Local 4: Hawaii demographic evolution (v1.0)

Oahu where I live has a population of a little less than a million. The whole state has 1.46 million in the census. Today most of Hawaii's population is on Oahu.  

The natives of Hawaii were Hawaiians. They were Polynesians, who arrived by sea from islands to the Southwest and ultimately from Asia. The first well established western contact was Captain Cook (a British naval officer and explorer) in 1778. His initial landing spot was near Waimea town in Kauai. There is some evidence of even earlier contact with Japanese and European seamen. The arrival of Cook started a period of population decrease. Economic and demographic factors in the 18th to 19th centuries reshaped the Kingdom of Hawaii. With unfamiliar diseases such as bubonic plague, leprosy, yellow fever, declining fertility, high infant mortality, infanticide, the introduction of alcohol, emigration off the islands or to larger cities for trade jobs, and wars, the Native Hawaiian population fell from around 150,000 in 1778 to 71,000 by 1853. Faced with depopulation and a changing economy, the King and others sought tradesmen, including navigators, blacksmiths, armorers, carpenters, sailmakers, etc. These men could expect to receive a gift of land and one or more native wives if they agreed to stay. Between 1820 and 1845 American commercial involvement in Hawaii also surged and so did the whaling industry and plantations. Many locals emigrated on ships and whalers. Many foreign laborers immigrated in to work on the plantation and other jobs.   

Between 1850 and 1900 some 200,000 laborers from China, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Portugal, Germany, Norway and elsewhere came to Hawaii under contracts. This greatly diversified the islands. Most left the sugar plantations on schedule, and Hawaii was viewed by migrants as a place to earn money rather than settle and raise families. The king established the Board of Immigration to control the importation of foreign labor. Although critical that Chinese male laborers were mistreated, the Hawaiian government asserted that the primary purpose was population reinforcement of the labor force to combat high mortality and depopulation off the islands. By 1881, however, they were prohibiting immigration of Chinese men altogether for a period because of mistreatment and exploitation. There were still large numbers of Chinese and Japanese who stayed after their contracts ended, creating a small Chinatown in Honolulu. By 1893, Chinese and Japanese male workers represented 51.9% of the population. Once Hawaii was annexed in 1900, federal law applied and prohibited further Chinese immigration altogether. Koreans immigrated until 1905. By 1908, a total of 180,000 Japanese workers had already arrived, though no more Japanese were allowed in after that, but about 50,000 Japanese workers remained permanently. 

In 1896 (count done by the kingdom), roughly 40,000 people were native Hawaiians, and roughly 70,000 were nonnative Hawaiians. The first US census in 1900 put the population at 154001. The Japanese were at 56234. The Chinese were at 21741. The Portuguese were at 6512. The population of Honolulu County was 58504. The population of Hawaii county was 46843. The population of Kauai County was 20734. The population of Maui County was 27920.  

Let us fast forward to today. Over the years as the US military presence in the islands grew, more military personnel and federal workers were stationed here. Many retirees chose to move here and spend out their golden years. Many wealthy people also bought properties here. Honolulu/Kaneohe/Pearl City evolved into a modern metropolis. In the 2020 census, the population of Hawaii was 1455271. Hawaii added more than 94000 people since 2010 (7%). Whites alone are 22.9%. White alone or in combination are 41.9%. Asians alone are 37.2%. Asians alone or in combination are 56.6%. Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders alone are 10.8%. Native Hawaiian and other pacific islanders alone or in combination are 27.1%. American Indian and Alaska native alone or in combination are 2.9%. Black or African American alone or in combination are 3.2%. Some other race alone or in combination is 4.4%. Hispanic or Latino origin are 9.5%. Two or more races are 25.3%. A very diverse population and a lot of mixing by race!!! A true melting pot!!

Today, nearly one in five people who live in Hawaii was born in another country, while one in seven is a native-born American who has at least one immigrant parent. Foreign-born residents also represent a vital share of the state’s labor force in many sectors: over a third of healthcare support workers are immigrants, as are nearly two-fifths of the state's farmers, fishers, and foresters. Immigrants own over a quarter of businesses in Hawaii. As neighbors, business owners, taxpayers, and workers, immigrants are an integral part of Hawaii’s diverse and thriving communities and make extensive contributions that benefit all.