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These first vaqueros, whose last names were recorded as Kossuth, Ramón and Lauzada (Lazada), spoke Spanish (Español) which is where the term “paniolo” comes from. They trained Native Hawaiian paniolo to be among the best in the world.

In 1833, with the help of Parker, Kamehameha III brought Mexican vaqueros from California to Hawaii to break in the cows and train Hawaiians to be cowboys. These vaqueros who spoke Spanish or Espanol, helped create the "paniolo" culture that is still alive today.

The official definition of the Hawaiian word Paniolo is “a person who herds cattle; cowboy.” At Paniolo Preservation Society, the word Paniolo is so steeped in Hawaiian ranching history, so much a part of who we are, that it is actually a bit daunting to attempt to sum it up in a few words!

King Kamehameha III invited vaqueros from Spanish California to come to Hawai`i to teach cattle handling skills. The first vaqueros were brought to the Parker Ranch in 1823. They were called Espanoles (Spaniards) which the native Hawaiians pronounced as paniolos. In time all cowboys in Hawai`i became known as paniolos.

ranching in Hawaii herds, beginning a tradition of paniolos, or Hawaiian cowboys, who derived their name from these vaqueros and predated the cowboys of the American West. The paniolos still run their ranches in much the same way today.