State hires contractor for Battle of Hanapepe memorial

LIHUE (HawaiiNewsNow) – The state has selected a contractor to build a monument to remember the 1924 Battle of Hanapepe, which was instrumental in shaping Hawaii’s labor rights.

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The Hawaii Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS) announced it selected Pacific Blue Construction LLC to build the memorial at the Hanapepe Filipino and Portuguese Cemetery.

DAGS said the memorial will consist of two concrete columns with a gap between them, representing the two sides of the conflict. The columns are oriented so that no matter the time of day.

“Wherever the sun is, a shadow is cast, basically to kind of symbolize that there was a dark period in labor history,” said Eric Agena, DAGS Kauai District Office Program Manager.

Just over a century ago, Filipino workers across the territory’s sugar plantations went on strike.

Workers had demands for higher pay, from one dollar to two dollars, and fewer working hours from 10 hours a day to eight hours.

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On Sept. 8, 1924, a Visayan strike camp kidnapped two Ilocano strike breakers trying to cross the picket line.

Sheriffs and police tried to free the captured men the following day. However, a deadly confrontation broke out, resulting in the deaths of 16 Filipino strikers and four police officers, and over 100 arrests.

The strikers that were killed are buried in a mass grave at the Hanapepe Filipino Cemetery.

“This memorial ensures the sacrifices made during the Battle of Hanapepe are never forgotten,” said DAGS Director Keith Regan. “It honors the workers who stood up for dignity, fair wages and safer working conditions, while acknowledging the lives lost on all sides of a tragic conflict.”

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Construction will begin Sept. 1.