hawaii on my mind

8/3/2019 Hawaii on My Mind

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PRCIS

You may be wondering why I chose the islands of Hawaii besides the fact that they

are the living proof of beauty, warmth, peace and the perfect combination of water, earth

and sky. Well I must tell you that since I was a little girl I wanted to put my bare feet in

the hot sand of only one beach in Hawaii and bath only one minute in the sun above those

beaches. I always wandered how it could be and I still do. I hope that I will find an

answer soon.

Here are some old sayings from Hawaii that made me want even more to go and

visit those places:Living on isolated islands, we cherish our diversities. For we have come from

many places and in many different ways to this enormous yet intimate chamber of

summer.

Behind us ropy waterfalls cascade thousands of feet to overflow the deep, dark

valley pools, to wander and feed the fertile earth and, shimmering over pebbled shallows,

to make music on their fretted journey to the sea.


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GENERAL FACTS

HAWAII is the largest island of the Pacific and the island group that forms the

state of Hawaii. With a land area of 16,729km, it is sometimes called the Big Island.

Geologically the youngest of the volcanic island group, Hawaii has a rugged coast with

few beaches. It has a population of 1,172,000 (1993). Also an oceanic state of the United

States, admitted to the Union as the 50th state on Aug. 21, 1959. It consists of a group of

islands in the Pacific Ocean, the easternmost end of the chain being about 2,400 statute

miles, or 2,100 nautical miles, from California. The main group, lying just within the

Tropic of Cancer, includes from east to west the islands of Hawaii, Maui, Kahoolawe,

Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai and Niihau. Uninhabited shoals and tiny pinnacles lying

much farther west are included in the state, but some distant islands that were

traditionally associated with territorial Hawaii namely, Midway, Palmyra, Johnston

Island and Kingman Reef were excluded by Congress from the states area. The name

Hawaii is derived from the Polynesian word Hawaiki, the name of traditional homeland

of the Polynesian people. According to legend, this homeland was situated to the west of

Polynesia.

Called sometimes the Paradise of Pacific, Hawaii is famous for its subtropical

beauty, for its volcanic peaks and green plains, its palm-fringed blue water, its white surf

and its flowers. It is also known for its beneficent climate, for the warmth of its personal

relationships as symbolized by the word aloha , meaning love or affection and used as a

greeting or farewell. It is an ever-growing tourist center.

More than half of Hawaiis population is of Oriental origin, and the state is a

human melting pot of Hawaiians, Japanese, Caucasians, Chinese, Koreans, Filipinos, and

others, many of them racially intermingled and all living harmoniously together. About

87 per cent of the population is American-born and of United States citizenship.


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You can always find Hawaii at the latitude of 1931N-2150N and the longitude

of 15449W-16015W. The highest altitude in Hawaii is at about 4,205m high. The

state capital is Honolulu and the state song is Hawaii Ponoi (Our Own Hawaii).

Topography

The islands of the state of Hawaii are of volcanic origin and mountainous, with the

characteristic beauty of the high islands of the Pacific. The island of Hawaii (10,458km)

is the largest, highest and, geologically speaking, the youngest of the group. Among its

peaks, Mauna Kea (4,205m high), highest point in the state, is a dormant volcano, two of

which Kilauea(1,247m) and Mauna Loa (4,169m), which is an active volcanoes.

Mokuaweoweo, at its summit, erupted in 1949 and was active for six months. Again, in

1950, for 23 days it poured a large and rapid flow of lava down the mountain and into the

sea. Kilauea, on the low slopes, was active for 137 days in 1952 and again for 36 days in

1959. In 1955, for the first time in more than 130 years, volcanic activity broke out in the

fields and farms of Maua Loas lowest slopes; it continued sporadically for three months,

threw spectacular fountains 800 feet into the air, and poured masses of lava over the land

and into the sea in three different places. This flow caused the greatest property damage

in the islands recorded history but, like all Hawaiian volcanic activity, was regarded as a


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fascinating sight. Among the islands mountains, only the Kohala range, its oldest

section, contains the characteristic deep valleys of the lofty Pacific isles.

Maui, the next largest island (1,888km), is composed of two mountain masses

joined by a narrow isthmus. The highest and the youngest mountain is Haleakala

(3,055m), with the worlds largest extinct crater at its summit. This crater is believed to

have been active as late as 1750. The islands other mountain mass, West Maui, is older

and cut by deep valleys.


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Oahu (1.575km) has two old mountain ranges, cut by many valleys. A plateau lies

between the ranges, and there is a narrow coastal plain along the southern shore. Oahu is

partly encircled by coral reefs.

