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Although a number of Portuguese individuals had arrived in the Islands during the first half of the 19th century - the first being Dr. Jaoa de Castro who was part of the Russian expedition under Kotzebue - it wasn't until 1878 that larger groups came to work on the sugar plantations. Always on the lookout for new sources of labor, the Hawaiian government and sugar planters followed the advice of Honolulu businessman Jacintho Pereira and began recruiting in Portugal. Dr. William Hillebrand, a doctor living at the time in Madeira, promoted Hawai'i jobs and coordinated the first boatloads of immigrants. By the time the heaviest migrations ended in 1913, over 20,000 Portuguese had come to live in the Islands.
Although a number of Portuguese individuals had arrived in the Islands during the first half of the 19th century - the first being Dr. Jaoa de Castro who was part of the Russian expedition under Kotzebue - it wasn't until 1878 that larger groups came to work on the sugar plantations. Always on the lookout for new sources of labor, the Hawaiian government and sugar planters followed the advice of Honolulu businessman Jacintho Pereira and began recruiting in Portugal. Dr. William Hillebrand, a doctor living at the time in Madeira, promoted Hawai'i jobs and coordinated the first boatloads of immigrants. By the time the heaviest migrations ended in 1913, over 20,000 Portuguese had come to live in the Islands.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hotzcatz
Grandma's Kitchen in Honokaa on the Big Island is a Portuguese restaurant. They make great Portuguese bean soup as well as a lot of other Portuguese foods I can't spell. The malasadas, though, are at Tex's Drive Inn which is also in Honokaa. Is Teixeira a Portuguese name? I think that's what the Tex's is short for.
I see people playing ukes every time I go to Hawaii! I play my self, so maybe that's why I notice it more.
You are also noticing because you are in tourist mode - my informal poll of coworkers responding to, when was the last time you saw someone play the Ukulele - generally is a shrug, cites the State Farm Jake Shimabukuro commercial (which I haven't seen for awhile now), a music video, or a person performing on something like Sunrise on Hawaii News Now - as opposed to actually seeing someone play live in Waikiki.
Granted, this is probably more specific to Oahu as opposed to the outer islands where there is more time on folks hands.
I think it depends upon family and friends. most of us have Portuguese blood and so for us get togethers always include Portuguese food and music (there is always someone playing ukulele).
I have Grandchildren living in Kentucky and it tickles me to hear them singing the Portuguese (and Hawaiian) songs that have been passed down through my family.
I think it is all about family and keeping those connections alive.
That article from ScottStielow covers most of the important points.
- "The greatest numbers of immigrants to Hawai'i originated from Medeira and the Azores, Portuguese islands that boasted terrain and climate somewhat similar to Hawaii's and where agriculture was the main industry."
So while they were European and Portuguese by nationality, they were already islanders familiar with near-tropical islands and how to run a sugar plantation. The irrigation system with ditches and tunnels that were developed on Kauai and Maui to water the fields (from the mountains and valleys down to the plains) were probably inspired by similar systems on Madeira (those are perhaps even more spectacular).
I can't be 100% sure, but my guess is those islands in relation to their mainland at that time were like Hawaii's neighbor islands are in relation to the US mainland now: rural, mixed blood, pidgin of some sorts, mostly self-sufficient (not the case for Hawaii now). In other words, they were not cosmopolitan city-dwellers.
- "Most immigrants to Hawai'i had been farmers and nearly 100 per cent of them were Catholic."
While there were catholic priests who came to Hawaii as missionaries (think Father Damien), I don't think the Roman Catholic faith really became solidly established in Hawaii until the Portuguese islanders arrived. Even today, many of the Catholic Churches I see have a certain baroque flair that I associate with 19th century Portuguese style--at least what was brought to Madeira and the Azores.
- "As Europeans, the Portuguese were treated differently than Asian workers - they were offered an acre of land, a house and improved working conditions [...] Portuguese were often employed as middlemen between owners and Asian workers, becoming lunas or supervisors. [...] While Portuguese proved themselves good workers, few renewed their contracts, preferring instead to buy their own land and work their own farms."
I think this is why even if their numbers were much lower than the Asian laborers, they ended up having an almost equal impact on local culture. They were treated better, they were able to start their own farms and businesses, and so they got a head start. At least until the Japanese and Filipino communities severed their longer contracts on the plantations and pulled themselves out of poverty, and then more or less dominated the lower-middle class based on sheer numbers. It does seem like the "Portagee" became the teased little brother of the Hawaiian Pidgin community.
You are also noticing because you are in tourist mode - my informal poll of coworkers responding to, when was the last time you saw someone play the Ukulele - generally is a shrug, cites the State Farm Jake Shimabukuro commercial (which I haven't seen for awhile now), a music video, or a person performing on something like Sunrise on Hawaii News Now - as opposed to actually seeing someone play live in Waikiki.
Did someone change companies recently? My informal poll of long-time employees of Hawaiian Airlines reveals a fair number of ukulele and slack-key guitar owners and players. Many of them get together regularly during weekends for kanikapila.
Quote:
Originally Posted by whtviper1
Granted, this is probably more specific to Oahu as opposed to the outer islands where there is more time on folks hands.
Moreover, it's debatable that folks on the Neighbor Islands have more time on their hands. Try commuting from Hilo to Kona or Hana to Kahului on a daily basis…
Many of them get together regularly during weekends for kanikapila.
Well, what they do in the company of each other doesn't exactly mean I see them playing a Ukulele - perhaps the group I'm in hasn't gotten with the Ukulele program yet
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jonah K
What "outer islands" are you referring to? Bora Bora? Ra'iātea? Huahine? In print and in conversation, the collective term for islands other than Oʻahu in the Hawaiian archipelago is "Neighbor Islands."
What "outer islands" are you referring to? Bora Bora? Ra'iātea? Huahine? In print and in conversation, the collective term for islands other than Oʻahu in the Hawaiian archipelago is "Neighbor Islands."
Maybe he was thinking of Tern Island (French Frigate Shoals), Midway, and Palmyra. Those are remote research stations where there is nothing to do, so they send people there to sit around and play the ukulele.
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