Monday, December 5, 2011

Leaving Spain


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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Michael James Franco

Michael James Franco
IN LOVING MEMORY 10/14/1946-08/31/2008

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