In 1898 the US
annexed Hawaii and in 1900 it was established
as the Territory
of Hawaii. In 1905 the United States legislature created a Board of
Immigration whose main purpose was to bring immigrants and their families to Hawaii. The hope was
that these new immigrants would bring their families with them work in the
Hawaiian plantations, and eventually become citizens. Prior to this the
plantation workers came from the Orient as single men, who would return to their
homeland, taking their earnings with them.
In the winter of 1906 representatives of Hawaii’s
sugar industry arrived in the sea port
of Malaga in the southern tip of Spain.
Enticing bulletins were posted in places of business and public gathering
places throughout Andalusia, all in an effort to recruit workers and their
families to immigrate to Hawaii.
Eventually the news of guaranteed work in Hawaii and the promises it held
traveled by word of mouth farther inland, drawing workers not only from the
coastal provinces, but from the villages of Jaen where our family is from. The
enticing bulletin caused many to leave their homeland for pacific paradise of Hawaii.
Not only did this bulletin give promise of guaranteed work
in Hawaii, but it described the climate of Hawaii as one of beauty
which provided the opportunity of year round work. According to the bulletin
they would be provided with a house to live in free of charge with water and
electricity, their own acre of land to grow food to feed their families and
free school for the children (mandatory). Expected wages were dependent on
gender and age. If after the 3 year contract was fulfilled, they remained in Hawaii, those who were
good workers, were given the home they lived in and approximately 1 ½ acres of
land. Our families chose to leave Hawaii
after 2 ½ years.
Those that sought the dream of a better life came from all
walks of life, besides agricultural workers such as our family; there were all
kinds of laborers, fishermen, factory workers, grocers and those discharged
from the army as well as families with sons in their teens, in an effort to
avoid being conscripted into the army.
Spanish families spent several months talking and planning
with relatives and friends. Once the decision was made to leave Spain
for the new world, families needed to be examination by local doctor to declare
that they were of good health. They also
needed various documents, including their birth certificates, marriage
certificates and certificates of widowhood. Only able-bodied persons would be
accepted and a letter from the village priest stating they were persons of good
standing and that the children that were with them were legally theirs.
The immigrants were allowed to bring a trunk filled with clothes
and other items such as cooking utensils, tools of their trade, musical
instruments, etc. Some brought garbanzo beans and other seeds to plant in their
gardens.
This was the true American Dream, no more wondering if there
would be work to feed your family as they had experienced in Spain. Plus the promise of owning
your own home and land; something that was a far reach in their current
situation.
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