In the beginning the fields were worked by native Hawaiians, but as the plantations grew larger and the native population was ravaged by outside diseases, the owners began to look elsewhere for a ready supply of labor.
當農場規模尚未擴張時，夏威夷土著還能應付所需的勞動力；但當美國本土對蔗糖與稻米需求日增，土著人數卻因外來疾病而銳減時，勞力資源即顯得捉襟見肘，於是他們看上了華工。