From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Greeks in Hawaii
Greeks in Hawaii
Helene
Later establishment
In the 1870s Greeks began to emigrate because of famine
and over-population in Greece for labor on Hawaii’s sug-
ar plantations. A few entrepreneurial Greeks came in the
1880s to Hawaii formed a tight community and gave jobs
Galanolefki to fellow countrymen at their businesses. The ABCFM
missionaries had since become a group of wealthy elite
and the disdain for the Greeks had increase. William
Alexander described Greeks as “commercial, ingenious
andeloquent, but deceitful, dirty and immoral.” Among
the immigrants was Peter Camarinos who joined as co-
partner of Campbell, Marshall, and Company. Camarinos
was sued by A. J. Campbell for $6,750. Paul Neumann de-
George Lycurgus • Laird Hamilton • Panos Prevedouros fended Camarinos and had the suit dismissed. This was
followed up by two countersuits. After the suit the new
Total population
Greeks of the community avoided the Missionaries and
2,119 (0.2%, 2010) instead acquainted themselves with the Monarchs. The
Greeks came to compete against the Missionaries in the
Languages
export and pineapple industries. Further disapproval by
Greek, English, Hawaiian the conservative missionaries was their tendency to at-
Religion tend and hold parties which included King David
Kalākaua. Moreover was the hospitality industry which
Greek Orthodox provided drinking, music, and partying.
Related ethnic groups
Greek American Greek Australian Overthrow of the Kingdom
As the missionaries tuned to aggression the political situ-
ation became increasingly unfavorable to the Greeks.
Greeks in Hawaii or Helene were one of the earliest west- On June 30, 1887 the a Missionary group called the
erners, Haoles, to Hawaii and known for being one of the Hawaiian League forced the bayonet constitution on King
few White ethnicities to be opposed to the Overthrow of Kalākaua. In 1891 King Kalākaua died and his sister,
the Hawaiian Monarchy. Queen Liliʻuokalani, acended the throne. On January 17,
1893 Queen Liliʻuokalani was overthrown by business-
Early contact men and the Missionary elite.
George Lycurgus was arrested and fined for disturb-
The earliest Greeks had come to Hawaii after Captain
ing the peace and distributing alcohol without a liquor li-
James Cook, at latest with Captain George Vancouver’s
cense. He elieved the ulterior motive for his reprimand
expedition. Into the 1830s subsequent Greeks came as
was for his support of the monarchy. His brother, John,
whalers and traders. The Russian Orthodox Church was
had difficulties obtaining license for various industries.
established in 1839 in which Greek Orthodox Christians
Under the new government Hula was banned and public
attended. To Hiram Bingham I of the ABCFM, he held a
concerts of Hawaiian Music were outlawed. But private
certain degree of approval that the Greeks were at the
performances of Hawaiian Music were legal and George
minimum Christians, but the missionary community
Lycurgus hired the National Band to play at his hotel,
would learn to loathe the Greeks. In 1850 princes Alexan-
Sans Souci, to the annoyance of pro-government support-
der Liholiho and Lot Kapuāiwa met Greek Minister Spyri-
ers.
don Trikoupis? in Paris who encouraged them to join
The Greeks took part in opposing the Provisional
him in drinking and gambling, against Gerrit Judd’s ob-
Government and Republic. A number joined the counter-
jections.
revolutionaries plotting to restore the monarchy.
Hawaii’s Schuetzen Club was taken over by German, Aus-
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Greeks in Hawaii
trian, Greek, and British royalists and transformed into a Griffith who had been admitted to the asylum for demen-
front organization to train counter-revolutionaries. tia witnessed Camarinos complaint about his breakfast
The uprising was put down swiftly and royalists were then attacked an attendant named John Lynn and then
captured and arrested including some Greeks, of which attacked a nurse. Two other attendants intervened and
two were exiled. threw Camarinos to the ground and held him down as
Lynn jumped on Camarinos’ stomach repetedly until Ca-
Killing of Peter Camarinos marinos fainted.
A critic of the Republic suggested the killing was or-
Significant to the small Greek community at the time was dered by Sanford B. Dole and William O. Smith to elim-
the dead of Peter G. Camarinos. Camarinos had been con- inate an enemy and make an example of Camarinos for
sidered the most aggressively in favor of the counterrev- opposing the Republic.
olution, a major planner and sponsor of the insurgency
he stated “I will give half that I am worth to see the
damned Missionary sons of bitches hung”.
References
By 1896 Camarinos he had he become mentally ill, his Chapin, Helen G. The Queen’s “Greek Artillery Fire”[1]
friends and family supported him and admitted him to Suspicious Marks on the Body of Camarinos February 11,
Andrews Asylum for the Insane in California. One year 1898. The San Francisco Call.[2]
later he was dead, the asylum physician conclude he had Gonser, James Greeks paved path of their own in Hawai’i
died of paresis. Camarinos’s family received his body in Honolulu Advertiser. May 25, 2005.[3]
an advanced stage of decomposition two or three days af- Papapostolou, Anastasios Greeks in Hawaii and Their
ter he had died. His family accused the asylum of pur- Festival Greek Reporter. August 28 2009.[4]
posefully using the decay to concealing bruises that im-
plied he had been kicked and beaten to death. John R.
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Categories:
• Ethnic groups in Hawaii
• Greek minorities
• History of immigration to Hawaii
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