Kauai (1,432km), geologically the oldest of the islands, consists of one central

mountain mass, rising to a height of 1,576m at Kawaikini Peak. The summit of nearby

Waialeale (1,548m) is one of the two wettest spots on earth (the other being Charrapunji,

India), its annual average rainfall being 476 inches, with a recorded fall one year of 620

inches. From Waialeales sides flow many short streams that have helped to erode the

islands ancient deep valleys, notably the Waimea Canyon, comparable to the Grand

Canyon of the Colorado River in all respects except size.


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Kahoolawe (117km) is hilly and barren, with a maximum elevation of about

450m. The island is regularly inhabited and is used by the U. S. military for target

practice.

Lanai (363km) is hilly and rises to 1,027m atop a long-extinct volcano. The island

is privately owned by a firm that uses the land to grow pineapples.

Molokai (676km) is made up of three distinct regions, each formed by a separate

volcano. In the east are rugged mountains, in the center is a fertile plain and in the west is

a broad, sandy plateau.


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Privately owned Niihau (189 km) is made up of a central tableland fringed by

low-lying plains. The owners, descendants of Elisabeth Sinclair (who bought it in 1864),

encourage the preservation of traditional Hawaiian culture and discourage outsiders from

visiting the island.

Rainfall and Climate

Hawaii lies in the path of rain-bearing northeast trade winds which blow

consistently about nine months of the year, dropping most of their moisture on the

northeast mountain slopes. The leeward sides of the islands are relatively arid, with

annual rainfall averaging less than 15 inches in some localities. This is in marked contrast

with the very high annual totals in nearby mountain areas, exceeding 300 inches on the

islands of Kauai, Oahu, Maui and Hawaii.

The climate of Hawaii is subtropical rather than tropical, since the island are close

enough to the fringe of the tropics to experience occasional winter storms and it is these

that bring the greatest amount of rain to lowland areas, especially in the normally dry

leeward locations. Temperatures vary chiefly with altitude. Thus at the Mauna Loa

observatory, 11,150 feet above sea level, temperatures below 20F have been recorded.

Near sea level, however, temperatures below 60 are rare. In Honolulu, for example, the

daily temperature typically ranges from the high 60s or low 70s at night to the high 70s

or low 80s in the afternoon. The average daily range is 8 to 12.


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Conservation

In Hawaii conservation is largely directed to water supply. Hawaiian steams are

small, and many are intermittent. There are no large lakes. Underground water is found in

artesian basins and in water-soaked rocks or natural reservoirs beneath the mountains and

adjacent plains. In areas where mountain waters have not been discovered, people are

dependent upon rain water caught in individual tanks, or upon streams. Much of the water

research and the development of mountain waters has been carried out by sugar

plantations. The Board of Water Supply of Honolulu has also made conspicuous

contributions. The research of engineers and geologists, the construction of pumping

stations, irrigation ditches and artificial storage reservoirs, the maintenance of forest and

water reservations and the continuous development of new water supplies are extremely

important in Hawaii.

Plant and Animal Life

Plant life, indigenous and imported, is luxuriant. There are approximately 900

flowering plants, of which about one half is native. Imported plants have come

principally from Asia, Australia, the United States and Pacific islands. There are over 200

species of ferns and a variety of palms. Some of the more numerous trees and plants are

the koa, ohia, kukui, hau (or majagua), ti, Cassia, algarroba, monkeypod, banyan,

eucalyptus, Poinciana, coffee, macadamia, sugarcane, pineapple, banana, papaya,

Plumeria, citrus, breadfruit, mango, oleander, avocado, Croton, anthurium, hibiscus and

orchids.


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Some 14 or 15 species of endemic Hawaiian passerine birds remain in the forests.

Other avifauna include native land and water birds, sea birds, migrants and a variety of

introduced song and game birds. Mammals include goats, sheep, hogs, cattle, horses and

deer. Insects are numerous and destructive, since the balance of nature was long since

destroyed on the islands. Fish life in coastal waters is relatively plentiful.

Natural Resources

The state has few sizable deposits of commercially important minerals. Bauxite is

found in quantity on Kauai, and there are large amounts of limestone, sand and gravel,

stone, clay, and olivine as well as small deposits of titanium and semiprecious gemstones.Few streams have a consistently large enough flow of water for hydroelectric

power production, and, in general, surface water is conserved for irrigation. The

increased use of limited environmental resources, due to the growth in population and in

the economy, has resulted in the loss or degradation of resources, especially on Oahu

where residential and economic growth are the greatest. Environmental concerns are an

important part of the Hawaii State Plan, a statewide land-use and greenbelt program

enacted in 1961.
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POLITICAL DIVISIONS

The state constitution authorizes the legislature to create counties and other

political divisions and provide for the government thereof. The four existing counties

upon attainment of statehood were Hawaii, Maui (including Molokai and Lanai), Kauai

(including Niihau) and the city and county of Honolulu, embracing the island of Oahu

and comprising also a standard metropolitan area. On July 1st, 1959, a modern city charter

went into effect for the city and county of Honolulu, under which administrative authority

is centered in an elected mayor, with basic policy-making and legislative authority vested

in an elected nine-member council. Each of the other counties is administrated by an

elected chairman and board of superiors.

