slowly took made their way up the social ladder.
Each ethnic group brought their own cultural affinities to the mix and for the most part were controlled and contained by the plantation system. One did not rock the boat or there were serious consequences.
Then in the late 1950's the large landowners, especially on the Big Island, made what could be called a mistake. They subdivided huge tracts of land, mostly in Puna, and planted for sale signs. In doing so they invited mainland haoles here and we came. We also brought our cultural affinities with us and those included going to meetings, taking notes and complaining.
We newcomer haoles did not owe our jobs and income to the plantation and could not be threatened with themselves or family members losing their jobs. We were generally economically independent and as such outside traditional control. But we were invited to come and here we are.
It is my position that like other ethnic groups we are as entitled to stay as are the Portugese, Phillipino, Chinese and Japanese. The powers that be will just have to adjust. It was their decisions which made the present reality
It is not a good/bad thing. It is just they way it is... and it all comes back to what has proven to be the illegal subdivision of tens of thousands of lots on the Big Island.
The Hawaiian are not to blame for this. Neither are we. If there is resentment it should be aimed at the large plantation land owners who still exercise as much control as they can over the politics and economic structure of these islands as they can.
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
Punaweb moderator