As we celebrate another Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, it is important to remember the story of how Hawaii became part of the United States. While it is not a new story to tell during this time, as more and more native Hawaiians are flocking to the continental United States for affordable homes – with a large influx moving to Las Vegas, where housing is half the cost as it currently is on the islands – it is important to take the time to recall how the 50th State joined the union.

It is a story of racism, greed, and betrayal.

A brief history of the Hawai’ian islands: Sometime around 1000 AD, the Polynesian people found and inhabited the Hawai’ian islands, an archipelago of 137 islands. The archipelago was run by multiple different chiefdoms for centuries, until the islands were conquered in 1810 under the rule of King Kamehameha I [Kah-Meh-Ha-Meh-Ha], called Kamehameha the Great. Kamehameha 30 wives and 35 children. This large, sprawling family ruled over Hawai’i for generations, passed down through the main line until Kamehameha V died in 1872.

From there, the ruler was elected by the Hawai’ian legislature, picked from further descendants of Kamehameha I, leading to Queen Regent Liliʻuokalani [Lee-lee-ooh-oh-kah-lani].

Liliʻuokalani became the first and only queen regent in 1891 at age 53 after the death of her brother King Kalākaua [Kah-lah-kah-oo-ah]. This was four  years after the Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawai’i – called the Bayonet Constitution – was signed, which striped the monarchy of most of its power in much the way that many European monarchies were losing power at the same time and more agency was given to the people. Queen Liliʻuokalani attempted to rewrite the constitution.

On January 17, 1893 – 130 years ago this year – the Committee of Safety overthrew the Hawai’ian monarchy. The Committee of Safety, also calling themselves the Hawaiian League in secret, was a group of 13 men, half of which were citizens of the kingdom that had descended from Americans, and the rest were American citizens who were members of the political party called The Missionary Party.

This group of all white men forced the Queen to renounce her throne, and they illegally formed the Republic of Hawaii, which was declared a provisional government in 1894. They proceeded to install Sanford Dole as President of the Republic of Hawaii. Dole’s cousin, James Dole, would later come to Hawaii in 1899 and create the Hawaiian Pineapple Company – later Dole Food Company – and introduce pineapple plants to Hawaii as a whole.

While Liliʻuokalani was kept under house arrest at her palace, The Republic of Hawaii reached out to the United States to be annexed and become a state. The Republic was declared a protectorate under the Harrison administration, but following Grover Cleveland’s second term an investigation was put underway to look into the legality of the overthrowing of the Hawai’ian queen. When Cleveland’s administration declared the coup illegal, Cleveland offered to help return the throne to Liliʻuokalani, but between being unable to come to agreement on the terms of her return and congress voting against annexation, the issue could not be resolved.

However, upon the election and inauguration of President McKinley in 1897, talks between the Republic of Hawaii and America resumed and in 1898 Hawaii was officially made a territory of the United States. Liliʻuokalani would attempt to sue the United States in 1909 (Liliuokalani v. The United States) to see about gaining her crown back, but would ultimately be unsuccessful.

Liliʻuokalani would live the rest of her life as a figurehead, passing away in 1917 at the age of 79.

Hawaii would remain a territory for decades. While it was first considered for statehood in 1937, it would be debated for a number of years before talks were halted due to the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the US subsequently joining WWII. Talks would be reignited in the 1950’s with the subject of Alaska joining the union. Alaska would be introduced to the union January 3, 1959, and Hawaii would follow on August 21st of that year.

Hawai’i was not a weak victim of what was done to them. Hawai’i was a bustling power and was considered a player on the world political scene. Hawai’i possessed a vast economy and network with European powers. They had ambassadors in multiple nations, were a major trade hub, and in terms of age were nearly as old as the United States. They were by no means a naïve, innocent nation that was tricked by the United States. This fallacy undermines the power and culture that Hawai’i possessed. They were not without agency as a nation. It was corruption and colonialism that caused the downfall of the kingdom.