On December 20, 1906, the first plantation contract workers from the Philippines arrived aboard the S.S. Doric. Over the next four decades over 100,000 Filipinos would be recruited as contract workers, or sakadas. The last group of sakadas to arrive in Hawaii was in 1946, just before the Philipppines gained independence. On April 9, 2015, Governor Ige signed HB604 establishing December 20 of each year as “Sakada Day” in Hawaii to acknowledge the first sakadas and to further recognize the Filipino community’s contribution to the state’s history, economy, culture and heritage.
The Filipino Community Center (FilCom) and the Filipino-American Historical Society of Hawaii commemorate Sakada Day 2023 with a screening of “The Sakada Series,” a documentary film by Maribel Apuya featuring three personal stories of the struggles and successes of individuals whose lives were tied to the last group of 1946 sakadas.
The Sakada Series (35min) is a series of three short films aimed to recall an aspect of Filipino history in Hawaii, and to foster a deeper understanding of the Filipino culture within Hawaii’s multiethnic state. The sakadas are mostly gone now, but they carried within them historical experiences and intrinsic Filipino values of hard work, close community and dedication to family that inspires, empowers and builds appreciation of the Filipino culture.
The general public is invited to join us to commemorate Sakada Day on Saturday, December 16, 2023, 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., in person at FilCom Center in Waipahu or via ZOOM (see fahsoh.org for link).