Honolulu, the capital, chief city and chief port, is a beautiful modern city situated

on Oahus southern coastal plain, about 10 miles east of Pearl Harbor. Known as the

Crossroads of the Pacific, because of its key role as an international air and shipping

center, it is also the business and cultural center of the state and has important sugar and

oil refineries, pineapple canneries and ironworks.

Other important cities are: Hilo on Hawaii island; Wahiawa, Kailua-Lanikai and

Aiea on Oahu; Wailuku and Kahului on Maui.


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GOVERNMENT

Constitution

The state constitution, framed by an elected convention in 1950, approved by

popular vote on Nov 7th, 1950, and ratified by Congress in the statehood enabling act of

1959, is a simple one. It aims at creating a more compact organization than the territorial

government, which had a multiplicity of appointed, overlapping and practically

autonomous boards and commissions, and at creating a stronger executive and a wider

base for appointive officers. Thus, the constitution limits departments of the executive

branch to 20. Each department, with the exception o public education is headed by an

executive appointed by the governor, with Senate approval and directly responsible to

him. Reorganization of the government under the constitution was left to the legislature,

which was given three years to complete the task until the summer of 1962.

The constitution contains a strong bill of rights. Constitutional amendments may be

proposed by the legislature or by constitutional conventions. Besides its two United

States senators, Hawaii is represented in Congress by one member of the House of

Representatives.

Executive

The governor and lieutenant governor are elected for a term of four years. The

governor chooses his own administrative assistant, to serve at his pleasure. All other

executive and administrative officers are appointed.

Legislature

The legislature consists of a Senate of 25 members, elected for four years and

representing geographical (island) divisions; and a House of Representatives of 51

members, elected for two years on a population basis. All United States citizens who

have reached the age of 20 and have resided in the state 12 months and the election

district 3 months are eligible to vote in state elections.


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Judiciary

The state supreme court consists of five members. In addition there are circuit

courts and such lower courts as the legislators may establish. The governor, with

Senate approval, appoints the judges of the supreme and circuit courts.

Taxation and Revenue

Under the constitution, taxing power is reserved to the state except so much

thereof as may be delegated by the legislature to political subdivisions. The state dept is

limited to 15 per cent of the assessed value of real property. The chief revenue sources, as

in force under territorial status and carried over into statehood, are a general excise tax,

personal and corporate income taxes and gasoline, liquor and tobacco taxes. A real

property tax is collected by the state for each of the four counties. The chief categories of

state expenditure are education, health, welfare and public works.


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EDUCATION, HEALTH AND WELFARE

Education

The system of public education, dating back to the 1840s, was shaped by

Americans and has reflected at any given period the content or method prevailing

generally on the mainland. Hawaii departed from mainland practice in one respect only: it

has maintained centralized control and support in all aspects of education except

buildings and maintenance, which were delegated to the counties. Attendance is

compulsory between the ages of 6 and 16. Enrollment in the public schools increased.

Hawaii has parochial schools and also nonsectarian private schools, of which Punahou,

Honolulu, founded in 1840, is the oldest and most famous. All private schools have

unrestricted enrollment except The Kamehameha Schools, Honolulu, which are limited to

pupils with some Hawaiian blood.

Higher education is the responsibility chiefly of the publicly supported University

of Hawaii in Manoa Valley, Honolulu, which was founded as a land-grand college in

1907 and elevated to university status in 1919. The university has seven colleges -

agriculture, arts and sciences, business administration, education, engineering, general

studies and nursing and a regular enrollment exceeding 7,500. It maintains a branch at

Hilo, Hawaii.

University of Hawaii


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Libraries

Established in 1913, the Library of Hawaii, with a central library in Honolulu and

branches in other areas, provides public library services throughout Oahu, while similar

libraries function in Hawaii, Maui and Kauai counties. The University of Hawaii has a

large reference library specialized resources in Hawaiiana, Oriental languages and

material on the Pacific Ocean. There are also many specialized government and industry

libraries.

Health and Welfare

Physical and mental health programs throughout the state are administered by the

Department of Health. Outstanding in the program have been the virtual eradication of

Hansens disease (leprosy) and a heavy reduction in the incidence of tuberculosis.

Public welfare programs, including public assistance and institutional care, are

combined under the Department of Social Services.

Penal System

In addition to the prison in Honolulu, the Department of Social Service maintains

two work camps, one on the island of Hawaii, the other on Maui, where prisoners work

under close guard, but with no traditional prison walls.


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senators and its representative in Congress would seek special public works projects for

Hawaii to offset the impact. Meanwhile, the possibility of reduced military outlays

provided another incentive for the acceleration of industrialization in Hawaii.

