Photo of the day - HPV's Fishpond, Hawaiian Hale and Sugar Mill

Hawaii's Plantation Village's fish pond is often used for kids to participate in 'catch and release' fishing. I once saw a boy catch a 6" catfish in this pond ... it really surprised me since the pond is quite shallow.

Today, I went over there for HPV's 'Relive the Plantation Days' event to ring in the Chinese New Year and it looked a lot like this.

In the photo, the Hawaiian Hale with the thatch roof is in the middleground and the top of the old Waipahu Sugar Mill stack towers over the trees in the background.

Photo by Sandi Yara

Hawaii's Plantation Village - The Tour

I have a special bond with this small, non-profit attraction in Waipahu.  I know the 'story' it tells because my dad worked for 50 years (as a carpenter) at the sugar plantation in Ewa. During my time, growing up on the plantation was idyllic ... lots to do at Tenney Center with its olympic-size swimming pool, track and baseball field, 6-lane bowling alley, tennis court, hardwood-floor gymnasium, Tenney Tavern with burgers and fountain drinks and more.  Hawaii's Plantation Village keeps the memory of this huge and important era in Hawaii's history alive for others to understand and appreciate.  Kamaaina and out-of-state visitors are encouraged to stop by and take the tour that reveals how our multi-cultural roots came to be.

Keeping the heritage alive at Hawaii’s Plantation Village - (the tour)

The era has passed but history buffs know that sugar cane was king in Hawaii for over 100 years and Hawaii’s Plantation Village (HPV) offers a snapshot of what life was like during this formative period.

Similar to visiting other museums, the best way to tour the village is to take a docent-led tour. There is no audio-tour and this is actually good news because most of HPV’s docents have personal experience with life on a sugar plantation and they will offer insights and tell ‘real’ stories of what it was like to grow up on a plantation in Hawai‘i.

The tour starts with a walk through the quaint Goro Arakawa Exhibit Room where you will be introduced to plantation life, circa early 1900’s. You’ll see photographs of a ‘contract’, picture bride, family photos and ledger sheets. There are artifacts like a bull whip, ‘bango’ tags, field worker’s clothing, cane press and more. The newly installed exhibit, “The Portuguese in Hawai‘i” is also on display featuring their history in Hawai‘i, music, clothing, achievements and more. Throughout the exhibit, you are shown the harsh realities faced by the immigrant workers.

Once exiting the museum, you walk through ‘time tunnel’ that transports you back in time. Here, is where the walking tour begins and where you have a chance to explore the collection of 32 original and authentically replicated plantation structures such as workers’ homes of the various ethnic groups, community bath, Chinese cookhouse (on the State Register of historic buildings), barbershop, social hall, Inari Shrine (also on the State Register of historic buildings) plantation store and more. The buildings are furnished with over 3,000 personal artifacts. Nowhere else can you find so many cultural backgrounds blending and contributing to the integrated way of life we know today as Hawai‘i.

Hawaii’s Plantation Village’s volunteer docents lead tours at the start of each hour, Monday through Saturday at 10:00 am. The last guided tour is at 2:00 pm. General operating hours of the Museum are Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. Saturday hours are from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm.

ADMISSION:
Rates valid until June 30, 2010

Adult (general) ... $13.00
Senior (62+ with ID) ... $10.00
Kama'aina/Military (with ID) ... $ 7.00
Youth (4-11 years of age) ... $ 5.00
Children (3 years and under) ... Free

For more information about the Village and the significant period in Hawaii’s history that it represents, visit www.hawaiisplantationvillage-info.com

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