Communist Party of Hawaii
Encyclopedia
The Communist Party of Hawaii was the regional party of the Communist Party USA
Communist Party USA
The Communist Party USA is a Marxist political party in the United States, established in 1919. It has a long, complex history that is closely related to the histories of similar communist parties worldwide and the U.S. labor movement....

 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 Territory of Hawaii
Territory of Hawaii
The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 7, 1898, until August 21, 1959, when its territory, with the exception of Johnston Atoll, was admitted to the Union as the fiftieth U.S. state, the State of Hawaii.The U.S...

.

Appeal

The party targeted poor working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...

 such as the stevedores and plantation workers
Sugar plantations in Hawaii
Sugarcane was introduced to Hawaii by its first inhabitants in approximately 600 AD and was observed by Captain Cook upon arrival in the islands in 1778. Sugar quickly turned into a big business and generated rapid population growth in the islands with 337,000 people immigrating over the span of a...

 in the Territory.

Unions

The Communist Party were involved with forming labor unions and organizing labour strikes and the general strikes during the nonviolent revolution
Nonviolent revolution
A nonviolent revolution is a revolution using mostly campaigns of civil resistance, including various forms of nonviolent protest, to bring about the departure of governments seen as entrenched and authoritarian...

 leading up to the "Revolution of 1954"
Democratic Revolution of 1954 (Hawaii)
The Hawaii Democratic Revolution of 1954 was a nonviolent revolution that took place in the Hawaiian Archipelago consisting of general strikes, protests, and other acts of civil disobedience...

.

Hawaii 7

In an attempt to stop the movement the FBI launched synchronized raids in 1951, rounding up seven prominent member of the party including chairman Charles Fujimoto. The seven detainees became known as the Hawaii 7 and were charged with conspiracy to overthrow the territorial government
Smith Act
The Alien Registration Act or Smith Act of 1940 is a United States federal statute that set criminal penalties for advocating the overthrow of the U.S...

. Following the raids the party went into hiding. Several members that were members of both the Communist and Democratic
Democratic Party of Hawaii
The Democratic Party of Hawaii is an arm of the Democratic Party of the United States based in Honolulu, Hawaii. The party is a centralized organization established to promote the party platform as drafted in convention biennially...

 parties moved to the Democrats and helped push the Democrats of Hawaii closer to center-left. Little is known about the Communist Party after it went underground, but it was still active in the successful Revolution of 1954.

Defunct

By far the largest contribution to the decline of Communist Party was their own success. They had gained support from the poor and non-Caucasian workers by messages of bringing an improved lifestyle, equal rights, and expanded opportunists. But as these promises were coming true there was no longer a need for the Party. Most members, including Jack Wayne Hall head of the ILWU in Hawaii, became convinced the task of the Communist Party was completed and the Party was dissolved in 1958.
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