A Brief Summary Of Early Japanese Migrant Katsu Goto
The project coordinator wrote a graphic novel Hāmākua Hero: A True Plantation Story (Iwasaki & Berido, 2010, 2011, 2022) about Katsu Kobayakawa Goto, a Japanese national who was a labor recruit aboard the ship City of Tokio and arrived in Hawai‘i in 1885. He was part of the first group of Kanyaku Imin (First Ship Immigrants), Japanese laborers under a government agreement between Japan and Hawai‘i to work on the prosperous sugar cane plantations in the Kingdom of Hawai‘i (Odo & Sinoto, 1985).
He was educated and as the oldest son in his family, it was necessary for him to be adopted in name only by the Goto family in order to leave Japan and emigrate to Hawai‘i. After being processed at the Hawaiian Board of Immigration on O‘ahu, Goto was assigned to the Soper, Wright & Co. sugar plantation near Honoka‘a on Hawai‘i island.
Katsu Kobayakawa Goto was a labor recruit for the sugar cane plantations in the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi and he arrived in 1885.
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Goto was assigned to the Soper, Wright & Co. sugar plantation near Honoka‘a on Hawai‘i island.
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The labor-intensive 10-hour work days on the sugar plantations were extremely demanding and living conditions were poor. The three-year contract required laborers to work 26 days a month: $9 for males and $6 for females.
After his three-year contract was completed, Goto opened up a general store in Honoka‘a and became the first Japanese store owner. Prices were competitive and he stocked Japanese groceries and merchandise from O‘ahu that helped ease the settling of the Japanese immigrants (Beekman, 1984, 1989; Iwasaki & Berido, 2010, 2011, 2022; Kaya, 1988; Kubota, 1985).
After his three-year contract was completed, Goto opened up a general store in Honoka‘a and became the first Japanese store owner. Prices were competitive and he stocked Japanese groceries and merchandise from O‘ahu that helped ease the settling of the Japanese immigrants (Beekman, 1984, 1989; Iwasaki & Berido, 2010, 2011, 2022; Kaya, 1988; Kubota, 1985).
The labor-intensive 10-hour work days on the sugar plantations were extremely demanding.
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Goto opened up a general store in Honokaʻa in 1888.
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The store quickly became a gathering place for the fledgling migrant Japanese community. Due to his English proficiency and leadership skills, Goto became a community leader and mediator between Japanese plantation workers and management at Honoka‘a (Overend) Plantation.
He advocated for improved working conditions and wages by serving as the liaison and interpreter. Just as quickly, Goto’s business success and labor facilitation made him a target as an instigator of worker unrest (Beekman, 1984, 1989; Iwasaki, 1994; Iwasaki & Berido, 2010, 2011, 2022; Kubota, 1985).
He advocated for improved working conditions and wages by serving as the liaison and interpreter. Just as quickly, Goto’s business success and labor facilitation made him a target as an instigator of worker unrest (Beekman, 1984, 1989; Iwasaki, 1994; Iwasaki & Berido, 2010, 2011, 2022; Kubota, 1985).
Goto, 27, was unfortunately lynched, killed and hung on a telephone pole on October 28, 1889, a short four years after his arrival for being a champion for sugar plantation worker rights and dignity (Beekman, 1984, 1989; Kubota, 1985).
While Goto’s story highlights the racial, economic and social injustice in Hawai‘i’s plantation society over 130 years ago, it also features the significant narrative of the Japanese American immigrant experience; and interconnectedly, how Hawaiʻi became a multicultural society through the migration of many different cultural groups; and of Hawai‘i’s labor and social evolution within American history. Goto is represented in anime form on the cover and throughout the graphic novel in this true story.
While Goto’s story highlights the racial, economic and social injustice in Hawai‘i’s plantation society over 130 years ago, it also features the significant narrative of the Japanese American immigrant experience; and interconnectedly, how Hawaiʻi became a multicultural society through the migration of many different cultural groups; and of Hawai‘i’s labor and social evolution within American history. Goto is represented in anime form on the cover and throughout the graphic novel in this true story.
