Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association
Encyclopedia
Founded in 1895, the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association (HSPA) was an unincorporated, voluntary organization of sugar
plantation
owners in the Hawaiian Islands
. Its objective was to promote the mutual benefits of its members and the development of the sugar
industry in the islands. It conducted scientific studies and gathered accurate records about the sugar
industry. The HSPA practiced paternalistic management. Plantation
owners introduced welfare programs, sometimes out of concern for the workers, but often designed to suit their economic ends. Threats, coercion, and "divide and rule" tactics were employed, particularly to keep the plantation
workers ethnically segregated.
The HSPA also actively campaigned to bring workers to Hawaii
. For instance, they opened offices in Manila
and Vigan, Ilocos Sur
, to recruit Filipino workers and provide them free passage to Hawaii
. Similarly, the HSPA became a powerful organization with tentacles reaching as far as Washington, D.C.
, where it successfully lobbied for legislation and labor and immigration
policies beneficial to the sugar
industry of Hawaii
. On March 24, 1934, the U.S. Congress passed the Tydings-McDuffie Act
(Philippine Independence Act), which reclassified all Filipinos living in the United States
as aliens and restricted entry of laborers from the Philippines
to 50 per year.
HSPA now operates under the name Hawaii Agriculture Research Center (HARC). HSPA's and HARC's archives are kept at HARC's office.
A significant project undertaken by HSPA was to archive Hawaii's sugar company records. Between 1983-1994, archivists hired by HSPA received and processed records from dozens of sugar companies and related entities. The archival collection, now called the HSPA Plantation Archives, was donated to the University of Hawaii at Mānoa
Library.
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
owners in the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
. Its objective was to promote the mutual benefits of its members and the development of the sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
industry in the islands. It conducted scientific studies and gathered accurate records about the sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
industry. The HSPA practiced paternalistic management. Plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
owners introduced welfare programs, sometimes out of concern for the workers, but often designed to suit their economic ends. Threats, coercion, and "divide and rule" tactics were employed, particularly to keep the plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
workers ethnically segregated.
The HSPA also actively campaigned to bring workers to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. For instance, they opened offices in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
and Vigan, Ilocos Sur
Ilocos Sur
Ilocos Sur is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Vigan City, located on the mouth of the Mestizo River is the provincial capital...
, to recruit Filipino workers and provide them free passage to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. Similarly, the HSPA became a powerful organization with tentacles reaching as far as Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, where it successfully lobbied for legislation and labor and immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
policies beneficial to the sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
industry of Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. On March 24, 1934, the U.S. Congress passed the Tydings-McDuffie Act
Tydings-McDuffie Act
The Tydings-McDuffie Act approved on March 24, 1934 was a United States federal law which provided for self-government of the Philippines and for Filipino independence after a period of ten years. It was authored by Maryland Senator Millard E...
(Philippine Independence Act), which reclassified all Filipinos living in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as aliens and restricted entry of laborers from the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
to 50 per year.
HSPA now operates under the name Hawaii Agriculture Research Center (HARC). HSPA's and HARC's archives are kept at HARC's office.
A significant project undertaken by HSPA was to archive Hawaii's sugar company records. Between 1983-1994, archivists hired by HSPA received and processed records from dozens of sugar companies and related entities. The archival collection, now called the HSPA Plantation Archives, was donated to the University of Hawaii at Mānoa
University of Hawaii at Manoa
The University of Hawaii at Mānoa is a public, co-educational university and is the flagship campus of the greater University of Hawaii system...
Library.