Brief History of the First Filipinos to Arrive in Hawaii
“Centennial Poem”
As we stood on the shores of Wakiki
The truth that occurred to Julian and me
Was the wish that “Aloha” spirit stay
To share views with you as you gaze today
On the memories captured through a lens
Where the wave of immigration begins
In Hawaii, Filipinos landed
Changing America single handed
To share love, work hard and put family first
To gaze on others and dismiss their worst
To contribute to healing working as one
To gaze with great pride on all that’s been done
100 years of Filipino pride
Accomplishments celebrated in stride
For all Filipinos who paved the way
America celebrates every day
Of freedom to create, express and thrive
To teach our children, instilling the drive
To succeed and share with others at hand
Thank you the Philippines, the Motherland.
Tutubi Productions
Linda Pirrone
Sunrise - New Opportunities to Share Filipino Culture in Hawaii
Filipinos in Hawaii celebrate centennial First By Belinda A. Aquino, Inquirer
BIG ISLAND, Hawaii-One hundred years ago, at Honolulu Harbor, the 20th of December would have been just another day of ships coming and going. But at 3 o'clock that afternoon, a small crowd had gathered to witness the arrival of 15 Filipinos on board S/S Doric. Honolulu residents had seen other Asians before--Chinese, Japanese and Koreans--but not Filipinos. Amid the stares of curious onlookers, the 15 "Sacadas" (migrant farm workers) got off the boat and were transported the next day to the Olaa Plantation here on the Big Island, which is also called Hawaii. The ceremonies organized by the Filipino Centennial Celebration Commission mark the beginning of a year-long observance of the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the 15 Filipinos. One of the pioneers, Marciano Bello, reportedly from Candon, Ilocos Sur, stayed on the Big Island after his contract expired and raised a family. One of his descendants is Lorraine Rodero Inouye, the first woman of Filipino ancestry to become mayor of the Big Island who is currently a member of the state Senate. Actually, the 15 were not the first Filipinos to set foot on Hawaii . A few "Manila men" were reported to have worked in Hawaii during the time of the monarchy in the 19th century as cooks and musicians. Two were said to have petitioned to become citizens of the Kingdom of Hawaii. And at least six were known to be involved with the Royal Hawaiian Band, with one surnamed "Libornio" playing an important role. But 1906 marked the beginning of an aggressive campaign to recruit young Filipino workers by the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association (HSPA) to work on the plantations. Sugar was king in those days, and newly opened plantations were in desperate need of laborers. By the 1930s, the Sacadas had become the majority of the plantation workforce, replacing the Japanese. This caused some tension between the two competing ethnic groups. The Japanese, who came in the late 19th century, had been the dominant workforce until the Filipinos came. The US annexation of two foreign territories--Hawaii and the Philippines--had a profound impact on the burgeoning sugar industry. Hawaii's annexation opened up additional acreage for sugar cultivation and producers were given privileges similar to those on the US continent. However, annexation also made American federal laws applicable to Hawaii, now a US territory. Two such laws, the Chinese Exclusion Act and the Foran Act of 1885, hurt the labor supply as hordes of Chinese, Japanese and Portuguese workers left the plantations. The planters' dilemma therefore was to find new sources of labor. The HSPA recruited "trial" workers from Puerto Rico, Korea, Russia, Spain and even India.
The American annexation of the Philippines on Dec. 10, 1898, making it a US colony, was a godsend to the sugar planters. This meant that as American subjects, Filipinos could be recruited without any immigration restrictions. A US Senate report in 1903 mentioned the vigorous demands of the planters for the creation of a government bureau of immigration for the purpose of "superintending the importation of foreign laborers and the introduction of immigrants." A new era which would dramatically alter the ethnic demographic future of Hawaii had begun. As an American colony with a huge rural population, the Philippines immediately became the primary source of cheap labor for the plantations. Before 1920, the largest group of Sacada recruits came from the Visayas, where sugar was already a thriving industry. After 1920, HSPA recruitment was largely confined to the Ilocos where life was hard, the population dense and the land not productive for agricultural purposes. Ilocanos were the prime candidates for plantation labor because of their reputed traits of industry, frugality, hard work and simplicity. There were a few Tagalogs, like Pablo Manlapit who came from Lipa, Batangas. He rose to become the Filipinos' most militant labor leader, leading strikes on the plantations for higher wages and better working conditions for his fellow Sacadas. The lives of the early Sacadas were fraught with fear and insecurity. Ruben Alcantara, author of the first dissertation on the Sacadas, described their plight as consisting of 12 hours work on the sugar mill or 10 hours in the cane fields, interrupted only by a 30-minute lunch and occasional pause for water. "Long separation from their families, a scarcity of feminine companionship, feelings of discrimination and low status on the plantation labor hierarchy combined to place a heavy burden on the shoulders of these pioneer workers," Alcantara wrote. Between 1906 and 1930, the HSPA had brought in nearly 120,000 Filipinos to Hawaii, and in 1946, the last batch of Sacadas, consisting of 6,000 Ilocanos, arrived in Hawaii. After independence, the quota was limited to 50 a year (later increased to 100). The Tydings-McDuffie Law had defined Filipinos as "aliens" subject to immigration restrictions. Little did the original 15 know that today the Filipino community they started a century ago would grow to 270,000, comprising nearly 23 percent of Hawaii's population, the highest percentage-wise in America. Current immigration from the Philippines averages 4,000 a year. That factor plus the usually higher Filipino birth rates in the state will accelerate the Filipino community's growth, making it very much a part of Hawaii's future.
Belinda A. Aquino is a University of Hawaii professor and director of Philippine Studies. She is also a member of the Filipino Centennial Celebration Commission.
