Waipahu is in the Hawaiian mapping of the Ewa area. It is separated by placing an area of Waiawa Ahupuaa (Ewa Milkfish Area) which is different than Waiawa area near Lelehua and Ewa Waipio Ahupuaa (Ewa Curving Waters area) are joint parts of Waipahu area. This marks the ending path of Puuloa Harbor (Pearl Harbor) that connected Pearl City, Aiea, Halawa, and Salt Lake. Ewa Waiawa & Ewa Waipio separates from the lower valley to the shores of Waipahu area into the upper valley in current Waipio, Mililani, and Mauka areas.
The area where Waipahu currently is had numerous fishponds, taro fields, and streams that intersected. This included Waiawa Stream and Manana Pearl City Stream. The three main fish ponds were Loko Apala Fish Pond, Loko Kuhialoko Fish Pond, and Loko Mo'o Fish Pond that were removed in the developments of 1930s. The Hawaiians viewed the entrance of Waipahu area to be known for its Milk Fish. Some find it interesting to know that a specific area had been known for its fish and in modern time known for its Watercress. Puoiki Heiau on the ridgeline divider of Pearl City (Manana) and Waipahu was the eastern site and Haupu'u Heiau within Waipahu. Both have either been relocated or destroyed. Lono Class water priests were said to have been presented their title from Demigod Kamapua'a in Hawaiian mythology. It was said that the goddess Keaomelemele visited Waiawa area at its entrance to see the offerings of Keanuenue which then allowed the land to be blessed with upland growth of 'awa (kava pepper). Other places of importance were Ahu'ena Heiau (destroyed, Makalena Golf Course). Dirt roads and large areas of land was the start of old Waipahu. Most of what people see from modern Waipahu was developed from old Waipahu (1890s) and the foundations of the sugar mill. It had the nick name of Sugar Country where many ethnic groups would work the fields from other countries under Hawaiian rule and then by American rule. Many Hawaii values were recorded from this area, so historically it helped preserved many customs, languages, documents, foods, and stories that created modern day Hawaii culture. While searching for information in the town of Waipahu I was looking for someone to explain to about plantation unity. I came across a eldar portuguese man sitting at McDonalds who was laughing with his vape talking to his old friends. I listened in and head their stories... The man said when he was working the fields there was a sense that everyone working was united from the want to move on to a better life, united from barely living wages, and united from sharing food on the plantation. He said it was the only way of life back then, but he also said that the things that held the community together was by looking at what brought them together in Hawaii and didn't have a big head (cocky attitude) about the divides of their foreign countries. It was clear to me that back in the days of the plantation...Local Community Unity connected people over the focus of Country Divisions to separate one another. I went on over to then ask if I could join the conversation as I was interested in what the old men had been talking about. They reluctantly let me sit by them as I asked how it was different from today's world. He said that many of the families would come home and cook together and share the home burden, spend the evening as a family, and security was less of an issue with everyone knowing everyone. At work they would see each other, at the grocery store they would see each other, and when finding entertainment it was all the same people. If you breath the same sugar burning air, eat the same food with limited ingredients, and you all communicate weekly as a community and daily a family... you will see that old way of life come back. The disconnect is when there was when urban life was the only life. Mass transportation had everyone moving everywhere and thus not spending time in their own town. Technology in communication came, so people spent less time with people in their town and became disconnected. And entertainment went national and then global, so local entertainment collected dust and disappeared. In order to connect with the old way would be the only way to learn about the living the local way. He kept talking and said that there was no computers, no internet, no television, so kids had to play in creative ways... He went on to explain the they had dirt clod fights in the mud, throwing avocados that had rotted or gone bad at each other, or slinging monkey pods. Fighting was fun or a way to let out your tensions or to settle something, before all these knives and guns ran rampant in todays Waipahu...Going out with other families was typical, but today it is not common. They would go together to catch crayfish near the ditch was a thing, chasing a mosquito truck, chasing the manapua man, chasing after dreams too... Running was much more a popular activity with playing army man in the fields of sugar cane that were very high, running around town by foot for dad or mom's food or cigarettes, or running from Sugar Cane Security if you were a bad girl. The Aloha United Way Observance was very big and people would speak after thinking for a moment, since it would reflect on their family or as the Japanese would say, their clan. Its a mystery that aloha can't be explained to the younger generation... but it was a thing that seems unexplained. Old Waipahu is definately different from todays Waipahu, but change is not always bad. I thought to myself that it must be able to be explained if it brought so many people together. But I nodded while eating my hashbrown thinking that many of todays modern marvels lower our running, lower our local identity