1) Last week, the Honolulu Weekly had an article explaining the hardships many Micronesian immigrants face here in Hawaii
http://honoluluweekly.com/cover/2009/02/legal-aliens/
The article mentioned their economic harships, language barriers and racial discrimination!
The racial discrimination isn't just some lame jokes people make, it's worse than that .. it's threats and violent acts of terror!
(from the article)
Even those who are bilingual aren’t free them from facing difficult and often dangerous situations. A group of Micronesian tenants last year filed a complaint against the Honolulu Police Department—who were found in a police investigation to have complied with regulations—for failing to take seriously their concerns over violence at Mayor Wright Housing.
Several police reports include accounts from tenants who describe neighbors shouting slurs at them, lighting fireworks outside their doors, and throwing what the victims believed to be gasoline onto their property. One resident’s November 2007 petition for a restraining order includes description of neighbors who had tried to kick her and beat her up, and stood outside her door brandishing knives and other weapons, shouting, “You fat bitch, you fat Micronesians, you fat pig, you fat frog.”
“That’s harassment, still, they doing all that kind of gestures to me,” said Fetu Taua Kolio, referring to a separate incident, in a report filed by the Honolulu Police Commission in December 2007. Kolio described police response to her call about harassment at Mayor Wright. “[The] officer commented to me, ‘Well, that’s what you get when you live in public housing.’ I’m supposed to accept all this kind of threatens and harassment by these individuals?”
Indeed, even those who work to protect members of the Micronesian community express disdain at their being here.
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I wrote a letter to the Honolulu Weekly on that issue
Here's the link to my letter (edited & titled by the Honolulu Weekly staff)
http://honoluluweekly.com/letters/2009/03/island-of-cowards/
And here's the un-edited version that I sent
(the paragraphs in orange was edited out of the Honolulu Weekly version, most likely due to space considerations)
A few weeks ago, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder got controversy over his statements calling the U.S. a "nation of cowards" on racial issues and lamented that people don't interact with other races in their free time!
While we in Hawaii tend to be braver than most when it comes to inter-racial dating, we still have cowardly tendencies when it comes to addressing serious racial conflicts in Hawaii!
In the 2/25/09 edition of the Honolulu Weekly, there was an article about the struggles of the Micronesian community.
It mentioned incidents in Mayor Wright's Housing (MWH) in which fireworks and gasoline were thrown at the homes of Micronesian residents. It also mentioned Micronesians getting attacked and threatened with knives. These acts were done as the attackers were yelling racist slurs on their Micronesian victims.
In the mainland, these incidents would be referred to as "hate crimes". These are racist attacks of terror!
Yet, too many in Hawaii are reluctant to even admit hate crimes happen here too! This is cowardice!
Also, in the same Honolulu Weekly article, a social worker (who was too cowardly to reveal his/her real name) blamed Micronesians for shop-lifting and for the negative conditions at Kuhio Park Terrace (KPT). I have actually heard kids of other races openly brag about shoplifiting. Also, the horrible conditions at KPT were there DECADES before the Micronesians moved in! Yet, that cowardly social worker has the nerve to blame these problems on the most discriminated group in Hawaii!
In other places, the attitude of that social worker would be referred to as "racist". But too many here are reluctant to admit racism occurs here too. This is cowardice!
Last year, after City Council representative Rod Tam used the racist slur "wetback" at a meeting, some in Hawaii were outraged that some local Latinos refused to be cowards against Rod Tam. Nevermind that all the local Latinos did was verbally protested Tam's words. No Latino activist used violence on Tam. But verbal bravery from Latino activists was too much for some in Hawaii to handle !
Also, too many in Hawaii were too cowardly to point out that Tam's district has many immigrants from the land of Tam's ancestors (China) --- way more than the feared, illegal aliens from Mexico! Is anyone else brave enough to point out that some Chinese immigrants (living mostly in Tam's district) are illegal!
In defense of the Chinese immigrants, is anyone brave enough to even mentioned that other racial groups have harassed them and mock their accents literally in their face? This is what I have heard from sons of Chinese immigrants!
Also, is anyone in Hawaii brave enough to point out that not all European countries were involved in the conquest of non-white lands! Think about it next time someone gets attacked for being a "haole"!
There's more going on, but I'll let others add on to the list!
Some might say "why don't you leave Hawaii". I am a lifelong resident of Hawaii and I refuse to leave! That would be an act of cowardice! I prefer to develop the bravery required to point out that sometimes problems exist in Hawaii!
I encourage our fellow Hawaii residents to do the same!
Pablo Wegesend
Honolulu, HI
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Again, the above paragraphs in orange was edited out of the Honolulu Weekly version of my letter!
2) As for the Honolulu Weekly, they had a good editorial on the struggles for same-sex civil unions in Hawaii
http://honoluluweekly.com/cover/2009/03/coming-home-3/
( an excerpt from the article)
Before the committee is the same Linda Krieger, now 53 years old and a professor at the University of Hawai‘i’s Richardson School of Law. Krieger is offering testimony in support of the bill, on behalf, she says, of the gay and lesbian students with whom she works. Her students—“most are local, Hawaiian, Chinese, Filipino, South Pacific Islander, European, hapa”—are hurting. “Most of these students are already in deeply committed, loving relationships, or aspire to be. All love their families and their communities, and deeply long to be accepted by them. All will be devastated if Hawai‘i once again denies them the basic human rights accorded to their heterosexual brothers, sisters and friends.”
Krieger reminds the senators that they have taken an oath to defend the constitution, one that has as a basic tenet that all citizens are equal in the eyes of the law. “And I have taken another oath,” she says in closing. “Albeit a private one, to do everything in my power to help make Hawai‘i a place in which my wonderful, precious students can grow, flourish and build strong, loving families, as is each of our birthright in a community that holds ‘ohana—‘ohana for everyone—as the first among our cherished values. Please, please support HB 444. It is long past time.”
Sen. Sam Slom is the first to respond. “Thank you, Ms. Krieger, for your testimony, and for lecturing us,” he sneers. The audience, packed with opponents to the civil unions legislation, erupts in cheers. Many are jeering and snickering at Krieger. They boo, not loudly, but plenty loud enough to hear. One observer described the atmosphere as “like a hate party. She’s baring her soul and people are mocking her, and the people she’s appealing to for help are mocking her right back.”
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Look I understand some people are grossed out by homosexuality!However, this is supposed to be a land of freedom, so people should be allowed to live their life as they see fit! If someone wants to have a same-sex marriage, LET THEM!
If you don't want to be a part of a same-sex union, NO ONE IS FORCING YOU TO! Let others live as they see fit!
