HAWAI'I AND THE AMERICAN WEST: A REASSESSMENT

Authors

Matthew Kester, Brigham Young University—Hawai'iFollow

Abstract

This article explores the complex and often contested inclusion of Hawai‘i in the historiography of the American West. Drawing on the case study of Iosepa, a late 19th-century Hawaiian Mormon settlement in Utah, Matthew Kester examines how Hawai‘i’s historical, cultural, and political ties to Oceania complicate its categorization as part of the U.S. West. He critiques the tendency of Western historians to incorporate Hawai‘i into the narrative of U.S. expansion without fully addressing the implications of American imperialism and Native Hawaiian resistance. Kester proposes a shift in regional perspective that centers Hawai‘i within the Pacific world rather than on the periphery of North America. He advocates for greater engagement with indigenous scholarship and regional histories of Oceania to more accurately reflect Hawai‘i’s historical trajectory and its ongoing struggle for sovereignty. The article ultimately calls for a more nuanced and responsible integration of Hawai‘i into U.S. Western history—one that acknowledges its colonial past and enduring cultural connections across the Pacific.

Recommended Citation

Kester, Matthew (2009) "HAWAI'I AND THE AMERICAN WEST: A REASSESSMENT," Pacific Studies Journal: Vol. 32: No. 4, Article 3.
Available at: https://digitalcollections.byuh.edu/pacific-studies-journal/vol32/iss4/3