Contested morality: the Hilo High School affair 1910-1911

Abstract

The Hilo High School affair began as a feud between a principal and a new female teacher, but eventually involved the town, students, Department of Public Instruction, and Federal Grand Jury. The controversy escalated and unfolded over a period of ten months starting in October of 1910 and ending in August of 1911. Although the affair concluded with neither side emerging victorious it revealed much about the social structure of the 'local' White community in Hilo, the dynamics surrounding the New Woman in Hawaiʻi, the importance of teachers, the shortcomings of the Department of Public Instruction, and the racial power structure in Hawaiʻi. In addition, the conclusion showed who held power in the community, and that the officials intended to uphold the 'local', gender, and racial power hierarchies that composed the social fabric of Hilo.