Goto became a liaison between the sugar plantation laborers and management. He lost his life helping the workers.
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Katsu Goto is represented in anime form on the cover of the graphic novel. Courtesy of Bess Press.
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Now he is being honored and remembered for his courage and action and the project director is utilizing his story as a Hawai‘i place- and community-based, educational resource that can sustain the heritage and culture of Hawaiʻi and encourage resilience and give insight to others. Focusing on Hawaiʻiʻs diverse immigrant history, the project director seeks to encourage academic success, growth and resilience among students through this culturally-relevant, community-based resource.
Focusing on Hawaiʻiʻs diverse immigrant history, the project seeks to encourage academic success, growth and resilience among students through this culturally-relevant, community-based resource.
Background
The last sugar plantation in Hawaii, which was Alexander & Baldwin’s Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar (HC&S) company, closed down in 2016 in Pu‘unene Maui (Keany, 2016). As labor costs increased and less costly sources of sugar increased, most of the sugar plantation companies in Hawai‘i had already closed down in the 1990s or earlier. On Hawai‘i island, Hilo Coast Processing and Hāmākua Sugar both closed in 1994, and Ka‘u Sugar, the last sugar company on the island, subsequently closed in 1996 (Associated Press, 1996). Their closures ended over 160 years of sugar’s reign upon the islands.
The last sugar plantation in Hawaii, which was Alexander & Baldwin’s Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar (HC&S) company, closed down in 2016 in Pu‘unene Maui
The rural and diverse communities of Honoka‘a, the Hāmākua Coast and other communities on Hawaʻi island are under-resourced. These once thriving regions, especially along the Hāmākua Coast, have been impacted economically and emotionally by the following three elements:
- Closure of the sugar plantations. As labor costs increased and less costly sources of sugar increased, all of the sugar plantations in Hawaii shut down one by one. The last two sugar plantations along the Hamakua Coast shut down in 1994 (Associated Press, 1996).
- Highway infrastructure. The building of the Daniel K. Inouye Highway, completed in 2013 and 2017 significantly impacted the community. Local residents and visitors can now bypass the entire region to and from the east and west sides of the island, severely decreasing economic opportunities.
- The COVID-19 pandemic. After the closure of the sugar plantations, the majority of residents began to commute to the west side of the island, to the visitor locations of Waikōloa and Kailua-Kona, to work in the visitor industry. These residents were furloughed or let go when the hotels, restaurants and activities were shut down due to the pandemic. Community organizations pivoted and then addressed food security, demonstrating resilience.
The Honokaʻa community also came together in resiliency in 1994, the same year the Hāmākua Coast sugar plantations closed down, when it honored the legacy of Katsu Goto.
The Honokaʻa community also came together in resiliency in 1994, the same year the Hāmākua Coast sugar plantations closed down, when it honored the legacy of Katsu Goto. They built a memorial, and annually commemorate him as an early champion of labor, not a victim of racism and oppression when he was lynched and hung in 1889 for his advocacy of plantation laborers (Iwasaki, 1995). Since 1994, a memorial service has been held annually with activities to honor his legacy and bring attention to other current issues of social justice today. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual commemorations were held (Honoka‘a Hongwanji Mission).
Since 1994, a memorial service has been held annually at Honoka‘a Hongwanji Mission with activities to honor his legacy and bring attention to other current issues of social justice today. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual commemorations were held.
The organizers put a lot of thought into the building of the memorial with elements honoring both Japan and Hawaiʻi, two cultures brought together through migration. As shown in the photo below, the column to the left of the memorial is made of hinoki, Japanese cypress wood, and stones from Japan; and the blue tiles are done using a traditional Japanese style. Elements from Hawaii are on the right: the column is made of ‘ōhi‘a wood and a large lava rock from nearby Waipi‘o Valley secures the base. The tiles have a sugarcane motif design at the ends and the plaque honors Katsu Goto’s legacy.
