Research Guides: HIST493: Library Treasures: Newspapers

A note about bias and Hawai'i newspapers

Many historic Hawai'i papers have over the last few years been made available available online, which has been a boon to researchers: Most of these papers have not been indexed in any meaningful way, so having full-text searchable pages allow for deep content searches that were formerly impossible. However, there are some things to keep in mind:

What is currently online is nowhere near the total output of historic newspapers in either Hawaiian or English languages, let alone other vernacular publications (Japanese, Filipino, Portuguese etc.);
As historians, you should always be thinking about biases in what you are reading, but when using online collections that hold multiple newspapers (like Chronicling America) you also have to be aware of biases in terms of what you are not reading: For a variety of reasons that relate to the requirements of the grant that funded this project, many of the papers on Chronicling America fall into the category that historian Helen Chapin labels "Establishment." In 19th century Hawai'i, "Establishment" papers were those that were aligned with forces that sought to overthrow the Hawaiian Monarchy. The site holds fewer of what Chapin labels "Alternative" papers, which we would today read as pro-Monarchy papers.

If you are unsure of the biases of Hawai'i papers, you can find a searchable PDF of Chapin's categories (along with her entire Guide to Newspaper of Hawai'i: 1834-2000) here: http://www.hawaiianhistoricalsociety.org/ref/chapinpdfs.html

For a more comprehensive guide to newspapers of Hawai'i, see also: https://guides.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/c.php?g=105233&p=686713

Historic Japanese newspapers (in English and Japanese languages)

Japan Studies Collection: Newspapers in Japan
This site is a wholesale guide to available Japanese newspapers.
Japan Studies: Early English newspapers in Japan
Includes links to online available papers, as well as information on the history of English-language newspapers in Japan.

Historic Hawai'i Newspaper Collections

Chronicling America
Search full-text newspaper articles from historic Hawaiʻi and U.S. newspapers, primarily between 1836-1922. Includes 23 English language newspapers from Hawaiʻi, covering 1840-1922.
Hoji Shinbun
Full-text, full-image, searchable access to a selection of Japanese newspapers published outside of Japan by overseas Japanese and their descendants. Includes Hawaii newspapers: Hawaii Shokumin Shinbun (Hilo); Hawaii Times (Honolulu), and Nippu Jiji (Honolulu). A project of the Japanese Diaspora Initiative of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.

(Mostly) Historic Hawai'i Newspapers (these papers are NOT included in Chronicling America)

Aurora Hawaiiana (1888-1891)
The second Portuguese newspaper in the Islands. Four-page Honolulu weekly, August 1889 to March 1891; 85 issues, 340 pages. Helen Chapin's description here.
The Friend (1843 - 1910)
Via Mission Children's Society Library. The Friend is the oldest continuing newspaper in Hawaiʻi, in publication since 1843. Click here for Helen Chapin's description.
The Friend (1902-1924)
Via Hathi Trust. The Friend is the oldest continuing newspaper in Hawaiʻi, in publication since 1843. Click here for Helen Chapin's description.

Honolulu record by Koji Ariyoshi
Call Number: AN2 .H65
Publication Date: 1948-1958
Also on Microfilm: MICROFILM S90146
Available online via the Center for Labor Education & Research. The Search box retrieves search results but the links do not work. To get to the articles, take note of the issues' volumes and numbers, click the "back" button and browse your way to the issue through the "Honolulu Record Index" link.
Offered "investigative, crusading journalism that attacked the Establishment for racism, 1st amendment infractions, police brutality, improper political fundraising, sub-standard plantation housing" (from Helen Chapin's Guide to Newspapers of Hawaiʻi).
Honolulu weekly
Call Number: MICROFILM V91184 and DU629.H7 H66
The Honolulu Weekly was published between 1991-2013. For many in Honolulu during these years, especially prior to the advent of the Internet, the Weekly was a welcome alternative to the Honolulu dailies, offering a fresh take on Honolulu's music and culture scene, and focusing on astutely selected social and political issues of the day. The paper’s weekly publication cycle and long-format cover stories often allowed writers to explore topics at a depth the daily newspapers were unable to, while also encouraging writers to go beyond simple reporting and into a more nuanced analysis. Full-text access via eVols at UHM Library. Use the "Search Community" search box.

