Fil-Ams in Hawaii: 100 years and beyond

On Dec. 20, 1906, 15 Ilokanos arrived in Honolulu on the SS Doric from the Philippines. They would constitute the first wave of Filipino migrants who were recruited by the Hawaiian Sugar Planters Association to work in sugar plantations owned and controlled by five companies, called the Big Five – Theo H. Davies, Alexander & Baldwin, Castle & Cooke, American Factors (now Amfac/JMB Hawaii) and C. Brewer & Co.

The Filipinos were actually the last in the line of ethnic groups to work on plantations in the islands. The preceding groups were the Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Puerto Ricans, Spanish, and Korean laborers.

The second wave, which began in 1946, brought 10,000 to 12,000 Filipino military personnel, war brides as well as laborers.

The third wave was made up of brothers, sisters, sons and daughters petitioned by their relatives belonging to the first and second waves. Since 1965, between 4,000 and 5,000 Filipinos immigrated to Hawaii annually, making Filipino Americans the fast-growing ethnic group in the islands. Today, there are some 250,000 Filipino-Americans in the state of Hawaii, making up 25 percent of the island’s around 10 million inhabitants.

The labors of the first 15 Filipino contract workers – the sakadas, or sugar plantation workers – are now being remembered by their surviving relatives and the whole state of Hawaii, with a year-long celebration consisting of an unveiling of a statue depicting a sakada laborer, photo and art exhibits, singing and dancing, programs, and speaking engagements not only in Hawaii but in other countries, including the Philippines.

Attaching great significance to the celebration is the creation by the 21st Legislature of the State of Hawaii of the Filipino Centennial Commission to prepare an overall program to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the first 15 Filipinos.

The spreading of the centennial gospel was brought home by a 200-man delegation from Hawaii who came for nearly two weeks to visit their mother country. Among them were two officers of the centennial commission – Elias T. Beniga, financial analyst for Merrill Lynch, and centennial chair, and Benjamin Saguibo, chair of the finance committee.

The governor of Hawaii, Linda Lingle, led the delegation. She told women leaders attending a symposium at the Philippine Women’s University, that the centennial celebration is more than just a celebration of the 100th year of the arrival of 15 Filipinos in her state, but a moving forward for the thousands of Filipino Americans. That is why the celebration’s slogan is "100 Years and Beyond."

The governor is herself celebrating her attachment to the Filipino community. She had lived for 10 years with a Filipino family in Honolulu when she was a student, and became aware of the rich heritage and culture of Filipinos. She ate adobo, mongo beans and pancit, and noted the sacrifices Filipinos would go through in order to send their children to school.

She said the 15 sakadas would never have imagined that their descendants would become outstanding doctors, legislators and sportsmen. She said Filipinos have contributed a great deal to the development of Hawaii’s health care system.

Ms. Lingle said that on her trips to the north, she noted the warmth and enthusiasm of Filipinos, as she was treated to generous heaps of "Wowowee." But a most touching scene was when her former landlady, Cresencia Befitel, who was with the 200-man delegation, was able to meet her sister in Santa, Ilocos Sur, for the first time in 30 years.

Elias Beniga, 43, was born here, and left with his parents for Hawaii at age 9. During this trip, he went with other delegation members to Ilocos Norte, Laoag, Ilocos Sur and Cebu, but for lack of time, he has not gone to Surigao de Norte to visit with relatives. He said the reunions of second-generation Fil-Ams and their families have been both emotional and educational.

Ben Saguibo has been coming to the Philippines almost every year, but his trip this time has been meaningful, as he saw how happy his companions were at their coming home for the first time. Ben has been an active labor leader in Honolulu City for many years. He is an officer of the Laborer’s National Union of North America, which has 4,700 members, 60 percent of whom are Filipinos. Unlike the early Filipino sakadas, today’s Filipino migrant workers enjoy substantial benefits from the state government, he said.

In December last year, Congressman Ed Case (Hawaii, 2nd District) was responsible for the approval of the House of Representatives resolution honoring the centennial celebration. He said he represents the congressional district with the largest percentage of Filipino Americans nationally.

It is in Hawaii, he said, "Where the full extent of the trials and tribulations (experienced by Filipino Americans have been) played out over the past century. Early generations worked hard to bring their families to Hawaii, and then those generations fought for their rights and began to move beyond the plantations into other aspects of Hawaii and enjoy the opportunity of education."

Rosemarie Bernardo wrote in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin Hawaii News (her story is carried over the Internet; log in to filipinosinhawaii100.org) of Filipinos who have made it big in their adopted country. Peter Aduja was elected to the Territorial House of Representatives in 1954. In 1962, Benjamin Menor was the first Filipino American to serve as a Hawaii state senator. Twelve years later, he became the first Filipino American to be appointed to a state Supreme Court.

In 1974, Eduard Malapit of Kauai became the first mayor of Filipino descent in the nation. In 1994, Ben Cayetano became the first Filipino to be elected governor in the United States. Oahu resident Angela Baraquio became the first Asian American to win the Miss America pageant in 2001. Seattle times reporter Byron Achohido of Wahiawa won a Pulitzer Prize in 1997 for his report on rudder system problems in the Boeing 737.

In medicine, Dr. Jorge Camara became the first physician in Hawaii to use telemedicine for a surgical procedure and the first in the nation for ophthalmology. Waipahu resident Brian Viloria won the 1999 national title in featherweight boxing, and Benny Agbayani continues to be a notable player in Major League Baseball.

From humble beginnings, Filipinos have moved to greater heights. Now we know the meaning of the centennial’s slogan, "100 Years and Beyond."

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Dr. Amelou Benitez Reyes, PWU president, told the women leaders at the forum Tuesday, that the relationship between the State of Hawaii and PWU should not end up the way most relationships go. Hence Governor Lingle and Dr. Helena Benitez and Dr. Reyes signed a Memorandum of Agreement "to institutionalize partnership and networking activities." These cover initiatives and collaboration on human resource development, matching opportunities for employment generation and services, cultural enhancement and exchange initiatives; family/student transfer and institutional exchanges; joint seminars, researches and conferences, and electronic publications and providing access to information and communications technology.

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