The memorial built in Honoka‘a in 1994 commemorating Goto’s legacy
features elements from both Hawai‘i and Japan.
Photo by P. Iwasaki.
Instructional Design
Part I. An instructional design model helped guide the project director in working with a handful of instructors utilizing the graphic novel Hāmākua Hero: A True Plantation Story in their classes to encourage academic success and understand Hawai‘i history and culture. The analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation process of ADDIE aimed to create important connections and a sense of place, pride, healing and resilience for the community in which this true story took place.
After completing the ADDIE instructional design process, the project director analyzed and interpreted the data collected using the well-established model in motivation and instructional design: the ARCS model (Keller, 1983, 2010, 2017; Peterson, 2003; Pappas, 2015). The ARCS acronym stands for the instructional motivational factors of: attention, relevance, confidence and satisfaction. Hāmākua Hero: A True Plantation Story met all of the motivational factors and the data provided significant results.
Results
The instructors at the high school and university levels wanted to utilize the graphic novel fundamentally in two ways:
1) As a major assignment: research projects about current, relevant topics such as immigration, diversity, culture and social justice that encouraged students to explore place-based, culturally-relevant resources. One of the resources students were encouraged to use was Hāmākua Hero: A True Plantation Story (Iwasaki & Berido, 2010, 2011, 2022).
The teachers said the assignment was very well received and the graphic novel served as a catalyst, a launching point for students to conduct research in a number of areas they were interested in. High school and college students appreciated that the graphic novel was visually appealing, historical, and the images, panels and short text moved the story and plot like a film. Some teachers wanted to give students the freedom to create their own final project platforms: a traditional paper, a script for a play, a video, or an original comic book, or other forms.
2) As a minor assignment: exercises or worksheets with short answers or open-ended questions to draw out thoughtful, deeper, insightful short or long essays.
One teacher used Hāmākua Hero in a module of a required “Modern History of Hawai‘i” class with his alternative learning high school students. He said the content of the graphic novel really resonated with his vulnerable students. They were willing and wanting to engage with the curriculum relating to Hāmākua Hero. The instructor said the resource is about Hawai‘i’s history and his students learned about immigration to Hawai‘i. After reading it, they understood how Hawai‘i became a multicultural society because of labor recruitment for the sugar plantations.
After completing the ADDIE instructional design process, the project director analyzed and interpreted the data collected using the well-established model in motivation and instructional design: the ARCS model (Keller, 1983, 2010, 2017; Peterson, 2003; Pappas, 2015). The ARCS acronym stands for the instructional motivational factors of: attention, relevance, confidence and satisfaction. Hāmākua Hero: A True Plantation Story met all of the motivational factors and the data provided significant results.
Results
The instructors at the high school and university levels wanted to utilize the graphic novel fundamentally in two ways:
1) As a major assignment: research projects about current, relevant topics such as immigration, diversity, culture and social justice that encouraged students to explore place-based, culturally-relevant resources. One of the resources students were encouraged to use was Hāmākua Hero: A True Plantation Story (Iwasaki & Berido, 2010, 2011, 2022).
The teachers said the assignment was very well received and the graphic novel served as a catalyst, a launching point for students to conduct research in a number of areas they were interested in. High school and college students appreciated that the graphic novel was visually appealing, historical, and the images, panels and short text moved the story and plot like a film. Some teachers wanted to give students the freedom to create their own final project platforms: a traditional paper, a script for a play, a video, or an original comic book, or other forms.
2) As a minor assignment: exercises or worksheets with short answers or open-ended questions to draw out thoughtful, deeper, insightful short or long essays.
One teacher used Hāmākua Hero in a module of a required “Modern History of Hawai‘i” class with his alternative learning high school students. He said the content of the graphic novel really resonated with his vulnerable students. They were willing and wanting to engage with the curriculum relating to Hāmākua Hero. The instructor said the resource is about Hawai‘i’s history and his students learned about immigration to Hawai‘i. After reading it, they understood how Hawai‘i became a multicultural society because of labor recruitment for the sugar plantations.
