Have you ever noticed that Hawaii is super Filipino? It’s the state’s largest ethnic group and if you’re especially observant, you might have picked up that Ilocanos in particular make up the most of Hawaii’s Filipino population.

There’s a story behind that, and it’s tied to the present day political dynamics of the state, solidarity with Black and Japanese American movements, and significant improvements in working conditions.

Zoom a little further out and you’ll see the story of two island nations- one a kingdom turned into a state by imperialism, the other a collection of tribes turned into a nation by the forces of colonialism. Two histories running perpendicularly to each other, in the Pacific.

Here’s the story!

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