AgricultureDating from 1835, when the first successful plantation was established, sugar has

always been the leading crop. Located on Hawaii, Maui and Oahu, the modern sugar-

growing industry is highly mechanized, extensively irrigated and, as a result of intensive

scientific research, produces over 10 tons of raw sugar per acre, a yield unmatched

anywhere else in the world. The annual production during the late 1950s exceeded 1

million tons valued at between $140 and $150 million. The major plantations jointly own

their own refining organization, which operates the worlds largest refinery at Crockett,

California, as well as a refinery at Aiea, near Honolulu.

Pineapple production dates back to 1903, utilizing land unsuitable for sugar and is

concentrating on five islands Kauai, Lanai, Maui, Molokai and Oahu. The industry

grows about four fifths of the worlds pineapples. Processed by nine canneries (three on

each Maui, Kauai and Oahu), its output in the later 1950s exceeded 30 million cases of

fruit and juice, worth well over $100 million annually.


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Both the sugar and pineapple industries maintain experiment stations in which

many scientists conduct research into every aspect of production, processing and

marketing. The sugar and pineapple workers are the worlds highest paid agricultural

workers. However, constantly expanding mechanization has affected employment, which

dropped 40 per cent in the sugar industry and 17 per cent in the pineapple industry in the

1948-1958 decade, despite increasing production. Nevertheless, sugar in the late 1950s

provided year-round employment for about 17,000 persons, while employment in

pineapple production varied from 20,000 at the peak of the season to 10,000 in the slack

period.

Aside from sugar and pineapples, the chief agricultural activities include the

raising of tropical crops, fruits and vegetables; beef cattle, cows, poultry and hogs; also

macadamia nuts, flowers and coffee.

Visitor Industry

The annual allure of the islands, vigorous promotion and rapid expansion of travel

facilities, especially by air, explain the post-World War II boom in tourism. The trend is

strikingly illustrated by statistics: in 1948, 36,400 visitors came to the islands and spent

$19 million; in 1958, 171,588 visitors came and spent $82 million. Many expected that

the visitor industry would eventually out stride the sugar industry as the islands biggest

earner.

Manufacturing

Food processing, ship repairing and upkeep, manufacturing of such articles as

clothing, furniture and many other items and processing of mainland raw materials,

comprise the chief categories in the islands limited but growing industries. Except for

some food processing, manufacturing is virtually confined to Oahu, which at the time of

attainment of statehood possessed the islands only oil and sugar refineries, the largest

pineapple canneries, the first steel mill (utilizing local scrap) and the first concrete plants.


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Forestry and Fishing

Almost one-quarter of Hawaiis area is kept in forest reserves. Timber harvesting is

a small industry; hardwoods make up great bulk of harvested timber.

Commercial fisheries, conducted chiefly from the islands of Oahu and Hawaii, are

of some importance, the annual catch of aku (victorfish), tuna swordfish, wahoo and

dolphin netting several million dollars.

Maritime Trade

The states chief exports are raw sugar and pineapple products; other exports

include macadamia nuts, flowers (especially orchids) and coffee. The state imports a vast

range of manufactured products essential for living, including building materials, all

automobiles, trucks and buses, all newsprint, paper and books, all gasoline and fuel oils

and all medical and hospital supplies, as well as canned and frozen foods, many food

staples, tools, machinery, electrical equipment, fertilizers and other goods. This heavy

dependence on imports has rendered the states economy particularly vulnerable to the

effects of shipping strikes. In Hawaii legislation which permits government operation of

shipping in the event of a strike affords some protection, but mainland west coast dock or

maritime strikes can sharply disrupt Hawaiian affairs.

Military Expenditures

The conversion of Hawaii into a tremendous base for all branches of the armed

forces in World War II set the stage for the states continuing role as a military center.

Among its numerous military installation are such famous centers as Pearl Harbor, Forth

Shafter, Schofield Barracks, Camp H. M. Smith, Hickam Air Force Base and Kaneohe

Marine Air Station. It is thus easy to see that the federal governments military

expenditures - $327.4 million in 1958, or about double the 1948 figure have played a

major role in the economy. In fact, in the late 1950s, including military personnel, one

out of every four persons in the islands was dependent upon the armed forces for a living.


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Labor Force

Hawaiis labor force has grown steadily, numbering about 224,000 in 1959,

compared with 188.000 in 1950. Of those employed in 1959, the largest number were

engaged in wholesale and retail trade, the other main categories of employment being

agriculture, federal government, manufacturing, chiefly food processing, service

industries and local government. In the late 1950s unemployment averaged 3.2 per cent

of the labor force. The largest union is the International Longshoremens and

Warehousemens Union (ILWU), which has organized the sugar and pineapple

industries, as log as long shore activities. There are also locals of the AFL-CIO and of

independent unions.