He said that his students won’t touch a textbook filled with words, but they opened up Hāmākua Hero and read it in 20 to 30 minutes. Similar to the college students, the high school students were drawn to the visuals, the images, and how the panels and short text move the story and plot like a film. Here are some of the themes in the graphic novel that resonated with his alternative learning high school students:
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Katsu Goto and his brother Sekijiro have a close sibling relationship. Elements of Japanese culture and tradition have been added to the graphic novel. Here they are pounding steamed rice into mochi rice cakes for the New Year’s holiday and Katsu surprises his brother with his news about leaving Japan to go to Hawaii. It also adds an opportunity for some action and humor, with Sekijiro almost pounding Katsu’s hand off!
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Although a tragic lynching happens, the teacher emphasized that Hāmākua Hero’s impact on the students is so very positive and impactful. Yes, what happens to Goto is horrific, unfair and unjust, but that is just what catches their attention, he said. The teacher emphasizes that the takeaway for the students is that he was a good person. He lived a good life. He worked hard. He helped others. They realize that because of what happened to him, they can actually read about him now. If the lynching didn’t happen, he would just be another interesting migrant story; one of many.
There’s a memorial in Honoka‘a and people can learn about him. They also learn about resilience from Goto’s story. The teacher shared that students make that connection and conclusion. That good has come out of this story. Perhaps if they try hard, complete high school, graduate, practice resilience, and do good, good can come into their lives.
Katsu Goto is buried at the Hāmākua Jodo Mission on Kalopa Road.
The outcome of this instructional design process was very positive and significant. Hāmākua Hero was used in high school and university research papers as a resource that helped students explore current, relevant topics such as immigration, diversity, culture and social justice. The feedback from the high school teacher who taught alternative learning students was surprising and inspiring for the project director who learned that the story really resonated with and had a positive impact upon his students. It was so very helpful to know that Hāmākua Hero: A True Plantation Story can indeed be used in place-based, cultural curriculum in Hawai‘i, and possibly elsewhere in this way.
Website
Information and possible lesson plan ideas that were created using the ADDIE instructional design process are available on a website.
Part II. After working with the instructors to create possible lesson plan ideas, this project expanded to provide copies of Hāmākua Hero: A True Plantation Story as a place-and community-based educational resource for other instructors to use in their curriculum.
Over 30 teachers, including those from the communities of Honoka‘a and the Hāmākua Coast, will utilize the graphic novel with their students in classrooms this semester from the intermediate levels to high school and college. Additional lesson plans (by permission) will be shared on the website as teachers complete their curriculum on Hāmākua Hero: A True Plantation Story.
Information and possible lesson plan ideas that were created using the ADDIE instructional design process are available on a website.
Part II. After working with the instructors to create possible lesson plan ideas, this project expanded to provide copies of Hāmākua Hero: A True Plantation Story as a place-and community-based educational resource for other instructors to use in their curriculum.
Over 30 teachers, including those from the communities of Honoka‘a and the Hāmākua Coast, will utilize the graphic novel with their students in classrooms this semester from the intermediate levels to high school and college. Additional lesson plans (by permission) will be shared on the website as teachers complete their curriculum on Hāmākua Hero: A True Plantation Story.
The purpose of this project is to encourage academic success, understand Hawai‘i history and sustain the culture and heritage of this region, and practice resilience. The project director looks forward to contributing to the sustainability of the cultural legacy of the community to the next generation, which is an energizing and motivating goal.
This effective and dynamic interdisciplinary approach of combining arts, design and education to create relevant and impactful place-and community-based instructional resources is an important and significant contribution to the humanities, which is an integral part of living and learning in a thriving, multicultural global society.
This effective and dynamic interdisciplinary approach of combining arts, design and education to create relevant and impactful place-and community-based instructional resources is an important and significant contribution to the humanities, which is an integral part of living and learning in a thriving, multicultural global society.
The program’s goal is to create important connections and a sense of pride, healing and resilience. Here is Katsu Goto's gravesite at the Hāmākua Jodo Mission.
