Islanders in the Empire: Filipino and Puerto Rican Laborers in Hawai'i (Asian American Experience)

In the early 1900s, workers from new U.S. colonies in the Philippines and Puerto Rico held unusual legal status. Denied citizenship, they nonetheless had the right to move freely in and out of U.S. jurisdiction. As a result, Filipinos and Puerto Ricans could seek jobs in the United States and its territories despite the anti-immigration policies in place at the time. This book takes an in-depth look at how the two groups fared in a third new colony, Hawaiʻi. Using plantation documents, missionary records, government documents, and oral histories, the book analyzes how the labor migrants interacted with Hawaiian government structures and businesses, how U.S. policies for colonial workers differed from those for citizens or foreigners, and how policies aided corporate and imperial interests. As the book shows, the workers' advantages came with significant drawbacks. Unlike foreign nationals, Filipinos and Puerto Ricans lacked access to consular and other officials with the power to intercede on labor and other issues. Instead, workers often had to rely on unofficial community mediators who also served employers in positions of authority. A rare tandem study of two groups at work on foreign soil, the book offers a new perspective on U.S. imperialism and labor issues of the era. In the early 1900s, workers from new U.S. colonies in the Philippines and Puerto Rico held unusual legal status. Denied citizenship, they nonetheless had the right to move freely in and out of U.S. jurisdiction. As a result, Filipinos and Puerto Ricans could seek jobs in the United States and its territories despite the anti-immigration policies in place at the time. JoAnna Poblete's Islanders in the Empire: Filipino and Puerto Rican Laborers in Hawai'i takes an in-depth look at how the two groups fared in a third new colony, Hawai'i. Using plantation documents, missionary records, government documents, and oral histories, Poblete analyzes how the workers interacted with Hawaiian government structures and businesses, how U.S. policies for colonial workers differed from those for citizens or foreigners, and how policies aided corporate and imperial interests. A rare tandem study of two groups at work on foreign soil, Islanders in the Empire offers a new perspective on American imperialism and labor issues of the era.| Cover Title Contents Acknowledgments Introduction: Defining U.S. Colonial Experiences: The Long History of U.S. Expansionism 1. Letters Home: The Failure of Puerto Rican Recruitment 2. Flexible and Accomodating: Successful Recruitment and Renention of Filipinos 3. Indefinite Dependence: U.S. Control over Puerto Rican Labor Complaints 4. Tensions of Colonial Cooperation: Philippine Authority over Labor Complaints 5. Conflicting Convictions; Filipino Ethnic Minister Interactions with the Plantation Community 6. Limited Leadership: Roles of Puerto Rican Labor Agents in the Plantation Community Conclusion: Current Struggles against U.S. Colonialism and Empire Notes Selected Bibliography Index | Best Book Award in History, Filipino Section of the Association for Asian American Studies, 2018. — Filipino Section of the Association for Asian American Studies | JoAnna Poblete is an assistant professor of history at the University of Wyoming. "In the early 1900s, workers from new U.S. colonies in the Philippines and Puerto Rico held unusual legal status. Denied citizenship, they nonetheless had the right to move freely in and out of U.S. jurisdiction. As a result, Filipinos and Puerto Ricans could seek jobs in the United States and its territories despite the anti-immigration policies in place at the time. JoAnna Poblete's Islanders in the Empire: Filipino and Puerto Rican Laborers in Hawai'i takes an in-depth look at how the two groups fared in a third new colony, Hawai'i. Using plantation documents, missionary records, government documents, and oral histories, Poblete analyzes how the workers interacted with Hawaiian government structures and businesses, how U.S. policies for colonial workers differed from those for citizens or foreigners, and how policies aided corporate and imperial interests. A rare tandem study of two groups at work on foreign soil, Islanders in the Empire offers a new perspective on American imperialism and labor issues of the era"-- Résumé de l'éditeur Introduction: Defining U.S. Colonial experiences: the long history of U.S. expansionism Letters home: the failure of Puerto Rican recruitment Flexible and accommodating: successful recruitment and retention of Filipinos Indefinite dependence: U.S. control over Puerto Rican labor complaints Tensions of Colonial cooperation: Philippine authority over labor complaints Conflicting convictions: Filipino ethnic minister interactions with the plantation community Limited leadership : roles of Puerto Rican labor agents in the plantation community Conclusion: current struggles against U.S. Colonialism and empire. A unique comparative study of two groups of colonials under U.S. imperialism