Puunene Maui Hawaii Sugar Cane Laborers Ray Jerome Baker Real Photo Postcard
The cultivation and harvesting of sugar cane, as depicted in Puunene, Maui, was the backbone of Hawaii's economy throughout its territorial period (1900-1959). Puunene was home to one of the largest sugar plantations and mills, operated by Alexander & Baldwin, which played a critical role in establishing Hawaii as a global sugar producer. This labor-intensive industry transformed the landscape of Maui and the broader Hawaiian Islands, creating vast agricultural fields and requiring a significant workforce.
The demand for cheap labor in Hawaii's booming sugar industry led to large-scale immigration from Asia and Europe, dramatically shaping the multi-ethnic demographic of the islands. Workers, often under challenging conditions, manually cut the cane, a practice common until increasing mechanization in the mid-20th century. The sugar industry's influence extended beyond agriculture, impacting Hawaiian politics, land ownership, and social structures for decades.
The demand for cheap labor in Hawaii's booming sugar industry led to large-scale immigration from Asia and Europe, dramatically shaping the multi-ethnic demographic of the islands. Workers, often under challenging conditions, manually cut the cane, a practice common until increasing mechanization in the mid-20th century. The sugar industry's influence extended beyond agriculture, impacting Hawaiian politics, land ownership, and social structures for decades.
