Would mainland Americans have seen Hawaiian residents as "American" in the period between the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii and statehood? If not, how long after statehood did that shift in public perception take?

by Helicase21
Ang_Is_Anjealous

The short answer - no. Racism had a lot to do with it. In Daniel Immerwahr’s new book How to Hide an Empire: a History of the Greater United States, he details mainland American ambivalence to Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and the whole host of US territorial possessions/colonies. It’s been a while since I read the sections on Hawaii, but I’d really recommend the book.