Submitted by Catherine Cooper on the 2019 winter session study abroad program in Hawaii sponsored by the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences and the School of Education…
This week, our class had the opportunity to visit the Village Plantation to learn more about Hawaiian culture. We learned about what drew different groups of people to the Hawaiian plantation life. For example, Chinese people came to Hawaii in order to teach the Hawaiians how to field the sugar plantation. Hawaiians take pride in their diverse culture that includes the influence of the Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, and other groups of people.
We also learned about life on the plantation. The picture represents a hut that only Hawaiian men were allowed to build. If a female touched the hut, then the man would have to start over. Additionally, we learned that different huts had different purposes. One hut was meant for sleeping, one was meant for cooking, and one was meant for labor.
