Have you ever wondered whose stories don’t make it into the history books?
Step into the time machince to find out!
Experience untold stories from Korean immigrants over 100 years ago!
BEGIN
First... Why do you think Korean people came to Hawai'i?
Korean immigrants came to Hawai‘i to find work.
Korean immigrants came to Hawaii to be with their friends
That's right! Let's start our journey with the Kim family in Busan, Korea.
The father, and the family’s breadwinner, Min-seok, fell ill and died. The mother, Soo-jin, left to care for her children, struggled to provide for their 5 children.
Fast-forward
Starting over with the Kim family
Hover the photo...
American recruiters promised jobs and schools in Hawai‘i, Soo-jin hoped. She sent four children ahead with their uncle and waited for the next ship to reunite with her baby Tae-hyun. "So we get to live here for now huh? Great...."
Fast-forward
Life on a Plantation
Getting dressed for work was tough. Like the Kims, Workers of all ages and gender rose early to wear protective clothing like leggings, long underwear, and arm protectors to prevent bites from centipedes and other pests.
Fast-forward
Let's get to work, I guess...
Hover the photo...
Soo-jin worked in the sugarcane fields from dawn to dusk. She carried Tae-hyun on her back while she worked, tying him safely in cloth as she swung the cane knife. Despite exhaustion, she and her kids went to church, where families cooked rice, sang hymns, and shared stories of home and better days ahead.
Fast-forward
We found Soo-jins journal entry!
March 2, 1903 — Hāmākua Plantation, Hawai‘iThe air smells sweet here, but my hands ache from cutting cane. The sun burns through my hat, and my feet are sore by midday. Tae-hyun laughs when I sing to him — he doesn’t understand why I cry sometimes while I do.The women here share everything — rice, stories, comfort. At night, we whisper memories of Korea. I tell Tae-hyun about the snow on the mountains and how his father used to hum the same song we sing now. I don’t know if he will remember.Maybe one day, my son will tell this story when I no longer can.
Fast-forward
Leaving so soon???
By 1905, over 7,000 Koreans came to Hawaii fleeing famine and political unrest. Half moved to the U.S. mainland to start businesses like laundries and nail salons, while the rest returned to Korea. Things are feeling crowded... Soo-jin and her children are heading to California too chase a better life
Hover the photo...
Go to California
Look's like the Kim's are heading to California!
From 1905 to 1924, about 2,000 Korean picture brides immigrated to Hawaii and California. The influx ended in 1924 with the Oriental Exclusion Act.
Fast-forward
A new life in California
Soo-Jin writes in a letter to her brother in law who chose to go back to Korea: "We finally reached California after weeks of travel. The air smells different, streets are busy, and hills are green. I worry about finding work to feed the children. Families gather to pray, share meals, and remember home. I keep Tmy kids close; everything is new, and I want them to feel safe."
Hover the photo...
Fast-forward
Resiliency of our friends
Even through all their hardships, the Kims finally settle in Pachappa Camp in Riverside, California. This became the home of approximately 300 Korean American men, women, and children.
Fast-forward
Finally, a home that feels like home
Tae-hyun and his siblings now are able to attend a school! Tae loves learning to read and playing with his friends. His mom, Soo-Jin, no longer comes home from working in sugar crop fields. She is active in their church.
Fast-forward
Back to the Present: What Did We Discover?
Our journey through time is ending, but Soo-jin and Tae-hyun’s story still lives on.Their courage, hard work, and hope helped shape communities that still exist today — from the sugar plantations of Hawai‘i to the first Koreatown in California.Even though their names were left out of most history books, their voices continue to echo through generations.
Let's go back home!
Comprehension & Recall
1. Why did Soo-jin decide to leave Korea for Hawai‘i?
To find work and provide for her children
To reunite with her husband
Comprehension & Recall
2. What kind of work did many Korean immigrants do when they first arrived in Hawai‘i?
Teaching
Sugar plantation labor
Comprehension & Recall
00:30
Next question
02:30
Critical Literacy & Representation
Next question
Broader Themes
Soo-jin’s journey shows how identity and belonging can change when people move to new places.
05:30
Next question
Broader themes
02:30
Finish the adventure!
Thank you for participating. Learning about hidden figures helps us see that history is shaped by many perspectives, not just a few.
Finish the adventure!
Visual sources for more exploring!
