Since more than 1,500 years ago, Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians) have welcomed immigrants from every corner of the globe, cultivating and perpetuating the tapestry of diverse cultures that make up our islands. In this ninth article of our ongoing series, we focus on Hispanic heritage, how a few of the different cultures arrived in the Hawaiian islands, their traditions and celebrations such as the Hawaii Hispanic Heritage Festival and Cinco de Mayo.
Hispanic Arrival in Hawai‘i
The first person of Hispanic heritage to arrive in Hawai‘i was Spanish adventurer Francisco de Paula Marín near the end of the 18th century. With a vast array of skills at his disposal (interpreting, negotiating and advising the king), he quickly adapted to life in Hawai‘i. He is also credited with introducing and planting many of the crops Hawai‘i is now known for: pineapple, coffee, mango and more. A few years later, cows were given to King Kamehameha III as a gift, but the king had to request backup from Mexican vaqueros (cowboys), who worked with local paniolo and taught them to handle the cattle. Thus began a steadily increasing flow of Hispanic people to the Hawaiian Islands. At the peak of the sugarcane industry, in the wake of two hurricanes in Puerto Rico in 1899, the first group of 54 Puerto Rican men came to work in the sugarcane fields. Only 14 years later, Hispanic immigrants numbered over 9,000. Today, people of Hispanic heritage make up about 10% of Hawai‘i’s population.
Culture and Holiday Traditions
Hispanic cultures include Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central/South American, Dominican and other Latin American/Spanish countries, but the first two are most prevalent in the islands. As a result of Spanish colonization, both cultures speak Spanish and predominantly practice Catholicism, so Christmas is a significant holiday. Noche de San Juan (St. John’s Night) is a major Puerto Rican celebration held annually on June 23 to honor Saint John the Baptist, the island’s patron saint. There are two well-known and widely practiced cultural celebrations for those of Mexican descent. Cinco de Mayo (May 5), commemorating the 1862 Battle of Puebla, is celebrated with vibrant parades, mariachi music, baile folklórico (folkloric dance) and authentic Mexican cuisine. Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead on Nov. 1 and 2), honors deceased loved ones. And, of course, every celebration includes food: pasteles/pastele stew, tacos, horchata, gandule rice and more.
The biggest cultural festival is the Hispanic Heritage Festival hosted by Hispanic Events Hawaii, held on Oct. 10 on O‘ahu. The Puerto Rican Heritage Society has also hosted the Puerto Rican Festival for the past two years in July on O‘ahu, featuring live music, dancing, pasteles, arroz con gandules and more.
For more information, see the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Hawaii’s website (hcchawaii. org) and the Puerto Rican Heritage Society’s Facebook page (facebook.com/Boricuas.Hawaii/) as well as Generations Magazine’s Facebook page
(facebook.com/genmag808) and website calendar (generations808.com/calendar) for community events and opportunities.
The next article in this series will feature the influences of Tahitian culture in Hawai‘i.
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