Hawaiian diaspora facts for kids
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
 United States (mainland) |
213,107 |
 Canada |
3,295 |
| Languages | |
| English, Hawaiian Pidgin, Hawaiian | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity, Hawaiian religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Native Hawaiians, Polynesians | |
The Hawaiian diaspora (say "dee-AS-puh-ruh") refers to people who are fully or partly Hawaiian but live outside of Hawaii. This includes many people who have moved to other places. Most of them live in the contiguous United States, which means the main part of the U.S. that connects together. You can also find smaller groups of Hawaiians in other countries.
History of Hawaiian Migration
Hawaiians in Canada
Between the 1700s and 1800s, many Native Hawaiians were hired by companies in North America. A lot of these jobs were in British Columbia, which is Canada's westernmost province. Hawaiians often worked as fur trappers or as sailors. These workers were called kanakas. This word comes from the Hawaiian word "kanaka," which means "human."
The first group of Hawaiian workers arrived in Canada in 1811. There were 24 laborers on that ship. In the years that followed, more Hawaiians continued to move from the Hawaiian Islands. At first, most Hawaiians worked in the fur industry. Later, many of them started working in other jobs. These included being a blacksmith (someone who works with metal) or a carpenter (someone who builds things with wood).
Hawaiian workers were very popular because they were skilled. In 1829, a big company called the Hudson's Bay Company opened an office in Honolulu. They did this to hire even more workers from Hawaii. By 1844, between 200 and 300 Hawaiians were working for the Hudson's Bay Company. Another 50 Hawaiians were working as sailors.
Hawaiians in the United States
Just like in Canada, many Hawaiian workers also moved to the west coast of the United States. More Hawaiians kept moving there because of events like the California Gold Rush.
In more recent times, thousands of Hawaiians have moved to the U.S. mainland. The main reason for this move is Hawaii's economy, which has faced some challenges. Because so many people have left, almost half of all Native Hawaiians now live outside of Hawaii. California has the largest community of Hawaiians living outside the islands. After California, Washington state and Nevada also have many Hawaiian residents. Because a lot of Hawaiians live in Las Vegas, people in Hawaii sometimes call the city the "ninth island."