Historic Hawaiian-language Newspapers

Papakilo Nūpepa Database
While some of the content in the Papakilo Nūpepa collection duplicates what is in Ho'olaupa'i (see below), Papakilo has much more content. It also has more advanced search features, including the ability to filter by decade and by newspaper, as well as allowing full-text searching and article headline searching. (The latter feature allows one to narrow and focus results.) The database also has superior options for saving articles: You can easily clip articles on a page instead of downloading the pdf of an entire page.
Hoʻolaupaʻi, He ʻOhina Nūpepa ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian Nūpepa Collection)
Hawaiian language newpapers, covering ca. 1834-1948. Most pages are available as images-only. Some pages have been converted to searchable text (and are available as images also). Via Ulukau / Nupepa.org.

Hawaiian Dictionaries

At wehewehe.org you can check on spellings and meanings of Hawaiian words and place names, or find Hawaiian equivalents for English words.

When searching in Hoʻolaupaʻi, remember to remove diacritical marks from words.

Some Notes on Translations of Hawaiian Language Newspapers

The body of Hawaiian language newspaper publishing is far to vast to have been fully translated. There are however some pockets of translation that exist:

Papakilo's nūpepa database includes a translation when one has been done. Click on the original article, and If there is a translation, it will appear in the left hand column, below the text of the original Hawaiian. If no translation has yet been done, the section will be empty. Here is an example (scroll down on left column). You can also use the advanced search to search for any translated texts.
Papakiloʻs general database (main search bar) has some records from the Bishop Museum's Hawaiian Ethnographic Notes (HEN) index. The HEN index is historian Kawena Pukui's reference file of resources on all sorts of topics. Many of the resources in the file are translated Hawaiian language newspaper articles. Here is an example, https://www.papakilodatabase.com/main/sourcesearch.php#q:kalo|r:1|esg:6|tb:sg6|o:10.
The nūpepa blog is also an excellent resource to find translations of articles because they are organized by a variety of topics. Although the blog's author (and translator) says these are not really translations so much as interpretations of a given articles contents, reliable sources say these are quite good as translations.
Many modern, English-language works in the field of Hawaiian history (and related disciplines like Political Science and Literature) reference nūpepa articles in their arguments, often providing translations. Some good examples of these are Aloha Betrayed; Mai Paʻa I ka Leo; Voices of Fire; Steel Tipped Pen; The Kingdom and the Republic; and Reclaiming Kalakaua.
Ke Keʻena Noʻi a Unuhi ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (the Institute of Hawaiian Language Research and Translation) has done some grant-funded work to translate articles that relate to Sea Grant projects (like weather).

(Credit: These notes are adapted from informal input of Hawaiian Collection librarian Kapena Shim, with gratitude for his deep knowledge on the subject)

Historic Pacific Newspaper Collections

Both the Hawaiian and Pacific Collections have a great many historic newspapers, dating from the 19th century through present. Many are in microfilm, and most have not been indexed, meaning that if you're searching for a specific event, your only option may be to go to the microfilms and begin reading papers dating from the period you're interested in. However, some have been digitized, and in these cases are searchable and readable online.

British Newspaper Index
Coverage ranges from the 18th century forward to early 20th. Payment is required to view full text, but the index can still be useful in searching out citations to news coverage.

Chronicling America
Searchable full-text newspapers from throughout the U.S., primarily in English language. Hawaiʻi newspapers cover 1840-1922. Access the Chronicling America legacy site here

Marianas Variety (1972-1999)
Search and download the full text of Saipan's major daily newspaper, from 1972-1999. Coverage includes local news as well as news of Micronesia and the Pacific more broadly.
Papers Past (New Zealand)
The National Library of New Zealand hosts this site, which includes New Zealand papers from the 19th and early 20th centuries.
TROVE
Hosted by the National Library of Australia, TROVE searches across a vast array of digital content produced by numerous Australian institutions. Digitized newspapers cover the years from 1803 to 1954.