The First Strange Place: Race and Sex in World War II Hawaii

by Beth L. Bailey, David Farber

As the forward base and staging area for all US military operations in the Pacific during World War II, Hawaii was the "first strange place" for close to a million soldiers, sailors, and marines on their way to the horrors of war. But Hawaii was also the first strange place on another kind of journey, toward the new American society that would begin to emerge in the postwar era. Unlike the rigid and static social order of prewar America, this was to be a highly mobile and volatile society of mixed racial and cultural influences, one above all in which women and minorities would increasingly demand and receive equal status. Drawing on documents, diaries, memoirs, and interviews, Beth Bailey and David Farber show how these unprecedented changes were tested and explored in the highly charged environment of wartime Hawaii.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, War, World War II, American History

296 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Beth L. Bailey is an American historian, who is currently serving as the Distinguished Professor at Kansas University.

Reviews

[Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not sure what I expected from this book, but I didn’t really find much. Essentially the book is a brief recap of prostitution in Hawai’i during WWII; a brief, generalized discussion of race in Hawai’i; and a recap of discussions with people who served in Hawai’i and people who lived there then. I already was aware of the fact that prostitution existed and exists in Hawai’i. (If you are male you do not have to venture far in Waikiki to be approached by prostitutes. At least that is the way it was during the 20 years I was stationed there or lived there from 1972 through 2004.) During WWII prostitution was tightly controlled by the police and by the military. If you were a female prostitute, your chances of getting beaten up were far higher with the civilian police than with the military police. The lines were long in the brothels in the Hotel Street area and most of the working women were from San Francisco. Ah, okay. This isn’t really a book that breaks any new ground.

[Jerra Runnels · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as part of a historiography on the militarization of female sexuality during WWII. This book gives such a broad overview of Hawaii both before and during the war. Gender, race, and sex are discussed as well as the female war workers and their experiences and the emotional atmosphere of the soldiers waiting to be shipped off to the Pacific. Few books discuss so many issues. Very well researched.

[Nancy Loe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really intelligent and well done book on wartime Hawaii – the research the authors compile here is remarkable.

[Katherine Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was assigned to read this book for a history class. Fortunately, I can say that I found the book really interesting and informative. I did not know much about the situation of Hawaii during World War 2 and this book really opened my eyes to it. When people think about Hawaii and World War 2, most people think about Pearl Harbor. Though Pearl Harbor was an important event during the war, I learned that Hawaii had a bigger role in the war and implications in America. I had no idea how diverse the population of Hawaii was and, in a way, I also believed in the myth of the Paradise that many mainland soldiers believed before they arrived. The testimonials and stories that were scattered throughout the book gave the experiences being discussed an authentic feel to it. Race and gender played major roles in how local people and soldiers interacted on the islands. If you are interested in learning about Hawaii and World War 2, I recommend this book to you. It is a very easy book to read.

[Julio A. Cervantes · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a bit of slow read and not my subject with concerns of the Second World War, however it was something that made the history of the war a little more approachable since it adds more information on the American home front than just the facts of the war itself. I'd recommend it to my friends more inclined with the social aspects of the human experience.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating book! WWII forced an experiment of racial and gender equality in ways that had never happened before. The epicenter of this was Hawaii. The experience forever changed America for the better!!

[Deon Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

The First Strange Place is a historical book expressing the life of Hawaiians before and after Pearl Harbour attack during World War II, To start off if any readers that are in too WW2 stuff would definitely enjoy this book. The interesting thing in this book is that it tells the many unknown stories of hawaii at the during the war. Hawaii was in a very bad state during the war a lot of illegal sex work was being took place, opium houses were a big thing which created many addicts in Hawaii and even racism.Things worsened for the Hawaiians when the soldiers came over to be stationed at Pearl Harbor and crime exceeded on the island Oahu. I don't want to get to into the book and let you the reader, read the the unknown stories of Hawaii- The First Strange Place.
Enjoy.

[Richard Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Book. If you live or have ever lived in Oahu, you should definitely read this book. Great book on the history of Hawaii that you won't find in most history books.