Hawaii Statehood Day: 67 Years of the Aloha State
Today, the third Friday of August, Hawaii celebrates Statehood Day — marking the moment in 1959 when the islands officially became the 50th state of the United States. It's a day of pride, reflection, and the complex, layered story of what it means to be Hawaiian in America.
The Road to Statehood
Hawaii's path to statehood was long and complicated. After the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893 and annexation in 1898, Hawaii existed as a US territory for over 60 years. During that time, Hawaiian residents paid federal taxes, served in the US military — with extraordinary distinction, particularly the 442nd Regimental Combat Team in World War II, one of the most decorated units in US military history — but had no voting representation in Congress.
The push for statehood was driven by a diverse coalition of Hawaiian residents who believed that full political representation was essential. On August 21, 1959, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the proclamation admitting Hawaii as the 50th state. Hawaii became the first state with a majority non-white population and the first located outside the contiguous United States.
A Complicated Celebration
Statehood Day is celebrated with genuine pride by many in Hawaii — pride in the islands' unique place in American life, in the diversity and resilience of its people, and in the extraordinary culture that has flourished here. At the same time, many Native Hawaiians view statehood through a more complex lens, as part of a longer history of political dispossession that began with the 1893 overthrow.
Honoring Statehood Day fully means holding both of these truths — celebrating what Hawaii has contributed to America while acknowledging the ongoing work of justice and cultural preservation that Prince Kūhiō, Queen Liliʻuokalani, and countless others dedicated their lives to.
What Makes Hawaii Uniquely American
Hawaii is unlike any other state. It is the only state that was once an independent kingdom. The only state where an indigenous language — ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi — is an official state language alongside English. The only state where the aloha spirit is written into law (the Aloha Spirit Law, HRS §5-7.5, requires all citizens and government officials to conduct themselves with aloha).
It is a place where East meets West, where Polynesian, Asian, and American cultures have woven together into something entirely new and entirely its own. That cultural richness is Hawaii's greatest gift to the world.
Want to experience that richness firsthand? Our guides to Hawaiian Pidgin slang, Hawaiian loanwords, and essential Hawaiian phrases are a great place to start.
Celebrate the Aloha State
Today is a day to wear your Hawaiian pride and share the aloha spirit with everyone around you. Whether you're in Hawaii or on the mainland, you can honor the day with intention — by learning something new about Hawaiian history, by supporting Hawaiian-made products, and by carrying a little more aloha in everything you do.
Explore our Hawaiian Flair collection — from Big Island coffee to aloha shirts to pikake wellness buffers — and find something that connects you to the spirit of the 50th state.
Aloha ʻoe, Hawaiʻi. Happy Statehood Day.