Okinawan community commemorates 125 years of settlement in Hawaii

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – On Jan. 8, 1900, 26 men arrived in Hawaii from Okinawa, Japan, as contract laborers for the sugar and pineapple plantations.

This year marks the 125th anniversary of that first Okinawan settlement in Hawaii, and descendants are looking ahead to a year of honor and commemoration of their Uchinanchu culture.

Francis Nakachi-Kuba is a master instructor of Okinawan dance and president of the Hawaii United Okinawa Association.

“Okinawa was faced with much poverty and harsh living conditions, so immigrating to Hawaii gave them opportunity and hope to provide a better living for themselves and for their family,” he said.

“They overcame such tough living conditions, working day and night, working 26 days per month, not knowing the language,” Nakachi-Kuba said.

According to the University of Hawaii Center for Okinawan Studies, the dream for most immigrants had been to earn a better living in Hawaii and eventually return to Okinawa.

However, facing harsh labor conditions and poor wages, they ended up planting roots and raising families instead.

Okinawan plantation worker(Hawaii State Archive)

Today, Hawaii’s Okinawan population exceeds 45,000.

“We’re just so grateful that they have gone through all of this to provide an opportunity for all of us to enjoy, so we are honoring their spirit and determination and their resilience that we can be proud of forever,” Nakachi-Kuba said.

Thousands of Okinawan immigrants descendants come together to commemorate the sacrifices made by their ancestors at the annual Okinawan Festival, hosted at the Hawaii Convention Center on Oahu.

“This year, the theme of the Okinawa community is ‘nire akagami,’ which means golden future. So it reflects our commitment to a hopeful bright future,” Nakachi-Kuba said.

This year’s 125th anniversary celebration will feature more than 20 separate events that the public can attend throughout the year.

View the full list of events here.