Aloha, Hawaiian Culture

~Blog Post #1~

April 13, 2015

By: Mary Vanco

I've found Hawaii particularly interesting since the first time I watched Lilo & Stitch. The dancing, music, language, and tropical atmosphere of the islands all seemed so appealing. Although Hawaii became a state in 1959, its culture is unique compared to the rest of the U.S. Native Hawaiians lived off the land by fishing and planting crops such as sugarcane and sweet potatoes. Since Hawaii is so secluded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, many times crops and animals were shipped to the islands and along with them came the culture. Pineapple and sugar plantations grew and called for more workers. Immigrants from China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Portugal, and Puerto Rico came to work on these plantations and brought with them their food and culture that would soon fuse together to create the things Hawaii is known for. 

This photo shows a plantation on the island Oahu. In the back the mountains reveal some of the obstacles Hawaii faces with their agriculture. Parts of Hawaii is barren and dry, while other parts experience tidal waves and flooding. Volcanic eruptions are sometimes a threat, making minimal land available for cultivation. The popular food crop, Taro, was planted in pond fields and they used a system of arranging the crop in terraces to allow water to flow from high to low. As soon as the agriculture stabilized the population in Hawaii grew.  As far as the meat eaten in Hawaii, chicken, dogs, and pigs were the original source of meat. Later, Europeans introduced goats, cattle, sheep, and horses. 

Works Cited:

"Hawaiian Food." Hawaiian Food and Cuisine. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. <http://www.to-hawaii.com/food.php>.

"Oahu Plantations, Farms & Gardens." The Island of Oahu. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http%3A%2F%2Fm.gohawaii.com%2Foahu%2Fplan-a-trip%2Factivities%2Fplantations-farms-and-gardens%2F>.

"Major Aspects of Traditional Hawaiian Culture." Major Aspects of Traditional Hawaiian Culture. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://www.donch.com/lulh/culturehist1.htm>.