
09/09/2025
Regrouping after the International Conference on the Spanish Hawaiian Immigration — what an inspiring experience!
It was my first time using personal translation devices to follow the speakers (Spanish ↔ English), and it was brilliantly successful. Over 300 people attended, including dignitaries from Spain, Hawai‘i, and across the U.S.
I learned that my paternal family’s journey was not so unique, but part of a much larger story: between 1907–1913, about 8,000 Spaniards crossed oceans on several ships, drawn by recruitment posters promising a better life in Hawai‘i. 🌊🚢 That’s just the beginning of the story…
-T
PS: Noteworthy speakers with books and sources included: Miguel Alba Trujilo (In from Spain) and James D. Fernandez (In from University of NY) AND Lucia Aranda (In from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.). Ms. Aranda’s talk focus... WOMEN, WORK & HEALTH ... eye-opening.