Reviews

"Weaving with Spanish Threads: an Immigrant's Tale" tells the story of an often ignored aspect of American immigration history. The documentary unravels the rich experiences of a group of European immigrants that scholars usually neglect in an area of the United States that remains sorely understudied, Hawaii. It also contributes to recent efforts to uncover the histories of labor contracts outside of the restrictive immigration system that was then emerging. Finally, it gives a clear sense of the complex relationship among those who left, those who stayed behind, and the people in the receiving country and sheds light on the intricate interethnic relationships that developed in the new society.

"Weaving with Spanish Threads" is an accessible and fascinating documentary that could easily appeal to students and the general public alike. At the college level, it would work in upper-level courses on immigration history, ethnic studies, citizenship studies, and western history. Excerpts from the documentary could also be useful in introductory courses to challenge students' assumption about who came to the United States and its territories at the turn of the nineteenth century.

Maddalena Marinari, Ph.D.
Department of History
St. Bonaventure University
St. Bonaventura, New York, USA

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Eve Ma's Weaving with Spanish Threads eloquently relates to us the lesser known chain migration of Spanish immigrants to the Hawaiian islands and then to California.  Far from being a predictable immigration history, the documentary enables interviewees to tell their own engaging stories as they relate to the larger Spanish diaspora in the 20th century.

In particular, Mr. Pérez's vibrant tales make the documentary a "must see" for any serious student of immigration, plantation life, and the nature of historical storytelling in Hawai'i and points abroad.

John P. Rosa, PhD
Associate Professor of History
University of Hawai'i at Manoa