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laborhistoryhawaii
9 hours ago2 min read
A tribute to Barbara Kawakami
Aloha e, We were saddened to learn of Barbara Kawakami’s death at age 103 in December 2024. Barbara was an outstanding public...


laborhistoryhawaii
Dec 2, 20242 min read
Through unity
December 1941, Ah Quon and husband Bob were facing the challenge of finding a place to live on Oahu.


laborhistoryhawaii
Nov 1, 20241 min read
Ah Quon McElrath: The Struggle Never Ends! had its TV debut
Aloha e, Finally! Our documentary, Ah Quon McElrath: The Struggle Never Ends! , had its TV debut October 17th on PBS Hawaiʻi! If you...


laborhistoryhawaii
Sep 3, 20241 min read
AQ on Political Action
Aloha e, In November 2006, AQ sat down with us for an interview about the life and times of ILWU Regional Director Jack Hall. AQ had...


laborhistoryhawaii
Aug 1, 20241 min read
AQ on political action on the part of the union movement
Aloha e, It's August and we are in the midst of a hotly contested race for President and the control of both houses of Congress. I’m...


laborhistoryhawaii
Jul 1, 20241 min read
Organizing by AQ
Our director, Joy Chong-Stannard, found the following excerpt from an interview with AQ that we recorded in 2008, just weeks before her...


laborhistoryhawaii
Jun 1, 20241 min read
Aloha United Way
Not many people today are aware of labor’s role in creating the Aloha United Way organization. In 1966, with leadership from the ILWU’s...


laborhistoryhawaii
May 1, 20242 min read
A Public Relations coup
As unions were gaining strength in the 1930s and 40’s, anti-communist hysteria was mobilized in attempts to divide union members and...


laborhistoryhawaii
Apr 1, 20241 min read
AQ as ILWU educator
In November 2008, just weeks before her death, AQ sat down with us for a series of interviews. The following is an excerpt from one of...


laborhistoryhawaii
Mar 1, 20241 min read
AQ - a fighter for the rights of women
Aloha e, Coming up on March 8 is International Women’s Day, a time for celebration of women’s achievements and to renew our commitment to...


laborhistoryhawaii
Feb 1, 20241 min read
Smell the roses!
Aloha e, We know AQ as a determined fighter for the working class and the cause of unionism, she was not one dimensional. She was a...


laborhistoryhawaii
Jan 2, 20241 min read
The ILWU provided for alternatives whereby vital goods would be available to meet public need
During Longshore strikes in Hawaiʻi, 1949 and 1971, the bosses promoted public fear as a weapon against the workers. During the 177 day...


laborhistoryhawaii
Dec 1, 20232 min read
Union actions against oppressive laws
At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th Centuries, Hawai`i like many jurisdictions enacted specific laws aimed at crushing the...


laborhistoryhawaii
Nov 1, 20232 min read
Segregation by language
Aloha e, You may be familiar with the history of racial segregation of schools that was practiced on the Continent and the landmark 1954...


laborhistoryhawaii
Oct 1, 20231 min read
A strong and unified union movement could lead to social and economic justice throughout society
Aloha e, I first met AQ in 1978, when I moved to Honolulu from Cleveland, Ohio. At the time, one of the predominant social action causes...


laborhistoryhawaii
Sep 1, 20232 min read
Labor Day
Aloha e, September brings Labor Day, a national holiday that celebrates the lives of working people and the labor movement. The first...


laborhistoryhawaii
Aug 1, 20232 min read
In support of all workers in the entertainment/information industry
Aloha e, I’ve been promising that our AQ documentary, The Struggle Never Ends, will be completed in 2023. The SAG-AFTRA strike has...


laborhistoryhawaii
Jul 1, 20232 min read
Franklin Odo on Martial Law
Aloha e, I was recently interviewed by a young Hawaiʻi journalist. When I mentioned the hardship caused by martial law in Hawaiʻi...


laborhistoryhawaii
Jun 1, 20231 min read
Former Governor John Waiheʻe III: AQ as a Progressive Voice
Aloha e, Former Governor John D. Waiheʻe III was born and raised on Hawai’i Island in Honoka`a, a working class community. He was born...

laborhistoryhawaii
May 1, 20231 min read
Healthcare for All: The Struggle Never Ends
Aloha e, The month of May begins with International Workers Day on May 1 st ! This was the result of a long and often bloody struggle in...
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