Greeks in Hawaii facts for kids

The Greeks in Hawaii, also called Helene, were among the first foreigners to move to Hawaii. They were known for being one of the few groups who did not support the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy. This article tells their story.

Early Greek Visitors to Hawaii

The first Greeks arrived in Hawaii after Captain James Cook explored the islands. Some came with Captain George Vancouver's trips. Later, in the 1830s, Greeks came as whalers (people who hunted whales) and traders (people who bought and sold goods).

The Russian Orthodox Church was started in Hawaii in 1839. Many Greek Orthodox Christians went to this church. Missionaries like Hiram Bingham I from the ABCFM (American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions) at first approved of the Greeks because they were Christians. However, the missionaries later grew to dislike the Greeks. In 1850, Hawaiian princes Alexander Liholiho and Lot Kapuāiwa met a Greek minister named Spyridon Trikoupis in Paris.

Greeks Settle in Hawaii

In the 1870s, more Greeks started to move to Hawaii. They left Greece because of food shortages and too many people. They came to Hawaii to work on sugarcane plantations. These were large farms that grew sugarcane.

A few Greeks who came in the 1880s were very good at business. They formed a close community and gave jobs to other Greeks. The ABCFM missionaries had become very rich and powerful. Their dislike for the Greeks grew stronger.

One important Greek immigrant was Peter G. Camarinos. He became a business partner in a company. He faced some legal challenges, but his lawyer, Paul Neumann, helped him. After this, the new Greek settlers avoided the missionaries. Instead, they became friends with the Hawaiian monarchs.

The Greeks started to compete with the missionaries in the export and pineapple industries. The missionaries were very conservative. They did not like that the Greeks held many parties. King David Kalākaua often attended these parties. The Greeks also worked in the hospitality industry, which included hotels and places for entertainment. This also bothered the missionaries.

Greeks and the Hawaiian Monarchy

As the missionaries became more aggressive, the political situation in Hawaii became difficult for the Greeks.

On June 30, 1887, a missionary group called the Hawaiian League forced King Kalākaua to accept a new constitution. This was called the "Bayonet Constitution" because it was forced on him. In 1891, King Kalākaua died. His sister, Queen Liliʻuokalani, became the new ruler.

On January 17, 1893, Queen Liliʻuokalani was overthrown. This was done by powerful businessmen and the missionary elite.

George Lycurgus, a Greek, was arrested. He believed he was arrested because he supported the monarchy. His brother, John, also had trouble getting business licenses from the new government. The new government banned hula dancing and public Hawaiian music concerts. But private performances were still allowed. So, George Lycurgus hired the National Band to play Hawaiian music at his hotel, Sans Souci. This annoyed the people who supported the new government.

The Greeks actively opposed the new Provisional Government and later the Republic. Many Greeks joined groups that planned to bring back the monarchy. A club called Hawaii’s Schuetzen Club was taken over by German, Austrian, Greek, and British royalists. They used it as a secret place to train people who wanted to restore the monarchy.

The uprising was quickly stopped. Many royalists were caught and arrested. This included some Greeks. Two of them were forced to leave Hawaii.