Personal Income

Per capita personal income in 1958 averaged $1,852, up approximately 8 per cent

since 1954 but still somewhat under the continental United States average of $2,057.

Total personal income in 1958 was $1,154 million, nearly 30 per cent more than in 1954.

Banking and Insurance

Both banking and insurance have reflected the growth of the community. The

number of banks rose from 4 with 39 branches in 1948 to 6 with 70 branches in 1959. In

the same decade, life insurance in force more than tripled.


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TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS

Land Transportation

Nearly all land transportation in Hawaii is by automobile, truck and bus (railroads,

once important in the islands of Oahu and Hawaii, were long ago discontinued). Besides

a considerable federal-aid highway system in the state, extending in 1957 to 1,181 miles,

nearly all paved, the city and county of Honolulu maintains 600 miles of improved roads,

of which 430 miles are in the city proper. Among important modern trends has been the

construction of express routes in the Honolulu area and between the city and military

installations. The only public transportation service is the bus system in Honolulu.

Inter-island Transportation

Although a limited inter-island ferry service was begun in 1958, virtually all inter-

island passenger transportation is by air and is handled by several airlines using

numerous airports. However, with population and business activity increasingly

concentrated on Oahu and with the need of accelerated development of the outer islands

becoming more and more apparent, the provision of adequate, more rapid and relatively

cheap surface transportation for inter-island passengers was considered to be one of the

urgent problems facing the state. Inter-island freight, once carried by steamships, is now

handled almost exclusively by regularly scheduled barges.

Overseas Transportation

As with inter-island movement, overseas passenger traffic has passed increasingly

from surface to air. As a result, Honolulu International Airport has become the air hub of

the Pacific, with frequent service by several scheduled airlines to the mainland, Canada,

Philippines, New Zeeland, Australia and the Orient. In 1958, the last year before

statehood, more than three fourths of all overseas passengers to and from Hawaii traveled

by air; and in 1959, with the inauguration of jet service that cut flying time between the

islands and the mainland from 9 hours to 4 and a half (from San Francisco), air passenger


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traffic seemed headed for far greater volume. In shipping, the port of Honolulu plays a

vital role in handling the bulk of the islands exports and imports, and serves as a regular

port of call for steamship lines serving the mainland and no various trans-Pacific runs and

on world cruises. There are also deep draft harbors al Hilo, Hawaii; Kahului, Maui; and

Port Allen and Nawiliwili, Kauai.

Telephone and Telegraph

Hawaiis telephone system was first organized in 1883, only seven years after the

invention of the telephone. With the attainment of statehood in 1959, the statewide

system had 185,000 telephones, all automatic. The worlds first commercial wireless

telephone system, with both inter-island and trans-Pacific service, was established in

Hawaii in 1931. In 1957, installation of the worlds longest submarine cable between

Hawaii and the mainland made possible direct dialing between the islands and the

mainland. In telegraphy, a submarine cable laid in 1902 provided the first quick

communication between Hawaii and the mainland; by 1908, wireless telegraphy to the

mainland began, and in 1951 the telegraph cable was discontinued.

Radio and Television

The first local radio broadcasting station, KGU, Honolulu, went on the air in May

1922, the third such station to be licensed by the federal government. Upon attainment of

statehood, Hawaii had 1 noncommercial and 15 commercial radio stations; also 3

television stations in Honolulu, with 4 satellite stations on other islands.

Newspapers

Six daily newspapers are published in Honolulu, including 2 English-language

newspapers, 2 bilingual (English and Japanese) papers and 2 Chinese-language papers.

The other three counties are each served by one English-language newspaper. Numerous

weekly, monthly and quarterly papers and magazines are published, mostly in Honolulu.


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CULTURAL LIFE

The impact of the outside world destroyed the ancient Hawaiian culture. Authentic

remains of it are found today only in the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, founded in 1889

and famous for its Hawaiian and Polynesian relics. The Hawaiians themselves discarded

the old law and polytheistic religion before the arrival, early in the 19 th century, of the

first missionaries, under whose influence a new culture was developed. The Hawaiian

language survived, but at the request of the Hawaiian people themselves was replaced by

English as the medium of instruction in the public schools, so that by 1896 no instruction

was carried on in Hawaiian. Many expressive Hawaiian words are in the vocabulary of

all residents. The friendly spirit of the Hawaiian people, best expressed in the word

aloha, influenced all newcomers, and the spirit remains in Hawaii as the one

indestructible element of endemic culture.

Bishop Museum

In modern Hawaii, everyday living includes many features originating in diverse

ancestral strains. A few illustrations will suffice. The use of flower leis is universal.

