The History of the Paniolo AKA the Hawaiian Cowboy

Asian American History 101

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 2! There’s a global fascination with the Old West cowboys in America. Did you know that the Hawaiian Paniolo pre-dates the Old West cowboys by several years? The Mexican Vaqueros have even more history. In this episode, we talk about the history of the Paniolo… AKA the Hawaiian Cowboy.

You’ll learn about the origin of longhorn cattle in Hawaii; how riding, roping, and herding cattle came to be a practice on the islands; and the names of several well-known Paniolo like Ikea Purdy and Eben Low, who became local and national heroes. Their impact at the 1908 Cheyenne, Wyoming Frontier Days was a moment of pride for the islands that had just been annexed by the U.S. Government. For deeper insight into the cowboys of this era and the Paniolo, check out the book Aloha Rodeo: Three Hawaiian Cowboys, the World’s Greatest Rodeo, and a Hidden History of the American West by David Wolman and Julian Smith. It’s very well written. You can also check out the Paniolo Preservation Society.

We open the episode by talking about a lot of current events we needed to make time for… and we cover politics, sports, entertainment, and more! In our recurring segment we share one place to help… the Kāko‘o Maui Fund. Many people in Maui could still use our help. Recovery from the fires will take a lot longer, and the Kako’o Maui Housing Program is here to help. They often have matching donors.

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Segments

• 00:25 Lots of Current Events
• 07:40 The History of the Paniolo AKA the Hawaiian Cowboy
• 28:57 Places to Help… Kako’o Maui Housing Program