As we stood on the shores of Wakiki
The truth that occurred to Julian and me
Was the wish that “Aloha” spirit stay
To share views with you as you gaze today
On the memories captured through a lens
Where the wave of immigration begins
In Hawaii, Filipinos landed
Changing America single handed
To share love, work hard and put family first
To gaze on others and dismiss their worst
To contribute to healing working as one
To gaze with great pride on all that’s been done
100 years of Filipino pride
Accomplishments celebrated in stride
For all Filipinos who paved the way
America celebrates every day
Of freedom to create, express and thrive
To teach our children, instilling the drive
To succeed and share with others at hand
Thank you the Philippines, the Motherland.
Tutubi Productions
Linda Pirrone
Sunrise - New Opportunities to Share Filipino Culture in Hawaii
Filipinos in Hawaii celebrate centennial First By Belinda A. Aquino, Inquirer
BIG ISLAND, Hawaii-One hundred years ago, at Honolulu Harbor, the 20th of December would have been just another day of ships coming and going. But at 3 o'clock that afternoon, a small crowd had gathered to witness the arrival of 15 Filipinos on board S/S Doric. Honolulu residents had seen other Asians before--Chinese, Japanese and Koreans--but not Filipinos. Amid the stares of curious onlookers, the 15 "Sacadas" (migrant farm workers) got off the boat and were transported the next day to the Olaa Plantation here on the Big Island, which is also called Hawaii. The ceremonies organized by the Filipino Centennial Celebration Commission mark the beginning of a year-long observance of the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the 15 Filipinos. One of the pioneers, Marciano Bello, reportedly from Candon, Ilocos Sur, stayed on the Big Island after his contract expired and raised a family. One of his descendants is Lorraine Rodero Inouye, the first woman of Filipino ancestry to become mayor of the Big Island who is currently a member of the state Senate. Actually, the 15 were not the first Filipinos to set foot on Hawaii . A few "Manila men" were reported to have worked in Hawaii during the time of the monarchy in the 19th century as cooks and musicians. Two were said to have petitioned to become citizens of the Kingdom of Hawaii. And at least six were known to be involved with the Royal Hawaiian Band, with one surnamed "Libornio" playing an important role. But 1906 marked the beginning of an aggressive campaign to recruit young Filipino workers by the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association (HSPA) to work on the plantations. Sugar was king in those days, and newly opened plantations were in desperate need of laborers. By the 1930s, the Sacadas had become the majority of the plantation workforce, replacing the Japanese. This caused some tension between the two competing ethnic groups. The Japanese, who came in the late 19th century, had been the dominant workforce until the Filipinos came. The US annexation of two foreign territories--Hawaii and the Philippines--had a profound impact on the burgeoning sugar industry. Hawaii's annexation opened up additional acreage for sugar cultivation and producers were given privileges similar to those on the US continent. However, annexation also made American federal laws applicable to Hawaii, now a US territory. Two such laws, the Chinese Exclusion Act and the Foran Act of 1885, hurt the labor supply as hordes of Chinese, Japanese and Portuguese workers left the plantations. The planters' dilemma therefore was to find new sources of labor. The HSPA recruited "trial" workers from Puerto Rico, Korea, Russia, Spain and even India.
The American annexation of the Philippines on Dec. 10, 1898, making it a US colony, was a godsend to the sugar planters. This meant that as American subjects, Filipinos could be recruited without any immigration restrictions. A US Senate report in 1903 mentioned the vigorous demands of the planters for the creation of a government bureau of immigration for the purpose of "superintending the importation of foreign laborers and the introduction of immigrants." A new era which would dramatically alter the ethnic demographic future of Hawaii had begun. As an American colony with a huge rural population, the Philippines immediately became the primary source of cheap labor for the plantations. Before 1920, the largest group of Sacada recruits came from the Visayas, where sugar was already a thriving industry. After 1920, HSPA recruitment was largely confined to the Ilocos where life was hard, the population dense and the land not productive for agricultural purposes. Ilocanos were the prime candidates for plantation labor because of their reputed traits of industry, frugality, hard work and simplicity. There were a few Tagalogs, like Pablo Manlapit who came from Lipa, Batangas. He rose to become the Filipinos' most militant labor leader, leading strikes on the plantations for higher wages and better working conditions for his fellow Sacadas. The lives of the early Sacadas were fraught with fear and insecurity. Ruben Alcantara, author of the first dissertation on the Sacadas, described their plight as consisting of 12 hours work on the sugar mill or 10 hours in the cane fields, interrupted only by a 30-minute lunch and occasional pause for water. "Long separation from their families, a scarcity of feminine companionship, feelings of discrimination and low status on the plantation labor hierarchy combined to place a heavy burden on the shoulders of these pioneer workers," Alcantara wrote. Between 1906 and 1930, the HSPA had brought in nearly 120,000 Filipinos to Hawaii, and in 1946, the last batch of Sacadas, consisting of 6,000 Ilocanos, arrived in Hawaii. After independence, the quota was limited to 50 a year (later increased to 100). The Tydings-McDuffie Law had defined Filipinos as "aliens" subject to immigration restrictions. Little did the original 15 know that today the Filipino community they started a century ago would grow to 270,000, comprising nearly 23 percent of Hawaii's population, the highest percentage-wise in America. Current immigration from the Philippines averages 4,000 a year. That factor plus the usually higher Filipino birth rates in the state will accelerate the Filipino community's growth, making it very much a part of Hawaii's future.
Belinda A. Aquino is a University of Hawaii professor and director of Philippine Studies. She is also a member of the Filipino Centennial Celebration Commission.
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