Years ago, a friend sent me this photograph. I honestly have no clue where the photograph originates from. But, it is a tribute to the forgotten history of the sugar plantation era. Women worked on the plantations alongside their male counterparts. Their labor made a major contribution to the sugar plantation era.

The photograph is labeled “Portuguese field workers, Kilauea Sugar Plantation, ca 1913”. As you can see, it shows three women pausing during their work day. (You can click on the photograph to see a larger version.)
I have a tremendous interest in the Kilauea Sugar Plantation as you probably have guess if you are a regular reader of this blog. Most of my Pacheco’s were contracted to the Kilauea Sugar Plantation and descendants were employed their at its closure. I still have relatives in Kilauea today.
I do not know who the women in this photograph are. But, as the faces are very clear, I’m hoping someone else might recognize them. Maybe someone will see the faces and say “Why, that’s my great aunt!” I hope so! I know that several people have roots in Kilauea, so let’s see if we can get this photograph identified.
Did you have relatives who lived and worked at the Kilauea Sugar Plantation on the island of Kauai around 1913? Do you recognize these women? Are they related to you? If so, let me know. I think it would be awesome to give these women back their names and identity. Let’s pass this photograph around and see if we can give them back their names.
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Want to learn more about the sugar plantation era in Hawaii? Ronald Takaki’s book is the best one I’ve read on this subject.