The image shows a cover celebrating the 150th anniversary (1789-1939) of Hawaiʻi and Chinese interaction.
For the past 200 years, Chinese has become an important part in the history of Hawaiʻi. Chinese people call Honolulu 檀香山 (pronounced taan4 hoeng1 saan1 in Cantonese) meaning ‘sandalwood mountains’. Around 1790, American merchants began trade in sandalwood (‘iliahi) between Hawaiʻi and China. The scent and medicinal functions of sandalwood created growing demands in Canton, China. The trade peaked between 1810s and 1820s. However, by the 1830s supplies of sandalwood had been exhausted due to deforestation.
Historical records show that there were Chinese serving as crew members on ships in the late 18th century. In 1788, for example, 50 Chinese worked on the vessels Iphigenia and Felice under the command of Captain John Meares. In 1790, the American schooner Eleanora had a crew of 45 Chinese. However, the type of interaction between Hawaiian and Chinese was not very clear.1
It is believed that a Chinese called Wong Tze-Chun brought a mill and boilers to Lāna‘i and established the first sugar production in 1802. However, very little is known about him. The year 1835 is usually taken as the beginning of the plantation system in Hawaiʻi. The earliest groups of Chinese contract laborers to arrive in Hawaiʻi took place in the 1850s. They came from Guangdong province of southern China and were speakers of Cantonese and Hakka. Between 1850s and 1870s, the number of Chinese ranged from several hundreds to several thousands. By the end of the 19th century, there were nearly 22,000 in Hawaiʻi. Some Chinese moved to urban districts and became shopkeepers, farmers, and entrepreneurs after completing their contract. Besides the Chinese, plantation workers also came from other ethnicities such as Portuguese, Japanese, Filipinos, Korean, Puerto Ricans, etc. Diseases, work conditions, and continuous influx of foreign laborers resulted in drastic changes in the demography of Hawaiʻi. While the number of Hawaiian dropped from 71,019 in 1853 to 21,796 in 1934, there was significant increase in non-Hawaiian population. The number of Chinese, for example, increased from 364 in 1853 to 26,989 in 1934.2
In Hawai‘i, white people are called haole. Chinese are called pākē. The word “pake keiki” written at the back of the postcard means Chinese children. As described in the postcard, “The descendants of the early Chinese immigrants to Hawaii are new teachers in public schools and prominent in the mercantile and business communities of the Islands. They are noted for their steadiness, morality and honesty; are ambitious and have the highest regard for education and progress.” An excellent example is William Kwai Fong Yap, who was well known for his enthusiasm in education and was the man behind the establishment of the University of Hawai‘i. Born in Honolulu in 1873 and married his wife in Hong Kong in 1893, Mr. Yap originally worked at the Bank of Hawaii but later devoted his time to different educational projects. One of the projects was the proposal to expand the College of Hawai‘i into a university so that young people in Hawai‘i could pursue professional careers. In 1919, the college was renamed the University of Hawaiʻi. Mr. Yap died in Honolulu in 1935.3
1 Nordyke, Eleanor C., and Richard K.C. Lee. (1989). The Chinese in Hawai‘i: A historical and demographic perspective. The Hawaiian Journal of History 23: 196-216.
2 Reinecke, John E. (1969). Language and Dialect in Hawaii. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
3 “William Kwai Fong YAP, age 61, of Honolulu, Dies 25 FEB 1935. Active Here As Educator” The Honolulu Advertiser, 26 Feb 1935, Tue., Page 2: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11709425/william-kwai-fong-yap-age-61-of/