Researcher Examined Black Laborers in Hawaii
A new doctoral dissertation analyzes the history of Southern Black workers on Hawaiian sugar plantations.
Updated on Oct. 12, 2026 in African-American
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Ph.D. candidate Joy Miller has completed a research project focusing on the migration of Southern Black laborers to Hawaiian sugar plantations. The study explores the period between 1862 and 1904, when workers sought opportunities for land and political rights.
Why it matters
The research highlights how plantation owners recruited laborers to support the sugar industry amid widespread protests. It also documents the efforts of African American Southerners to secure rights that were systematically denied to them in the American South.
The dissertation covers the labor landscape in Hawaii from 1862 through 1904. The analysis includes the 1898 United States annexation of Hawaii as a pivotal turning point in the region's geopolitical history.
The players
Joy Miller
She is a Ph.D. candidate in a history program who recently completed her dissertation on labor migration.
Sanford Dole
He served as the president of the Republic of Hawaii and his personal papers were used as a primary source for this research.
The details
Joy Miller utilized historical newspapers and official records from the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association and Sanford Dole to complete the research. By reading against the grain of these documents, the project uncovers the perspectives of laborers who resisted the subordinate roles demanded by plantation owners.
Timeline
The study spans the era of labor migration from 1862 to 1904.
The United States officially annexed Hawaii in 1898.
African American military personnel later arrived in Hawaii during World War II.
Culture Shift
The study reframes the history of the American diaspora by tracking the movement of laborers into the Pacific during a period of imperial expansion. It challenges the traditional narrative of the sugar industry by highlighting the agency of Black workers who sought political rights abroad.
This historical research offers residents of Hawaii a new perspective on the diverse origins of the islands' workforce and political history. It encourages a deeper look into the legacy of plantation-era labor structures and the ongoing influence of these historical migration patterns.
The takeaway
This research emphasizes the importance of looking beyond official state records to recover the voices of marginalized labor groups. Readers can gain a better understanding of how historical migration trends have shaped the social and political landscape of the Pacific.
Further reading
Discover more historical analysis in the African-American section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The UCSD Guardian.
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