from so much traveling, lower in our communication with less intimate relationships due to large friend options, and even our thinking or concern or others. I then walked off to get some fish where the old Arakawas was. The Trucks and The Smoke Pipes A Japanese and Filipino lady who were walking over to the old Arakawas building stopped when I went over and asked about what the plantation days were like. At first it seemed like they wanted me to leave, but I said I really wanted to know. The filipino lady began to speak and said a truck would drive around town and blow a horn early around 3:00am passing all the houses it would announce that it was time to wake up and work. She said that there was black snow sometimes called black rain or da kine black stuff would be coming. And that is when everyone knew that the sugar cane was burning from the scent to the sight and the little kids running around town trying to catch the slow falling flaked burn off. People including herself would run to gather all the hanging clothes that were hanging outside held by wooden clothespins. Otherwise they may need to see what they could get for replacements from the plantation store. The plantation stores all over Waipahu helped create the atmosphere of the plantation era, but one family was notable for such contributions. This would be the Arakawa family that started from Zenpan and Ruth Arakawa who left the plantation life to open Arakawa Shoten (Arakawa Store). They started selling Kau-kau bags, plantation clothes, food, and home goods. It started as a typical small plantation shop that ended up growing to the size of being one of the first big box stores. While it had unique services and goods to compete with foreign competition there was not enough youth interest and local products to justify keeping it open as local competition. Aside from the plantation stores there was something else that brought people back to Waipahu. It was about the sense of spirit and the heart of the people from the town in having enough self awareness to tell others how to make a life full of as a family with ohana spirit, privacy of religious, hanai ohana respect, to show aloha, share local culture, and live the local life style. It is the small things like the children's happy faces, the growing interest in baseball, and educations importance in its history without the distraction of urban life. It was sort of a place that its residence could not leave, but it was home no matter what path they had chosen. Leeward Drive In and Fried Saimin & Waipahu Gravy The Yamaki Family (Jerry & Melvin) they had built during the time of development where there was no drive in competition. Now owned by the Kim Family the restaurant is still alive and its history is slowly being uncovered. It was an important establishment for its mark on fried saimin. It helped set the standards of how many other Leeward style fried saimin are judged from its toppings to its cooking method. The noodles that captured the flavor of the neighborhood was the fried noodles from Sato's Okazuya and especially Leeward Drive In. The ingredients that go into the fried nooldes have a taste of dashi, shoyu, ginger, garlic, black pepper, and is topped with diced kamaboko fish cake and green onions. Many of the originators of diced toppings were from Waipahu drive inns and okazuyas. They were made standard form for Leeward style Fried Noodles in multiple towns on the Leeward side of the island after popularity of fried noodles in Waipahu. Thelmas and Elenas: The Birth of Hawaii Filipino Cuisine Known as the filipino debate that never ends is the match up of Thelma's versus Elenas, rivals of town, and the battle for who is best at cooking Hawaii local cuisine in the vision of the filipino way. Unlike the larger filipino established chains and restaurants that are made for those from the Philippines, these butting head restaurants were made with the priorities of Hawainos Filipinos. Years ago there was a change in the food that happened from the intermarrying of families... in the case of Waipahu this would have a heavy influence of chinese techniques and filipino dishes and multi cultural ingredients. Just stepping into a Waipahu family house it is no surprise to see recipe cards with: Vinegar Fried Rice, Lomi Lechon, Tomato Gisantes, Sari Sari, Squid Guisado, Lumpia, and Hawaii Pancit Bihon. It may have started in Waipahu, but as more local people who grew up in the area moved to Ewa, Pearl City, and Kalihi... there were more Hawaii Filipino Cuisines made by all sorts of ethnic mixed families with their own variations to their areas. Taniokas Seafoods and The Established Pupu Platter Run by the Tanioka Family (Lynn and Mel) the once fish market upgraded as a okazuya, pupus, and snack shop. While the usual delicious pokes are available at the counter what really separated them was their dive into pupus (appetizers). They have wonderful platters that had a large amount of selections of pupus that put them on the map with specialty dishes. Their musubis are also important to note, since some of the first Musubi Chefs had grown up with eating Taniokas in the 1970s. The fried goods were nice as well with a few interesting selections like andagi, tempura, and poi mochi. Another known dish that is famous for Okazuya hunters is the Fish Patties that inspired many other fish patties in the Leeward area, such as: Salmon Patties and Ahi Patties. Altogether the establishment would make sure that anyone competing with pupus would need to include a nice selection on platters. Today, many people see Fish Markets with the idea that pupus bought in large portions come on platters.
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