Hawaii's Plantation Village - Timeline

Keeping the heritage alive at Hawaii’s Plantation Village – Part 1

Hawaii's Plantation Village (HPV), located in historic Waipahu, is living history museum and ethno-botanical garden that showcases plantation life during a time when sugar production was Hawaii’s leading economic activity. This was a significant period in Hawaii’s history, spanning over 100 years.

Sugar Plantation Workers Immigration Timeline, 1852 – 1965

1852 200 Chinese laborers arrive from Hong Kong to work on the sugar plantations.

Between 1852 – 1884, 25,256 Chinese laborers are imported and working on the sugar plantations.

1868 First group of Japanese contract laborers (148 men) arrive.

1878 First Portuguese arrive from Madeira.

1881 A group of Germans arrive.

1884 Five shiploads of Portuguese arrive. Between 1878 - 1884, 9,471 Portuguese workers arrive. The numbers remain small as travel costs to import Portuguese from Europe prove to be too costly.

1885 Mass government-contracted labor from Japan begins. Between 1885 - 1924, 200,000 Japanese immigrate to Hawaii.

1900 Okinawan immigration begins.

1900 First group of Puerto Ricans arrive.

1903 Korean immigration begins. Approximately 7,843 Koreans arrive until the Korean government stops emigration in 1905.

1906 Filipinos immigration begins. By 1916, 18,144 Filipinos have arrived.

1907 A shipload of 2,250 Spaniards arrive from Malaga to work the plantations.

1924-36 Continued Japanese immigration (about 100 per year).

1945 Second wave of Filipino immigration workers arrive.

1965 Third wave of Filipino immigration workers arrive.

Between 1852 and the end of World War II, nearly 395,000 workers came from different countries to work on the sugar plantations: China, Portugal, Japan, Puerto Rico, Philippines, Okinawa, Korea.

At the time of Hawaii’s statehood in 1959, one in every twelve persons was employed in the sugar industry by more that 30 plantation

The immigration of laborers was the genesis of Hawaii’s multi-cultural society.

Hawaii’s Plantation Village opened in 1992 and is a non-profit educational organization. It is located 18 miles / 35 minutes from Waikiki on Oahu’s leeward coast.

For more information, visit www.hawaiisplantationvillage-info.com

Top photo by Sandi Yara
Bottom photo courtesy of Hawaii's Plantation Village