Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
lation. The majority of mixed-blood Hawaiians, 240,000 or so, live on O'ahu, where they
are particularly strong in the hotel and entertainment fields.
Chinese
Next to Yankees from New England, the Chinese are the oldest migrant group in Hawai'i,
and their influence has far outshone their meager numbers. They brought to Hawai'i, along
with their individuality, Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, although many have long
since become Christians. The Chinese population at 56,000 makes up only 5 percent of
the state's total, but the vast majority live on O'ahu. As a group they have done well and
have succeeded in starting businesses lasting generations. The first Chinese were brought
to Hawai'i in 1852 to work on sugar plantations. They were contracted to work for $3 a
month plus room and board. After working 12-hour days six days a week, the Chinese
nearly always moved on when their contracts were done and started their own businesses
or shops.
Japanese
The first official Japanese to come to Hawai'i were ambassadors sent to Washington by
the shogun who stopped in Honolulu on the way in 1860. A small group came eight years
later to work on the plantations, and a large influx came in 1885. After an emigration of
Japanese farmers who were sent over because of their famine, from 1897 to 1908 there
was a steady influx. By 1900 there were more than 60,000 Japanese in the islands.
LOCAL CUSTOM: NO SHOES IN THE HOUSE
One of the local customs visitors often find shocking is the removal of shoes before
entering a house. Unless you're directly told otherwise, no shoes in the house is a
definite rule. There are a few theories about where the custom came from. Some say
it's common sense not to track added dirt and germs inside, while others say it's a
Japanese custom relating to not following in other people's shoes (or paths, or foot-
step). Whatever the origins might be, follow it if you visit a local's home. It's even
usually requested by the management of vacation rentals. This rule doesn't extend
to hotels or businesses, but if you notice a pile of shoes at the door of a small busi-
ness, it's probably a sign that the owner prefers the no-shoes rule. If you are a fan of
the custom or already practice it at home, locally made Please Remove Shoes signs
and tiles can be purchased around the island.