- Chang, E. T. (2018). Pachappa Camp: The First Koreatown in the United States. California History.https://hyperallergic.com/681595/the-first-koreatown-in-the-us-and-the-activist-who-founded-it/
- AsAmNews. (2023, December 29). Hāpai ko (carry sugar cane): Korean plantation workers, early 1900s [Photograph]. In Two new films highlight 120‑year history of Koreans in Hawaiʻi. Retrieved from https://asamnews.com/2023/12/29/two-new-films-highlight-120-year-history-of-koreans-in-hawai%CA%BBi/
- Five Oaks Museum. (n.d.). Group of plantation workers in Hawaiʻi [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://fiveoaksmuseum.org/displace-newcomers/
- Korean American Foundation – Greater Washington. (n.d.). Korean immigrants working in sugar plantation, Hawai‘i [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://kafgw.org/summary-of-korean-american-immgration-history/
- Densho / Japanese American National Museum. (n.d.). Plantation workers in Hawaiʻi [Photograph]. In Strikers, Scabs, and Sugar Mongers: How Immigrant Labor Struggle Shaped the Hawai‘i We Know Today. Retrieved from https://densho.org/catalyst/strikers-scabs-sugar-mongers-immigrant-labor-struggle-shaped-hawaii-know-today/
- Wikimedia Commons. (n.d.). Korean immigrant family in Hawaii during the 19th century [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Korean_immigrant_family_in_Hawaii_during_the_19th_century.jpg
- Boston Korean Diaspora Project. (n.d.). Korean immigrants arriving in Hawai‘i, early 1900s [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://sites.bu.edu/koreandiaspora/issues/history-of-korean-immigration-to-america-from-1903-to-present/
Articles sources for more exploring!
- Boston Korean Diaspora Project. (n.d.). History of Korean immigration to America, from 1903 to present. Boston University. Retrieved from https://sites.bu.edu/koreandiaspora/issues/history-of-korean-immigration-to-america-from-1903-to-present/
- University of Hawaiʻi News. (2023, January 31). 120th year of Korean immigration to Hawaiʻi spotlights early women leaders. UH Manoa. Retrieved from https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2023/01/31/korean-immigrant-women-leaders/
- ScholarSpace, University of Hawaiʻi. (n.d.). The historical development of early Korean immigration to Hawaii (Baik & Lee). Retrieved from https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/items/e9dee8f7-0be1-4ce1-8d0c-84727565da6c
- University of Hawaiʻi Center for Korean Studies. (n.d.). Sun‑Il Lee Collection. Retrieved from https://manoa.hawaii.edu/koreanstudies/portfolio-item/sun-il-lee-collection/
- Civil Beat. (2023, September). Jonathan Okamura: The story of Koreans in Hawaiʻi paints a picture of an unbalanced economy. Civil Beat. Retrieved from https://www.civilbeat.org/2023/09/jonathan-okamura-the-story-of-koreans-in-hawaii-paints-a-picture-of-an-unbalanced-economy/
- The Korean Quarterly. (n.d.). Saving Hawaiʻi’s Korean history. Retrieved from https://www.koreanquarterly.org/books/saving-hawaiis-korean-history/
- Monash University / Exhibition Material. (n.d.). Vestiges of lives of first‑generation Korean immigrants to Hawaii. Retrieved from https://www.monash.edu/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/3405399/Hawaii-Koreans-exhibition-material-English-version.pdf
This is Tae-hyun Kim. He’s 10 months old being held by his mother.
The Korean National Association of North America 1911 meeting in Riverside, California
Most of the adult residents were agricultural laborers who worked on citrus and other fruit farms in nearby towns.
This is Soo-Jin Kim, she is 27 years old. Her husband passed away shortly before the voyage to Hawai'i
In addition to its approximately 20 single-story, wood-frame dwellings, Pachappa Camp had language schools, a community center, and a Presbyterian Church. Soo-jin and her children are finally allowed to learn and play with other kids of a similar backstory.
This is Dr. Samuel Whitaker, he's a 32 year old white american doctor. His job was to ensure no one carried diseases like cholera or smallpox before they could enter the mainland. Though he saw himself as “protecting the public,” his reports often reflected racial bias.He wrote notes describing the Korean passengers, how they looked, what they carried, and whether they were “fit to work” He didn’t ask about their names, families, or hopes for a new life.
Beyond the Book - Immigration
Walquist, Madison K
Created on October 3, 2025
This activity is for students/pre service teachers to learn about how history can be presented to include/exclude the stories of some figures throughout history. Enjoy!
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Transcript
Have you ever wondered whose stories don’t make it into the history books?
Step into the time machince to find out!
Experience untold stories from Korean immigrants over 100 years ago!
BEGIN
First... Why do you think Korean people came to Hawai'i?
Korean immigrants came to Hawai‘i to find work.
Korean immigrants came to Hawaii to be with their friends
That's right! Let's start our journey with the Kim family in Busan, Korea.
The father, and the family’s breadwinner, Min-seok, fell ill and died. The mother, Soo-jin, left to care for her children, struggled to provide for their 5 children.
