The Center for Labor Education and Research (CLEAR) at the University of Hawai‘i–West O‘ahu invites reflection on Hawai‘i’s labor history through the lens of the 1924 Hanapēpē Massacre on Kaua‘i — a pivotal but often overlooked chapter in the history of labor organizing in the islands.
As part of a centennial reflection and public engagement process, the Kaua‘i Planning Department has announced a national Request for Interest (RFI) for a public art monument to be installed at the Hanapēpē site; see submission details below. Artists, designers, and architects from Hawai‘i and beyond are invited to propose conceptual designs that honor the historical significance of the 1924 event and offer an enduring tribute to the memory and meaning of workers’ sacrifice.
“I encourage Hawai‘i artists to submit their artist design to the Hanapēpē Massacre Public Art Monument because it acknowledges those who have died due to conflicts of unjust working conditions,” said CLEAR Librarian/Digital Archivist Dr. Ellen-Rae Cachola. “But it’s also an opportunity to highlight Hawai‘i’s labor movement, which has learned from that moment and has built a multi-ethnic movement that challenges the political-economic forces that attempts to divide working people.”
Cachola continued, “The Center for Labor Education and Research preserves this history and teaches interested Hawai‘i students, and the public, on labor education for the present and the future.”
CLEAR, which was established in 1976 by state law to serve as Hawai‘i’s clearinghouse for labor education and research, is home to archival materials and labor history instruction that foreground the struggles and contributions of working people. The 1924 confrontation in Hanapēpē, which resulted in the deaths of at least 16 Filipino plantation workers and police officers, is a key moment in that legacy. It underscores the risks workers have historically faced in asserting their rights and the need to preserve and interpret these histories for future generations.
CLEAR maintains curated resources on the Hanapēpē Massacre, including a digital Story Map produced in collaboration with former Director Dr. William Puette. These resources are part of a broader curriculum and public programming effort to illuminate the impact of labor conflict on Hawai‘i’s political and social development.
Interested individuals can access these archives by visiting CLEAR on the second floor of the UH West O‘ahu James & Abigail Campbell Library. Appointments with the CLEAR Librarian are available during archive desk hours, Tuesdays through Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For information, email clear@hawaii.edu or call 808-689-2760.
The Hanapēpē Massacre Public Art Monument initiative represents the first step in a two-phase selection process and reflects a statewide commitment to ensuring labor history is not only preserved but made visible and resonant in public spaces.
The RFI period is open now through Monday, Sept. 1, at 11:59 p.m. HST. Submissions must include a resume, samples of past work, a written concept statement, and a conceptual design. Proposals may be sent by mail to the County of Kaua‘i Planning Department, 4444 Rice Street, Suite A473, Līhu‘e, HI 96766, or by email to planningdepartment@kauai.gov. For more information, contact the Kaua‘i Planning Department via email or at 808-241-4050.