Muumuus (loose flowing ankle-length garments), fitted Chinese sheaths and Japanese

sandals may be worn by anyone anywhere. Lauhala mats, woven from the fibrous leaves

of the pandanus tree and wooden bowls, produced in quantity, are in frequent use, as are

certain features of Japanese architecture. Surf riding and hula dancing are not confined to


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those of Hawaiian blood. The kimono, commonly seen on the streets before, has never

been seen there since 1941; it has become a costume to add color to a restaurant service

or parade. National foods, notably Chinese, Japanese and Hawaiian, are universal

favorites.

Most important of all, the people of Hawaii share common experiences in a state in

which racial discrimination is unknown and equality of opportunity is a reality, with

business, professions and government open to all qualified persons, regardless of ethnic

background.

In the word of music, the state is well represented by the Honolulu Symphony

Orchestra and the Royal Hawaiian Band, established in 1870. The capital has an active

and successful community theatre which presents hit musicals while the original casts

perform on Broadway. The Honolulu Academy of Arts has an excellent collection of

Hawaiian, Occidental and Asiatic art.

Religion

The people of Hawaii are preponderantly Christian. The first missionaries were

Congregational, but today practically all the Protestant churches are represented,

including the Mormon Church. The Roman Catholic Church has a large membership.

There is a Jewish temple in Honolulu. The Buddhist religion has a large following.


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On Maui, there is the tropical paradise of Hana at the eastern end of the island. The

1,200-foot Iao Needle, an interesting volcanic freak, is located in the Iao Valley, a

heavily forested gorge in the West Maui mountains. The plantation city of Lahaina, rich

with history, is a former whaling center.

Iao Valley Iao Needle

On Kauai, there is Waimea Canyon (2,857 feet deep) known as the Grand Canyon

of the Pacific. Hanalei Beach on Kauai is often called the garden spot of the Garden

Island.

Waimea Canyon

Elsewhere on the islands, the Hawaii National Park, established by Congress in

1916, constitutes one of the worlds most spectacular volcanic areas. The 176,951-acre

park has two separate areas: the Kilauea-Mauna Loa section on the island of Hawaii and


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the Haleakala section on Maui. Besides its volcanoes, the parks luxuriant tropical

forests, native birds and rugged coastlines make it unusually attractive.

Haleakala

Hawaiians, with their flair for fun and friendliness, love pageants. Among the

annual celebration is Lei Day, May 1st, reviving the old and colorful Hawaiian custom of

wearing and giving fragrant garlands. June 11th, anniversary of the birth of King

Kamehameha I, is Kamehameha Day, featuring surfboard and outrigger canoe races and

other Hawaiian activities. But the bigger annual event is Aloha Week, celebrated on each

island usually in October and featured by hula pageants, lantern parades, street festivals,

community luaus (feasts), an Aloha king and queen, water pageants and all sorts of

sports.

The entire islands are extremely sports minded and enjoy almost every conceivable

kind of sport, from swimming, surfing and canoeing at the beaches to skiing, hiking and

hunting in the mountains and yachting and fishing in surrounding waters.

The City of Refuge National Historical Park, on Hawaii island, includes prehistoric

house sites, royal fishponds, coconut groves, and spectacular coastal scenery; Puukohola

Heiau National Historic Site, on Hawaii island, is the site of ruins of a royal temple. The

U. S. S. Arizona Memorial, at Pearl Harbor, commemorates crew members of a ship sunk

by the Japanese on Dec. 7 th, 1941.


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HISTORY

The history of Hawaii before the advent of Europeans is hidden in the oral tradition

of a people who had no written language. These were the Polynesian explorers from

southern Polynesian groups who discovered the islands, settled there and, after voyaging

back and forth for food plants and settlers, developed a self-sufficient economy. The

Hawaiian social order was stratified; the landholding system, feudal; the law, the

inflexible kapu, or tabu, system; the tools and utensils, those of the Stone Age; the

craftsmanship, skilled and advanced.

The first recorded visit of an outsider was that of the English explorer Capt. James

Cook in 1778. He named the group the Sandwich Islands in honor of the Earl of

Sandwich (John Montagu), first Lord of the Admiralty. From this time on, explorers,

scientists, traders and, later on, whaling fleets, visited Hawaii at increasingly frequent

intervals.

In Cooks time, Kamahameha, a Hawaiian chief, was beginning his rise to power.

By 1810 he had established his sovereignty over the group and had united the islands for

the first time. This monarch, Kamehameha I, was a strong, beneficent and wise ruler,

appreciative of skills and materials previously unknown to Hawaii but exercising control

over their introduction. His son Kamehameha II dramatically cast aside the old law and

polytheistic religion in 1819. The first missionaries arrived, at the psychological moment,

in 1820. The king and high chiefs were aware of their need for help in handling the

impact of the newcomers to land on condition that they teach him to read and write.

The missionaries learned the language, reduced it to written form, and by 1822 had

printed elementary material in Hawaiian. The king, queen and powerful chiefs and

chieftesses learned to read and write. The docile people came in droves for instruction.

