Diasporic Filipino foodways in Kalihi, Hawai’i: Experiences with building home through urban agroecology

Abstract

A major diaspora in Hawai’i, Filipinos arrived in Hawai’i as laborers on sugar plantations established through settler colonialism. This thesis addresses how Filipinos who have resided in Hawai’i for several generations develop deep connections to the islands. In particular, I ask how can Filipino foodways and urban agroecology help build a sense of home and belonging for diasporic communities in Hawai’i. By focusing on agriculture-based community programs in Honolulu’s Kalihi area, this research explores how Filipino participants at Hoʻoulu ʻĀina engage with the Land, assert and define their cultural food practices, and foster social connections. Using participant observation and autoethnography, this study deepens understandings of diasporic social identities as a force for broad-based community building rather than support of ethnic essentialism. By examining diasporic Filipino placemaking through foodways in Hawai‘i, Filipino contributions to Hawai‘i’s food systems, and the agroecological Land based work of Hoʻoulu ʻĀina, this study highlights how diasporic Filipinos challenged rigid notions of identity and actively cultivate what it means to be Filipino in Hawai‘i.