Came back home

Earlier today, I went to the Lanakila Health Center for a TB test.

Next door to Lanakila Health Center is Lanakila Housing (officially known as Puahala Homes, though Nobody calls it Puahala Homes). It was where I lived in my childhood years. It was a while since I last been there.

I decided to take a tour.

Since it was a weekday in the day-time, hardly anyone was outside. It was empty and quiet.

Everything inside looked so much smaller than I remembered. The sidewalks, stairs, gardens, everything was more narrower than I remembered. To a kid, they looked so big.

It was an interesting tour. It was a day I went back home.

Ethnic Relations in Hawaii - Revisited


A while back, I wrote on this blog about the local media not doing enough to expose the ethnic tensions between Polynesians, Micronesians and Asian immigrants.

Well, the Honolulu Advertiser had a story about a program that is attempting being Polynesians and Micronesians together. This was partly in reaction to a fight in Mayor Wright's Housing (MWH) last year between Micronesians and Polynesians

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Mar/09/ln/ln05p.html

Now ministers from the Micronesian and Polynesian community are trying to get the kids to learn about the culture.

In the end of the mentioned article, it mentions that a few Vietnamese kids are getting involved in the cultural exchanges.

I congratulate Honolulu Advertiser for sheddding some light.

Kealii Reichel Against Hawaiian Victimhood

In the recent Weekend edition of Midweek ( I know that sounds like an oxymoron) veteran Hawaiian musician Keali'i Reichel was quoted in telling film-maker Edgy Lee that he wouldn't want to participate in a film that portrays Native Hawaiians only as victims.

This is like what Bill Cosby has done for the African-American community. Cosby told African-American audiences to stop being victims. While other African-Americans have said the same thing, very few of them have the status like Bill Cosby has.

The same is going on within the Native Hawaiian community. Many within the Native Hawaiian community are sick of being portrayed as helpless victims. They're sick of being stereotyped as being militant radicals who can't get over 1893. However, some also fear being outcasted by their more militant relatives who might scream at them at their next family gathering.

Kealii Reichel said he is sick of the "poor me this, poor me that" attitude that he hears from other Native Hawaiians. I am glad that Reichel spoke up about this, especially in a forum read by non-native Hawaiians. This will get some non-native Hawaiians to stop stereotyping all Native Hawaiians as being helpless victims.

I wish there was web-link to this but unfortunately, there is none.

Edgy Lee convinced Reichel that she wasn't interested in making a victimhood film, that she wants to make a film on Native Hawaiian culture. The film will be aired on Hawaii television this coming Tuesday on KHON (Hawaii's FOX affiliate) at 9pm. Hopefully, I 'll remember that so I can watch it.