The Hawaiian diaspora or Native Hawaiian diaspora (Hawaiian: Kānaka maoli i nā ʻāina ʻē) are people of full or partial Hawaiian descent living outside of Hawaii. The vast majority of them live in the contiguous United States,[1] though smaller communities are present elsewhere.
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
 United States (mainland) | 213,107 |
 Canada | 3,295 |
| Languages | |
| English, Hawaiian Pidgin, Hawaiian | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity, Hawaiian religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Native Hawaiians, Polynesians | |
History
editCanada
editBetween the 18th and 19th centuries, thousands of Native Hawaiians were recruited by North American labor companies, many of which were in British Columbia, Canada's westernmost province.[2] Common occupations among Hawaiian migrants included fur trapping and sailing.[2] These laborers were referred to as kanakas, a term derived from the Hawaiian word "kanaka" (human).
Canada's first wave of Hawaiian workers arrived in 1811, with a total of 24 laborers on board.[2][3][4] In subsequent years, further immigration continued from the Hawaiian Islands. Initially, most Hawaiians worked in the fur industry. Later on, many of them worked in other fields such as blacksmithing and carpentry.[4]
Hawaiian laborers were highly sought after due to their skilled qualities.[3] In 1829, the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) opened up an agency in Honolulu to hire more contract workers.[4] By the year 1844, between 200 and 300 Hawaiians were employed by the HBC, with an additional 50 working as sailors.[4]
United States
editSimilar to Canada, the United States also received an influx of Hawaiian laborers on its west coast,[3][5] with continued immigration due to events such as the California Gold Rush.[6]
In recent decades, thousands of Hawaiians have moved to the US mainland, with the primary factor being Hawaii's high cost of living.[1] As a result of this exodus, nearly 50% of all Native Hawaiians live outside of Hawaii. California hosts the largest Hawaiian diaspora community, followed by Washington and Nevada.[1]
In the 2020 US census, Clark County, Nevada (which includes the city of Las Vegas) was the US county home to the most Native Hawaiians outside of Hawaii.[7] Nearly 22,000 people of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander descent lived in Clark County in 2021, an increase of 40 percent from 2011.[8] Las Vegas is sometimes called "the Ninth Island" in reference to the eight islands of Hawaii.[7][8][9] Casino owner and entrepreneur Sam Boyd is credited for first fostering the Las Vegas–Hawaii relationship in the mid-1970s by advertising package deals to Hawaiian tourists at his California Hotel and Casino.[9][10][11]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "Where the Other Half Live: The Hawaiian Diaspora in the US [Part 1] | Kamamaluula News". Archived from the original on 2020-10-16. Retrieved 2020-09-29.
- ^ a b c Barman, Jean (1991). "New Land, New Lives: Hawaiian Settlement in British Columbia" (PDF). CORE. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Hawaiians at Fort Vancouver (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2020-09-29.
- ^ a b c d "Hawaiians in Canada". Pacific Island National Parks. 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2020-09-29.
- ^ Calnitsky, Naomi (2018-04-05). "How Indigenous Hawaiians Helped Build the Pacific Northwest Economy". Edge Effects. Retrieved 2020-09-29.
- ^ Spoehr, Alexander (1992). "Hawaii and the Gold Rush: George Allan of the Hudson's Bay Company Reports on His 1848 Pursuit of Captain John Stutter" (PDF). UH Manoa. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
- ^ a b Goldfield, Hannah (May 27, 2024). "The Decades-Long Romance of Las Vegas and Hawaii". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on June 13, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
- ^ a b Fawcett, Eliza (May 20, 2023). "There's No Ocean in Sight. But Many Hawaiians Make Las Vegas Their Home". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 8, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
- ^ a b Letourneau, Christian (May 24, 2022). "How This Mainland City Became Known as Hawaii's 'Ninth Island'". Fodor's. Archived from the original on June 18, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
- ^ Leff, Lisa (October 27, 2002). "The Ninth Hawaiian Island". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
- ^ Dymski, Gary (December 29, 2022). "Ninth Island: The story behind Hawaiians' affinity for Las Vegas". KLAS-TV. Archived from the original on March 21, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.