A Midsummer Night's Dream

A History on Boricua-Hawaiiana Culture:

In 1899, Puerto Rico was devastated by two hurricanes. Seeking work, a small group of Puerto Ricans make the long and difficult journey to Hawaii to work on the thriving sugar cane and pineapple plantations there. Though they find work, there are several hardships that come with it. Despite their mistreatment, less than a year later, there were 5,000 Puerto Ricans living on the islands of Hawaii. Now, with nearly ten times as many Puerto Ricans, four generation deep, living on the islands, it is no surprise that the culture of the Boricua-Hawaiiana people—as they refer to themselves today—would have such a large influence on Hawaiian culture. Their cultural influence can easily be found in local foods like pasteles (meat pies), gandule rice, and bacalao salad and in the use of the four stringed guitar known as the Cuatro, maracas, and the Guiro (percussion instrument made from a gourd) used in the typical songs of Hawaii.