1848
The great Mahele, Division of Land, clears the way for foreigners to acquire and own land in Hawaii
1850
Masters and Servants Act paves the way for the enforcement of the contract-labor system in the courts and allows for importation of other countries
1852
200 Chinese laborers arrive from Hong Kong
Between 1852 - 1884, 25,256 Chinese laborers are imported to work on the sugar plantation. As Chinese workers complete terms of their contracts, they leave the plantation workforce to establish their own farms and businesses
1861
Start of the American Civil War. Northern markers are cut off from sugar supplies from the South; demand of Hawaiian sugar increases
1868
First small group of Japanese arrive
148 Japanese contract laborers, known as gannenmono, arrive. Due to poor treatment, this effort is largely unsuccessful. When an agreement is struck in 1870 for the return of these people to Japan, only 40 return, while the rest choose to remain in Hawaii
1876
Reciprocity Treaty goes into operation, granting Hawaii the right to export unrefined sugar to the U.S. duty free. American businessmen begin mass cultivation of sugar and pineapple
1878
First Portuguese arrive from Madeira
1881
A group of German Caucasians arrive
1884-1884
Five shiploads of Portuguese arrive
Between 1878-1884, 9,471 Portuguese workers arrive. Numbers remain small as travel costs to import Portuguese from halfway around the world proved too costly
1885
Main Japanese immigration begins
Mass government-contracted labor (kanyaku imin) from Japan begin arriving in large numbers. Between 1882 and 1902 the number of Japanese plantation workers increased from 15 to 31,029. The percentage of Japanese on the plantations rises from 14 percent in 1886 to 69 percent in 1893
1887
"Bayonet Constitution" In Hawaii is proclaimed by the "Reform Government," led largely by planter interests; King Kalakaua is stripped of his powers at gunpoint; Hawaiian citizenship is denied to all Asians; most Hawaiians are not allowed to vote
1893
Aided by U.S. Marines, the Hawaiian monarchy is ovethrown by American revolutionaries on January 17, Japanese warship Naniwa is dispatched to the Islands to protect the interests of 25,000 Japanese laborers
1894
Private companies are allowed to take over the of recruiting Japanese laborers. Between 1894 and 1900, 57,000 Japanese arrive in Hawaii
1898
Annexation of Hawaii by the U.S.; Spanish-American War; Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam are ceded to the U.S.
1900
Okinawan immigration begins
First group of Puerto Ricans arrive, following annexation of Puerto Rico to the U.S. in 1898
Organic Act is signed by President McKinley, incorporating Hawaii as a Territory of the U.S.; contract labor is prohibited with laws of U.S. applying to Hawaii; many Japanese migrate to the mainland where wages are double
1901
The Hawaii Sugar Planters' Association (HSPA) suggests in Washington that Filipino workers may be recruited for Hawaii's plantation.
1906
The first group of Filipinos, numbering fifteen men, arrives in Hawaii to work in the plantatinos. One hundred fifty more arrive the following year.
1903
Korean immigration begins
Korean immigrants arrive aboard the S.S. Gaelic. Some 7,843 Koreans arrive until the Korean government stops emigration in 1905, due to reports of mistreatment of Koreans in Mexico
1906
Filipino immigration begins
By 1916, 18144 Filipinos arrive
1907
Executive order stops migration of Japanese laborers from Hawaii, Mexico and Canada on March 14
A shipload of 2,250 Spaniards arrive from Malaga to work on the plantations
1908
Gentlemen's Agreement restricts Japanese immigratrion to the U.S.
1909
Japanese went on strike, but lost
1906
The group of filipinos, numbering fifteen men, arrives in Hawaii to work in the plantations. one hundred fifty more arrived the following year.
1915
The HSPA works out a system of individual agreements with the Filipino workers under which the terms of their employment are specified in advance.
1917
When the United States entered into war, many Filipino workers offered themselves and became soldiers to lend service to the cause,
entering the Navy
1919
Pablo Manlapit orginizes the Filipino labor Union and begins a canpain to organize Filipinos workersin the plantations of Hawaii.
1920-1930
Sharp rise in Caucasian immigration - members of the US armed forces
1920
Strike for higher wages (Japanese & Filipino)
Japanese and Filipinos banded together to make a strike for higher wages. Again, they lost but they learned about the value of overlooking ethnic differences
Manlapit joins Japanese labor leaders in forming the Higher Wave Movement.
1923
The higher Wage Movement demands a two dollar per day minimum wage and a forty hour work week. The HSPA rejects those demands.
1924
2nd strike (Japanese & Filipino)
U.S. Congress prohibits further immigration from Japan. Between 1885 and 1924, a total of approximated 200,000 Japanese Immigrate to Hawaii, most of them to work on Hawaii's sugar plantations
Manlapit calls a Filipino workers out on the strike. Sixteen workers and four policmen are killed on September 9 in a one sided gun battle between police and the workers in Kauai.
1921-1925
Korean brides arrive
1924
English Standard school established
1924-1936
Continued Japanese immigration (about 100 per year)
1925
Manlapit, several other leaders, and other sixty workers are convicted of "conspiracy" and are sentenced to two years in prison. Manlapit chooses deportation to the Philippines.
1932
Manlapit
1934
Tyding-McDuffie Act restricts annual immigration of Filipinos to quota of 50
1935
Onomea Camps were segregated into Japanese, Filipino and Portuguese camps
1941-1945
World War II
1945
Governor reopens immigrations, citing labor shortage
Samoan immigration begins
Second wave of Filipino immigration-workers, wives, and children
1946
Postwar immigration of Okinawans
Fourth wave of Filipino workers arrive. Recruitment opened doors for 6,000 workers. These recruits were to pay their passage, but their wives and children travelled free. In order to qualify for free return transportation, a laborer was required to work at least 250 days for three consecutive years
Unionization of plantation workers
1953
Workers offered opportunity to purchase plantation homes
1965
President Lyndon Johnson signs new immigration bill, increasing quota to 20,000 (not including spouses and children of U.S. citizens)
Third wave of Filipino immigration
1969
War brides arrive (wives of American servicemen in Korea)