Within 10 years, the adult population was literate. The first Hawaiian newspaper

appeared on Feb. 14th, 1834. By May 1839 the entire Bible had been translated into


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Hawaiian and published. Religious had begun immediately in 1820 and after leading

chiefs and chieftesses had announced their adherence to the new religion, the people

followed their example.

King Kamehameha III and the chiefs together promulgated the first constitution in

1840, with the result that the first commoners ever to share in lawmaking sat with the

chiefs in the first legislature. This legislature passed a law establishing a public school

system.

In 1848 feudal landholding was given up. Kamehameha III divided all the land of

Hawaii between himself and the high chiefs. He then divided his land into two parts, one

for the crown and one for the government. Commoners were permitted to submit claims

for land upon which they were living and which they were cultivating. Commoners

received some 30,000 acres in all.

The establishment of private land ownership was essential for the development of

commercial agriculture; and commercial agriculture seemed the only source of a stabile

income, more reliable than the trade with the whalers who wintered in Hawaiian waters.

Sugar production, since its beginnings in 1835, had struggled along under feudal systems

and the claims of the chiefs on water, labor of the people and land use. After 1848, sugar

production was facilitated, but it was apparent that immigrant workers were needed. They

were obtained chiefly from China, Madeira, Japan and, later, the Philippines.

In 1875 King Kalakua went to Washington and obtained the consent on Congress

to a reciprocity trade treaty with Hawaii. The treaty created more favorable conditions,

including the entry of Hawaiian sugar into the United States free of duty. This treaty was

renewed in 1887 at a price. The price was permission for the United States to use Pearl

Harbor as a naval station and coaling base. The discovery of artesian basins on Oahu in

1879 gave another spurt to the sugar industry.

When constitutional government was in jeopardy, a revolution took place in 1893,

and the queen, Liliuokalani was deposed. A provisional government was followed by a


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Between the end of World War II and the attainment of statehood, Hawaii

underwent great changes. The most marked ones were:

1. the rapid growth of tourist industry, with correlative increases in hotels, resort

areas and employment services;

2. emergence of vocal leadership, financial, professional and political, among

citizens of Asian ancestry;

3. development of subsidiary industries in agriculture and manufacturing;

4. influx of mainland capital;

5. concentration of population on the Oahu, with corresponding loss of population

on the other islands;

6. growth of the Democratic Party, thus creating in Hawaii a two-party system;

7. rapid increase in apartment buildings, previously unknown in Hawaii;

8. development of extensive new housing areas, particularly on Oahu;

9. achievement of statehood.

The path toward statehood had proved long and arduous. The first statehood bill

introduced by a Hawaiian delegate into Congress came in 1919. In 1937 a joint

Congressional committee visited Hawaii, reported favorably on the statehood proposal

and recommended a plebiscite. Accordingly, a plebiscite was held in 1940, when

Hawaiians voted more than 2 to 1 for statehood. The House of Representatives passed

statehood bills in 1947, 1950 and 1953; the Senate in 1953 passed one only after adding

Alaska to it, and the bill died. However, following authorization by Congress of

statehood for Alaska in a separate measure in 1958, Hawaiian statehood was finally

approved in 1959 by both the Senate (March 11th) and House (March 12th). The bill was

signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on March 18th. In a plebiscite on

June 27th Hawaiians overwhelmingly accepted statehood. The first state general election

was held on July 28yh. Among those elected were: governor William Fong (republican),

the last territorial governor; United States senators Hiram Leong Fong (republican),


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Hawaii-Chinese lawyer, businessman and ex-territorial house speaker, and Oren E. Long

(democrat), former territorial governor and senator; member of the United States House

of Representatives, Daniel K. Inouye (democrat), war hero, lawyer, territorial legislator.

The Democratic Party won control of the first state House of Representatives, while

Republicans won control of the first state Senate.

On Aug. 21st, 1959, President Eisenhower proclaimed Hawaii a state. Ten days

later the first state legislature convened for its first session and began the work of

organizing the government under the state constitution.


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GOOD TO KNOW

HONI its an ancient greeting that was almost lost in Hawaii. Lean forward and

look into a persons eyes, a persons soul. Touch foreheads, touch noses, then inhale

deeply, sharing the h, the breath of life. Little more than a century after the U.S.

toppled the peaceable kingdom of Hawaii, sending its culture into a tailspin, honi thrives

again as islanders rediscover their Polynesian heritage, using the wisdom and teaching of

their elders.

As their ancestors did for a thousand years, young Hawaiians stand on the

Kahoolawe coast at sunset and chant. Once a training ground for native navigators, this

remains wahi pana, a sacred place. Seized for use as a bombing range in 1941, the island

became a focal point in the Hawaiians struggle to reclaim their culture. After years of

protests Kahoolawe was returned to state control in 1994. Now its restoration is teaching

a new generation to be kahu o ka ina stewards of the land.

