The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-07-09
THE CHINESE
Of HAWAII
]. W. Girvin Writes
Of Their Life
and Traits.

fhH e1rku In many Inventions ana as
covcrios, as the compass, silk, porcelain,
gun powder, printing by movable type,
and the discovery OF America a thousand
years before Columbus was born, etc,
ETC. are said to have been the flrst plan
tiers Of sugar cane on these Islands.
During the latter part OF the 18th CEN
fury Kamehameha l. sent trading vessels
to China and II is more than likely that
some Of these brought a few of this en-
terprising race. 1t is stated that in 1SO2
a Chnaman brought a stone sugar mill
and started plant on Lanai The fol-
lowing year, the crop or prospects, not
proving satisfactory, he returned to his
own land.
When the Chinese first began to make
Hawaii their home is not recorded but
the records do show when they began to
be admitted as citizens. In former times
a foreigner was not allowed to marry a
native woman unless he became citi-
zen. Probably this is the reason that
Chinese first sought naturalization. AS
far back as 1916 we find Chinese taking
out citizens papers. The natives took
kindly TO the Chinese, who appeared to
learn the Hawaiian language with great
facility. They made good husbands and
fathers and in many instances had large
families Being great lovers of child
rem, especially boys, they denied them
rem home to China to be educated, and
TO support the grandparents. 1t was the
rule to send the children home and
where exception occurs 1t is probably
accounted for in the extreme poverty of
the individual. Today there are hundreds
OF Hawaiian born Chinese living in
China.
1t is generally admitted that the ISL
ands are much indebted to the Chinese,
who through their Industrious habits
have redeemed land that for years had
fallen into disuse and made 1t rent and
tax producing property. As the natives
diminished in numbers and taro lands
dried up for lack of use, the Chinese leas-
ed them and turned them into rice
patches. Also many lands that were but
tule marshes from time immemorial have
by them been reclaimed and made pro-
ductive. AS native labor gradually died
out Chinese were brought in to take its
place and probably it is largely owing to
them that the Islands occupy the position
in the sugar world that they do.
We meet them in all walks in life,
sometimes at the top of the ladder and
again as the vlest of the vile. They
are Christian clergymen, teachers, doc
tors. merchants, sugar barons, gold
smiths, artisans of every description,
gardeners. hucksters, fishermen, labor
ers, and with the exception of lawyers
think they run the gamut of all profess
sions or trades. We have seen one of
them carry off the prize for the best
essay in English, we have seen them lead
in athletic sports and we know of their
success as merchants and importers. If
1t were not for the vile habits of gamb-
ling and opium smoking, acquired by .he
lower orders prior to coming to the ISL
ands, and for which they are frequently
punished, they would be deemed the most
law-abiding people amongst our polyglot
population. There is an innate respect
for maintaining their commercial good
name found amongst the Chinese that
has never been attributed to any other
race. The great fire of January 20. 1900.
caused by the Board of Health in it's en-
deavors to stay the bubonic plague, al
most wiped out the whole property of the
Chinese merchants of Honolulu. 1t is a
fact that the loss of their goods and
prospects is more felt by them on &C.
count of its rendering them unable to
pay their debts than from any other
cause. No people understand better the
motto that in unity is strength" and
the thousand and one small companies
which have been formed amongst them
for carrying on every possible enterprise,
legal or illegal, attests the fact peo-
pie who individually endeavor to get
their moneys worth will not give way to
dissipation. 1t is rarely an inebriated
Chinaman Is seen.
Their charities are as broad as their
peregrinations and these extend to every
valley on the Islands. There are several
eleemosynary societies among them to
whose attention any particular case Of
distress is brought and these invariably
look into the matter and the party is
either assisted to return to China or
his immediate wants relieved. The penal
contract laws of the late Hawaiian gov
eminent were seldom called into action
through the refusal of Chinese TO fulfil
their agreements to labor. and inyaria DIV
when such was the case II was found
that the aborer was being imposed upon
by some one having a little brief author
ity, or through some msunders landing.
Employers OF labor Invariably speak OF
the Chinese as the best and most desir-
able class OF labor, who once having
knowingly entered into an agreement
carried IL out 10 the letter. Strangers
from the States often remark that the
Chinese Of the Islands are a superior
class 90 those on the mainland THIS is
not true. ms they an come from ABOUT
the same part Of China 10 both places,
but ] think the cause Tor the superior
aupeHrance Of our Chinese Hes In the fact
N their being better treated by the for
sigucrs here with whom they have come
On contact They are polished by atul-
ton as n were. ana probably because ~
their aptitude BOO lr4ruiug the Hawaiian
Language which BIAS become mellum
on ursoe'HtaH between us Some of tne
rrHuIlHHlrHu ~ laRaiHu-rHnHa mar
ridges afr WHHind NifH Americans ana
orc Az rIUr lHHI#H us ang In iNr lHHl, HAi
Dos. Etrs Interesting families, IHs unlr
htl.I rHHnHf HHieH tIinrsr base -
lrlWInF mHaea iNrW n aprr4 mere ln
proportion NJ IhHr Incomes f9r fIuaa
f'aH uH #a hHE'HrHfUl can apl1r
CHfa
aHn.fH iIr Chinese kHHa fHa hard
fUIU Uf Wr IHIIH4 rfHiu Etr.Ha.gH VA
fHt. UHaH o. aHtHHIH Objection ~ ihH
lHH.H ~ ~ is.Hnda No ihH iUIf.l
n.u probably tfHHHar HH b. nHl.Il na
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InF t.aHaH fl#F lH1 confidence in fhf
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if IIII HH HisHe4F alfEis.4 Hn4
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