6. Descriptions of the Collections


 Yu na yu na nakumushi no ne no yukashisa ni,
 Kibi no hitomura karinokoshitsutsu.
 [Every evening, touched by the nostalgic sound of chirping insects,
 I left a stand of sugarcane for them while cutting the rest.]

The Japanese community played a key role in the rural life of Hawaii. Among the most important
resources about this community are the Japanese language directories (1927-1941) published by the
newspaper, Nippu Jiji. These rare, paperbound volumes provide in-depth information on the community
and its social and business activities.

Until U.S. annexation in 1898, both the Hawaiian Government and the sugar planters continued to seek
contract immigrant plantation labor as well as skilled workers. The Portuguese arrived from the Azores
and skilled workers came from Scotland, Denmark, and Germany to operate sugar mill equipment and
plantation trains. The published literature documents that the cacophony of voices and cultures often led
to difficulties and misunderstandings between workers, plantation management, and the government.
Pigeon English (incorporating Hawaiian, English, and the native tongues of the laborers) became the
standard for communication. Today, Pigeon English is not only a part of daily interactions, but a unique
island voice in poetry and literature.

Annexation in 1898 ended the indentured contract labor system in Hawai'i. U.S. immigration laws,
including the Chinese Exclusion Act, took effect immediately. However, Japanese were allowed to
immigrate as free laborers until 1924--no longer bound by contract to work on plantations. With stricter
immigration laws, plantations began to look for new sources of labor--particularly from other newly-
acquired U. S. territories such as the Philippines and Puerto Rico. In recognition of Hawai'i's diverse
culture, the University of Hawai'i established the Social Research Laboratory in the 1920s, publishing its
findings in the journal Social Process in Hawaii (1935-1960).

Plantations were also a major staging ground for the development of labor unions. Prior to 1900, labor
strikes were spontaneous and disorganized, but in 1909, organized Japanese laborers struck against Oahu
sugar plantations. Japanese language newspapers published throughout the islands were instrumental in
sustaining the strike. However, organizing multi-ethnic strikes was difficult and the first unions--formed
around national identity and "ethnic unionism"--gave management an advantage in strike breaking. It
was not until the late 1930s that efforts began to organize all agricultural workers under one union and it
was not until 1945 that the International Longshoreman's and Warehouseman's Association (ILWU)
secured a sugar industry contract that established it as the bargaining agent for sugar workers. Japanese
language publications provide insight into these early labor struggles. The 1909 strike is detailed in a
number of published histories including Senkyuhyaku-nkunendo Hawai Sato Lichi Rodo Undo Shi
(1921) [An account of the labor movement on sugar plantations in Hawaii in 1920] by Motoyuki
Negoro, a college graduate and labor sympathizer.

Hawai'i's dependence on a single crop, sugar, left the economy vulnerable. Research to improve the
productivity of sugar plantations was a major focus of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters Association (HSPA)
founded in 1895. Under HSPA leadership, Hawai'i's sugar industry became part of a worldwide network
of sugar research. HSPA also represented their membership in labor-related issues. By the 1920s, it was
increasingly clear that worker well-being was important--if only to ensure their commitment to the sugar
companies. HSPA provided leadership in workers' health issues and published the journal Plantation
Health (1936-1964).

Shortly after Hawai'i became a territory in 1901, the U.S. Department of Agriculture established an
agriculture experiment station. It was soon followed by a second station established by the Territory at
the University of Hawaii, the newly-founded land grant institution. In 1928, the extension stations