A molten eye burns at the center of Kilaueas Puu O crater in Hawaii

Volcanoes National Park. The most active and accessible volcano on Earth, Kilauea

has been erupting almost continuously since 1983, a fiery show that has destroyed homes,

closed highways and enthralled more than a million park visitors each year.


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WHAT DO THEY THINK OF HAWAII

There they lie, the divine islands, forever shining in the sun, forever smiling out

on the sparkling sea, with its soft mottlings of drifting cloud-shadows and vagrant cats-

paws of wind; forever inviting you, never repulsing you; and whosoever looks upon them

once, will never more get the picture out of his memory till he die.

Mark Twain

It is a Sunday land. The land of indolence and dreams, where the air is drowsy

and things tend to repose and peace, and to emancipation from the labor, and turmoil, and

weariness, and anxiety of life.

Mark Twain

No alien land in all the world has any deep strong charm for me but that one, no

other land could so longingly and so beseechingly haunt me, sleeping and waking,

through half a lifetime, as that one has done For me its balmy airs are always blowing,

its summer seas flashing in the sun; the pulsing of its surfbeat is in my ear; I can see its

garlanded crags, its leaping cascades, its plumy palms drowsing by the shore

Mark Twain

It was tranced luxury to sit in the perfumed air and forget that there was any

world but these enchanted islands.

Mark Twain

A growing warmth suffused the horizon, and soon the sun emerged and looked

out over the cloud-waste, flinging bars of ruddy light across it, staining its folds and

billow-caps with blushes It was the sublimest spectacle I ever witnessed, and I think

the memory of it will remain with me always.

Mark Twain


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warrior it was, offering homage to his lord, and like feathers upon his helmet and cape

were the trees, the shrubs, the ferns, and the grasses adorning its sides.

O. A. Bushnell

The Hawaiian rain forest gives off a wilderness sense that everything is in

precisely the right place and the right condition of existence, everything connected with

everything else, exactly as it should be.

Gavan Daws

Sailors who have roamed the world still swear this is the most haunting and

beautiful place in all the Seven Seas.

Kiana Davenport

A foray [to the coral reef] is like a visit to a neighboring planet: a mystery, a

magic formation of tiny animals sculpting fantastic shapes. The reef is alive with purple,

green, orange, black, yellow, pink, blue, red, spotted, striped, stingered, spined, squirting,

and tentacled creatures.

Andrea Pro

You cannot take anything, including yourself, too seriously for very long in

Hawaii [C]onditions in Hawaii are just too relaxing: the islands are lovely; the weather

is superb; the music is gentle. Even the language is soothing: all the words sound like

aaaahhhh.

Dave Barry

Relax by the fireplace with a planters punch and enjoy this special place. Look

out across all of central Maui, to the ocean on each side, west to Lanai Island, and

northwest to Molokai. All sunsets here are incomparable, no matter what the weather.

Robert Weinkam

Oh, for this pulsing, undulating, shimmering, sighing, breathing plasma of an

ocean. For the miracle of warm water. For rideable waves and no wind.

Thomas Farber


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tiny tab-shaped ears, a spray of cats whiskers, and many doughy chins. On land, it drags

itself with excruciating effort, or ripple-gallops like a four-hundred-pound slug. But the

water sets it free to swivel and race.

Diane AckermanThere is, one knows not what sweet mystery about this sea, whose gently awful

stirrinds seem to speak of some hidden soul beneath.

Herman Melville

[Honolulu] is the meeting place of East and West. The very new rubs shoulders

with the immeasurably old. And if you have not found the romance you expected you

have come upon something singularly intriguing.

W. Somerset Maugham

Honolulu boasts a fascinating blend of a multi-ethnic population and a lifestyle

in which individually reigns supreme where muumuus and cutoffs, oxfords and bare

feet, tuxedos and swimsuits intermingle in the restaurants and night clubs Long before

first-time visitors to Hawaii flew over Diamond Head and Honolulu in a 747, they had

been primed for pleasure. And for most people, there are no disappointments

Robert Smith

Bore off and made all sail for the Coast of China, and soon lost sight of these

beautiful isles. The Inhabitants of which appeared to me to be the happiest people in the

world. Indeed there was something in them so frank and chearfull that you could not help

feeling prepossessed in their favor

John Boit

Everything grew freely and with an energy that was, I thought, startling. It was asif the plants wanted to take over and hide anything human that might have been.

Marjorie Sinclair

Islands are clothed by the sea. Around the Hawaiian archipelago, in sunny, trade-

wind weather, they flaunt their finery. John L. Culliney


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It is pleasant, above all, to wander by the margin of the sea Along the brink,

rock architecture and sea music please the senses, and in that tainted place the thought of

the cleanness of the antiseptic ocean is welcome to the mind.

Robert Louis Stevenson

hawaii on my mind

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