Welcome! This guide will provide resources on Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders. some sources are general information on the various islands, while others focus on the history and colonization of the natives. Contact your library using the 'Get Help' page for assistance.
"Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander (NHPI) is a term used to identify the Indigenous peoples of Oceania. NHPI communities is divided into Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia. They are highly diverse and unique, while sharing many commonalities and values as Indigenous peoples of land and ocean." (NHPI Alliance).
The U.S. Census Bureau defines “Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander” as persons having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands. It includes other designations such as “Native Hawaiian,” “Chamorro,” “Samoan,” and “Other Pacific Islander,” as well as other detailed Pacific Islander responses such as Palauan, Tahitian, Chuukese, Pohnpeian, Saipanese, Yapese, etc.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) population estimates, in 2022 there were approximately 665,807 Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders alone residing within the United States, representing about 0.3% of the U.S. population. In 2023, the ten states with the largest percentage of Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders were Hawaii (10.3%), Alaska (1.7%), Utah (1.2%), Washington (0.9%), Nevada (0.9%), California (0.5%), Oregon (0.5%), Arkansas (0.5%), Oklahoma (0.3%), and Arizona (0.3%).
According to ACS estimates, Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders were most represented in the United States by the following sub-categories and their respective estimated populations:
See more on NHPI Population Changes
Find additional information on NHPI search the following resources:
