Puerto Rican immigration to Hawaii facts for kids
Puerto Rican migration to Hawaii began because of two big hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico in 1899. These storms destroyed the island's sugar farms. This caused a worldwide shortage of sugar, and suddenly, there was a huge demand for sugar from Hawaii. Because of this, Hawaiian sugar plantation owners started looking for workers. They found many jobless but experienced farm workers in Puerto Rico and invited them to Hawaii.
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Why People Moved to Hawaii
In the 1800s, Puerto Rico's economy mostly depended on farming. The island, along with Cuba, was a main supplier of sugar, coffee, tobacco, and cotton for Spain. After the Spanish–American War, Puerto Rico became part of the United States in 1898. American companies then took over many of the island's industries. Puerto Ricans, who relied on farming for their jobs, became cheap labor for these new owners.
On August 8, 1899, a powerful storm called Hurricane San Ciriaco hit Puerto Rico with winds over 100 miles per hour. Just two weeks later, another hurricane followed. These storms brought 28 days of constant rain, causing terrible floods. The floods ruined farms, killed 3,400 people, and left thousands without homes, food, or jobs. This disaster meant there wasn't enough sugar from the Caribbean for the world market. Countries like Hawaii, which also grew sugar, saw a huge demand for their product. To meet this demand, Hawaiian plantation owners started looking for new workers, and they turned to the jobless people in Puerto Rico.
The First Journey to Hawaii
On November 22, 1900, the first group of 56 Puerto Rican men started their long trip to Maui, Hawaii. Their journey was very difficult. They first sailed from San Juan to New Orleans, Louisiana. From New Orleans, they took a train across the country to the Port of Los Angeles, California. Finally, they sailed on a ship called the Rio de Janeiro to Hawaii. News reports from the time said that the Puerto Ricans were treated badly and didn't get enough food during their trip.
They arrived in Honolulu on December 23, 1900. They were then sent to work on different sugar farms owned by a group of powerful companies known as the "Big Five." By October 17, 1901, about 5,000 Puerto Rican men, women, and children had moved to Hawaii. Records from 1902 show that 1,773 Puerto Ricans worked on 34 plantations. Most of them worked in the fields, while a few were clerks or foremen.
Facing Challenges in Hawaii
The "Big Five" and Discrimination
The "Big Five" was a group of powerful sugar companies in Hawaii. These companies had a lot of political power and supported the Hawai‘i Republican Party. The "Big Five" included companies like Castle & Cooke and Alexander & Baldwin.
The owners of these companies were mostly Euro-American and often treated different ethnic groups working on the plantations unfairly. They had an organization called the "Hawaiian Sugar Planters Association" (HSPA). This group was so powerful that it almost acted like a government itself. In 1903, the Attorney General of Hawai‘i even said that Hawaii's government was "centralized to an extent unknown in the United States." Workers' pay and living conditions depended on their job and their race. European workers were paid more and had better housing. Many workers moved from one plantation to another because they didn't like the work or faced unfair treatment.
Fighting for U.S. Citizenship
By 1910, about 4,890 Puerto Ricans lived in Hawaii. At this time, Puerto Rico was a U.S. territory, and Hawaii was also a U.S. territory. In 1917, the Jones–Shafroth Act was passed. This law gave American citizenship to Puerto Ricans living in Puerto Rico. However, it did not include those who had moved to Hawaii. Even though they were not considered citizens, these "non-citizen" Puerto Ricans were still expected to join the military during World War I.
The plantation owners, like the "Big Five," liked Hawaii's territorial status because it allowed them to bring in cheap foreign workers. This was something that was not allowed in many other U.S. states. In 1917, Puerto Ricans in Hawaii tried to vote in a local election, believing they had the same rights as other U.S. citizens. But the county clerk told them they couldn't vote because the Jones Act didn't cover early immigrants to Hawaii.
Manuel Olivieri Sanchez, who worked as a court interpreter, was very upset by this. He felt it was a violation of his fellow Puerto Ricans' rights. He told them, "If you are not allowed to vote, don't answer the draft call." Olivieri Sanchez then led a legal fight to get U.S. citizenship for Puerto Ricans in Hawaii. A lower court first sided with the county clerk, but Olivieri Sanchez didn't give up. He took the case to the Territorial Supreme Court, which overturned the earlier decision. This meant that Puerto Ricans in Hawaii were finally granted their United States citizenship.
Fighting Against Unfair Treatment
The HSPA, which relied on cheap labor from non-citizens, was not happy about Olivieri Sanchez's victory. In the 1930s, the HSPA started spreading false rumors. They claimed they were planning to bring more workers from Puerto Rico. At the same time, they used newspapers they controlled to publish negative stories about Puerto Ricans. For example, they claimed Puerto Ricans were "unhealthy hookwormers who had bought disease to Hawaii."
In December 1931, Olivieri Sanchez wrote a letter to a newspaper, saying that he saw all this talk as a trick by the HSPA. He believed they wanted to force different ethnic groups back to work on the plantations. He was right. The HSPA wanted the United States Congress to make an exception for Hawaii from a law that limited immigration from countries like the Philippines and Japan. The HSPA's secretary treasurer even said that the association didn't want to bring Puerto Ricans to Hawaii. His words were harmful to Puerto Ricans in Hawaii and on the island of Puerto Rico. Despite Olivieri Sanchez's efforts, the HSPA got its way, and Hawaii was exempted from the strict immigration laws of that time.
Eventually, the power of the plantation owners was broken by the children and grandchildren of the original immigrant workers. These descendants were born in a U.S. territory and were full American citizens with voting rights. This allowed them to actively work towards Hawaii becoming a U.S. state.
Puerto Rican Culture in Hawaii
Today, there are over 30,000 people of Puerto Rican heritage living in Hawaii. Puerto Rican culture and traditions are still very strong there. One tradition that continues is "compadrazgo". This is when someone baptizes a child and becomes the child's "padrino" (godfather) or "madrina" (godmother). They also become the "compadre" or "comadre" of the child's parents. This creates a special relationship of respect, love, and responsibility between the child, parents, and godparents. Children often ask for a blessing, "La Bendición," and the godparents respond with "Dios te bendiga" (God bless you).
Food Traditions
Just like in Puerto Rico, Hawaiian-Puerto Ricans love to make "pasteles" (meat pies) during the Christmas holidays. Making pasteles is a family event where everyone helps. Some family members cut and season green bananas, while others prepare the "masa" (dough). The masa is then filled with seasoned pork and cilantro. It's wrapped in banana or ti plant leaves and tied with string. Then, it's cooked in boiling water. Once ready, the pastel is unwrapped and eaten.
Music and Instruments
When Puerto Ricans moved to Hawaii, they brought their music and musical instruments with them. One important instrument was the Puerto Rican cuatro. This was a four-stringed guitar developed in Puerto Rico in 1875, which later grew to have ten strings. Other instruments brought to Hawaii included Maracas (rattles with dried seeds) and the Guiro (a percussion instrument made from a gourd, played by scraping). Soon, these instruments were used not only for Spanish songs but also became part of traditional Hawaiian music. Cachi Cachi music is a type of music that started in Hawaii in the early 1900s because of the Puerto Rican immigrants.
In 1998, a master guitar maker named William R. Cumpiano and his friends created a short video documentary. It was called "Un Canto en Otra Montaña: Música Puertorriqueña en Hawaii" (A Song Heard in Another Mountain: Puerto Rican Music in Hawaii). This film explored the music and history of the Puerto Rican community in Hawaii over the past century.
Puerto Rican Population in Hawaii
The table below shows the number of Puerto Ricans living in Hawaii, according to the U.S. Census data. Even though they left Puerto Rico a long time ago, many people still identify as Puerto Rican.
| Hawaii Puerto Rican Population | |
| 1990 | 2000 |
|---|---|
| Total: 25,778 | Total: 30,005 |
| Percent of population: 2.3% | Percent of population:2.5% |
| Hawaii Puerto Rican Population by County | |
| Honolulu County | 18,933 |
| Hawaii County | 6,243 |
| Maui County | 3,290 |
| Kauai County | 1,539 |
| Total Puerto Rican Population | 30,005 |
The Coquí Frog in Hawaii
Later in the 1900s, the "coquí" frog, a tiny tree frog from Puerto Rico, arrived in Hawaii. It likely came as a hidden passenger in shipments of potted plants. In Puerto Rico, its loud mating call is a beloved sound. However, in Hawaii, where these invasive species frogs can become very numerous, their calls are considered a noisy problem. People have tried to get rid of them, but it has been difficult.
Famous Hawaiian-Puerto Ricans
Here are some Hawaiian-Puerto Ricans who have become well-known:
- Augie Colón (1928-2004) - A percussionist who made "jungle noises" in a type of music called exotica.
- Faith Evans (U.S. Marshal) - A former state lawmaker and the first woman in the United States to be a U.S. Marshal.
- Felicia Garcia-Alves - Recognized in 2000 as one of Hawaii's and Puerto Rico's best women's basketball players.
- Bruno Mars (Peter Gene Hernandez) - A famous singer-songwriter whose grandfather was Puerto Rican.
- Rodney Morales – An author who wrote the novel "When the Shark Bites (2002)" and a collection of short stories.
- Manuel Olivieri Sanchez - He led the fight to get U.S. citizenship for Puerto Ricans living in Hawaii.
- Hilda Ortiz - In 1924, she became the first Puerto Rican teacher in Hawaii.
- Nancy Ortiz - The host of "Alma Latina," a three-hour Sunday radio show featuring Latin-American music.
- Alex Santiago - A former Hawaii State Representative.
