Hawaii Federation of Japanese Labor

Traditional Hawaii land ownership practices were forever altered by the Gold Rush, the American Civil War, the Great Mahele, and the Reciprocity Treaty.

In Hawaii, the Japanese were the majority of the demographic makeup and therefore did not face the same level of isolation and fear of attacks based on race and ethnicity.

These groups considered "elite" consisted of business owners, school administration, religious leaders, journalists, and other individuals of various professions and associations.

In these demonstrations, some speakers detailed experiences on plantations, one of which was named Takeshi Haga, age 19, who described being "treated like livestock" while working.

As a result, this led to the intervention of the Attorney General at the time, Mitchell Palmer, who issued a strict warning if the workers’ strike were to continue November 7, 1919.

Two days after this warning, on November 9, 1919, there was a lecture meeting in Honolulu to address the Federation of Japanese Labor and their workers’ strike.

This was a platform for speakers like Takeshi Haga to share their stories and raise awareness for the treatment they faced as workers on the plantation.

Discussions were held regarding the number of delegates (representatives) from the islands of Hawaii, voting rights, worker wages, length of the work day, and creating social change.

In terms of creating social change, at all of these events, it was customary to introduce and greet the press and bystanders who attended the demonstrations and sponsored meetings.