The Sugar Trade and the Colonization of Hawai’i

During our choreographic lab at Helm’s Bakery in November 2022, a community member told us stories of playing in the sugar cane fields of Hawai’i and the tumultuous history of colonization. We were shocked, but also not so shocked, because the extent of our knowledge was about the sugar exploitation in the Carribean and the Gulf United States. CONTRA-TIEMPO’s current performance work - ¡AZÚCAR! - centers on sugar and its not-so-sweet history. Through this piece, we call on personal and ancestral stories in order to meet our responsibility to acknowledge our history - even the painful parts - and embark on the journey to healing.

Sharing stories about sugar

Photo by Farah Sosa at the Helm’s Bakery Choreographic Lab November 2022

Here’s how the sugar industry is intertwined with Hawaiian history and colonization.

The Sugar Trade

Around 600 B.C.E., Hawaiian settlers brought several sugarcane varieties to the islands. Native Hawaiians cultivated sugarcane and used it for food, medicine, and building purposes. In the early 19th century, however, the method of processing sugar was introduced to the Hawaiian Islands. It quickly became the kingdom’s dominant export crop due to its high demand in the United States and Europe.

The sugar industry was instrumental in the development of the Hawaiian economy and played a significant role in shaping the country's political and social landscape. Hawaiian nobles and American and European businessmen controlled the vast majority of the sugar plantations and were often at odds with the Hawaiian monarchs.

The Colonization of Hawaii

Then, in 1893 came the illegal overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawai’i by a group of American sugar planters. This turning point in the history of Hawai’i marked the beginning of American colonization.

Under American rule, the sugar industry continued to expand. It was dominated by a handful of large corporations that had significant influence over the Hawaiian government and economy. Sugar workers, who were primarily made up of immigrant laborers from China, Japan, Portugal, and the Philippines, faced poor working conditions and low wages. Yet they built the sugar industry into a major economic force in Hawai’i and cemented the islands’ multicultural influences.

The last sugar cane field in Maui, Hawai’i

Photo by Stephen McLaren courtesy of The Guardian

The End of Hawaiian Sugar

The sugar industry in Hawai’i faced numerous challenges in the 20th century, including World War II, changes in international trade laws, declining demand for sugar, and increased competition from other countries and the rise of alternative sweeteners. The last sugar plantation in Hawai’i closed in 2016, ending over 150 years of sugar production in the state.

Our newest work, “¡AZÚCAR!”, addresses this complex history and our complicated relationship with sugar. It is envisioned as a project with various iterations including a movement film, a podcast, a live and virtual exhibition of photography and performance, a series of choreographic labs, and a live movement work that will tour as a part of the company’s new works. See the ¡AZÚCAR! world premiere March 31st, 2023 at NC State Live in Raleigh, NC!

Here at CONTRA-TIEMPO, we create meaningful art through performative dance. Our physically intense and politically astute performance work moves audiences to imagine what’s possible. As a Los-Angeles-based activist dance company, we awaken people to a sense of themselves as artists and social change agents who move through the world with compassion and confidence. We wield the power of art to influence social change, live out our values, and teach others to engage in art activism! Support our movement by donating today!

Bibliography:

A&E Television Networks, LLC. (n.d.). Americans overthrow Hawaiian monarchy - History. HISTORY. Retrieved March 6, 2023, from https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/americans-overthrow-hawaiian-monarchy
Research guides: Chronicling America: Historic Newspapers from Hawaiʻi and the U.S.: Sugar industry. University of Hawaii at Manoa Library. (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2023, from https://guides.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/c.php?g=105252&p=687131
Solomon, M. (2016, December 17). The final days of Hawaiian sugar. NPR. Retrieved March 6, 2023, from https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/12/17/505861855/the-final-days-of-hawaiian-sugar
UHPA. (2021, March 29). Lessons from Hawaii's history of organized labor. University of Hawaii Professional Assembly. Retrieved March 6, 2023, from https://www.uhpa.org/monday-report/dont-let-history-repeat-itself/