Old Hawaii

It is natural for people to reminisce about the old days. I'm only 25 years old, and already feel nostalgia about the good times of the past.

That's totally OK when you're sitting alone at your home or when talking story to old-time friends.

However, some people use that as an excuse to oppose any developments, whether it's a new condo building, a new neighborhood or a new Wal-Mart being built.

Many of those opponents were those who grew up in Hawaii in the 1950's and 1960's and want Hawaii to stay that way.

How ironic, since back when they were children, the grownups (who grew up in the 1920's) already wished things were the way they were when they were young.

People just assume that the way things were when they grew up was how it was before they were born.

If those people were living in caveman times, they would oppose the idea of building homes outside of caves, not to mention basic sanitation, electric systems and other things we take for granted today.

Things change, and it happens everywhere.

In the infamous community of Compton (in the LA metro area), it was once an all-white town. We might find it hard to believe since it's the home of gangsta rap.But when African Americans moved in, all the European Americans moved out. And nowadays, all the Mexicans and Central Americans are moving in, and the African Americans are moving out.

The same happens in Hawaii.

McKinley High School in Honolulu was nicknamed "Tokyo High" 40 years ago. Yet, today, that's not even the case.

I was at that school's graduation ceremony last June, and I hardly seen any Japanese people.

Most of the Asians I saw were Chinese, Koreans, Vietnamese and Filipinos. I also saw more Samoans and Micronesians than Japanese.

One friend who went to Washington Middle School (in Honolulu) 10 years ago said that school was mostly Japanese. NOT ANYMORE!

I worked at Washington Middle as a substitute teacher, and I can tell you that Japanese are a minority there. They're outnumbered by Koreans, Samoans and Micronesians.

The point is, things change! People move out of neighborhoods, other people move in.

Communities change. Times change.

I'm not saying it's good or bad, it just is!