Fast-forward
Starting over with the Kim family
Hover the photo...
American recruiters promised jobs and schools in Hawai‘i, Soo-jin hoped. She sent four children ahead with their uncle and waited for the next ship to reunite with her baby Tae-hyun. "So we get to live here for now huh? Great...."
Fast-forward
Life on a Plantation
Getting dressed for work was tough. Like the Kims, Workers of all ages and gender rose early to wear protective clothing like leggings, long underwear, and arm protectors to prevent bites from centipedes and other pests.
Fast-forward
Let's get to work, I guess...
Hover the photo...
Soo-jin worked in the sugarcane fields from dawn to dusk. She carried Tae-hyun on her back while she worked, tying him safely in cloth as she swung the cane knife. Despite exhaustion, she and her kids went to church, where families cooked rice, sang hymns, and shared stories of home and better days ahead.
Fast-forward
We found Soo-jins journal entry!
March 2, 1903 — Hāmākua Plantation, Hawai‘iThe air smells sweet here, but my hands ache from cutting cane. The sun burns through my hat, and my feet are sore by midday. Tae-hyun laughs when I sing to him — he doesn’t understand why I cry sometimes while I do.The women here share everything — rice, stories, comfort. At night, we whisper memories of Korea. I tell Tae-hyun about the snow on the mountains and how his father used to hum the same song we sing now. I don’t know if he will remember.Maybe one day, my son will tell this story when I no longer can.
Fast-forward
Leaving so soon???
By 1905, over 7,000 Koreans came to Hawaii fleeing famine and political unrest. Half moved to the U.S. mainland to start businesses like laundries and nail salons, while the rest returned to Korea. Things are feeling crowded... Soo-jin and her children are heading to California too chase a better life
Hover the photo...
Go to California
Look's like the Kim's are heading to California!
From 1905 to 1924, about 2,000 Korean picture brides immigrated to Hawaii and California. The influx ended in 1924 with the Oriental Exclusion Act.
Fast-forward
A new life in California
Soo-Jin writes in a letter to her brother in law who chose to go back to Korea: "We finally reached California after weeks of travel. The air smells different, streets are busy, and hills are green. I worry about finding work to feed the children. Families gather to pray, share meals, and remember home. I keep Tmy kids close; everything is new, and I want them to feel safe."
Hover the photo...
Fast-forward
Resiliency of our friends
Even through all their hardships, the Kims finally settle in Pachappa Camp in Riverside, California. This became the home of approximately 300 Korean American men, women, and children.
Fast-forward
Finally, a home that feels like home
Tae-hyun and his siblings now are able to attend a school! Tae loves learning to read and playing with his friends. His mom, Soo-Jin, no longer comes home from working in sugar crop fields. She is active in their church.
Fast-forward
Back to the Present: What Did We Discover?
Our journey through time is ending, but Soo-jin and Tae-hyun’s story still lives on.Their courage, hard work, and hope helped shape communities that still exist today — from the sugar plantations of Hawai‘i to the first Koreatown in California.Even though their names were left out of most history books, their voices continue to echo through generations.
Let's go back home!
Comprehension & Recall
1. Why did Soo-jin decide to leave Korea for Hawai‘i?
To find work and provide for her children
To reunite with her husband
Comprehension & Recall
2. What kind of work did many Korean immigrants do when they first arrived in Hawai‘i?
Teaching
Sugar plantation labor
Comprehension & Recall
00:30
Next question
02:30
Critical Literacy & Representation
Next question
Broader Themes
Soo-jin’s journey shows how identity and belonging can change when people move to new places.
05:30
Next question
Broader themes
02:30
Finish the adventure!
Thank you for participating. Learning about hidden figures helps us see that history is shaped by many perspectives, not just a few.
Finish the adventure!
Visual sources for more exploring!
Articles sources for more exploring!
This is Tae-hyun Kim. He’s 10 months old being held by his mother.
The Korean National Association of North America 1911 meeting in Riverside, California
Most of the adult residents were agricultural laborers who worked on citrus and other fruit farms in nearby towns.
This is Soo-Jin Kim, she is 27 years old. Her husband passed away shortly before the voyage to Hawai'i
In addition to its approximately 20 single-story, wood-frame dwellings, Pachappa Camp had language schools, a community center, and a Presbyterian Church. Soo-jin and her children are finally allowed to learn and play with other kids of a similar backstory.
This is Dr. Samuel Whitaker, he's a 32 year old white american doctor. His job was to ensure no one carried diseases like cholera or smallpox before they could enter the mainland. Though he saw himself as “protecting the public,” his reports often reflected racial bias.He wrote notes describing the Korean passengers, how they looked, what they carried, and whether they were “fit to work” He didn’t ask about their names, families, or hopes for a new life.