The pineapple. A beloved snack, controversial pizza topping, and the allure of the
second most visited tourist attraction in Hawaii, the Dole plantation. But there’s
more than meets the eye when it comes to this iconic fruit. What has become a
symbol synonymous with the state, actually has a far more complicated history than
meets the eye.
A popular misconception is that Hawaii was the origin of this fruit, however this is not
the case, and presently the state only produces .13% of it worldwide. This was not
always the case, however. After James Dole opened the business in 1901, he initially
operated at a loss, until eventually growing to control 75% of pineapple production.
The key to its success being the effectiveness of canning for maintaining freshness.
This may sound like a classic tale of the capitalistic American dream, hard work
manifesting mighty dividends, but these stories are rarely so picturesque– behind
Dole’s bounties was an insidious colonial history. James’ father was a missionary
who settled in Hawaii with the intention of converting the native Hawaiian peoples.
The consequences of which lead to imposed western concepts of privatised property
which, in turn, caused the stealing and subsequent selling of Hawaiian land to
American investors.
The pressure these businessmen put on the monarchy of Hawaii only increased as
their power and influence over the economy grew. One such figure being James
Dole’s own cousin who became the president after forcing Queen Liliuokalani to
abdicate, 4 years later the islands were annexed against the wishes of the locals. This is
the environment James built his empire into, this is the dark lineage of the Dole
company.
References:
https://edgeeffects.net/dole-pineapple-plantation/
https://www.ushistory.org/us/44b.asp
https://hawaiioceanproject.com/a-brief-history-of-pineapple-in-hawaii/
https://foreverlostintravel.com/visiting-the-dole-plantation-in-hawaii/
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