Malaga Island was home to a unique interracial community in Maine from the 1860s until 1912, when the state forcibly removed its residents, institutionalized some, and relocated the island's cemetery. The community was left without homes, and the island remained abandoned for decades. In recent years, Maine has acknowledged this injustice through a public apology, memorials, and historic preservation, with Malaga Island now recognized on the National Register of Historic Places and open to visitors as a public preserve.