A few days ago, the Associated Press (AP) published an article on my alma mater's name controversy.
My alma mater's official name is currently McKinley High School, but it was AND SHOULD BE AGAIN named Honolulu High School
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You can read the AP article at
here's a brief summary of what the name controversy is about from that article
But for some, answering that question gets complicated when the school bears the name of President William McKinley, who many Native Hawaiians disdain for his role in the annexation of the Hawaiian Kingdom to the United States. And now a proposal to change the name of Honolulu's McKinley High School has sharply divided graduates, often along generational lines.
I was actually contacted by email to interview for this article. I did the interview via phone but my quotes didn't make the final draft.
But I did record the interview with my webcam. I did it just in case if I quoted out of context.
Anyways, I posted the video of the interview, which you can watch at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e7262z_cGo
"Associated Press phone interview on the McKinley/Honolulu High School name"
In that interview, I basically said that the school's original name was Honolulu High School and that it was given the William McKinley name as a middle finger toward those who opposed the annexation of Hawaii into the USA! I noted that it was common imperial practices for the conquerors to force their names on the already existing places they have conquered. It's like "yeah, we put our names and statues on your place, what you're gonna do about it?"
I also mentioned that we are now watching Russia invade Ukraine in real time and that there would be outrage if the Russians start imposing the name of Vladimir Putin on the schools and other locations within Ukraine.
It would've been nice if all of that was quoted in the article. But then again, the reporter couldn't fit quotes from everybody into an article that was probably given a word limit by the editors.
When it comes to those who support keeping the McKinley name, here is the most ridiculous one quoted in the article.
But even talking about changing the school’s name makes 1979 graduate Suzanne Chun Oakland cry.
“It was like stabbing me in the heart,” the former state lawmaker said of hearing about the effort. “It’s like going into your family and saying you have to change your family name.”
Excuse me? Suzanne Chun Oakland likes to identify herself as a liberal Democrat (she's a former state legislator), but it would make her cry and feel "stabbed in the heart" if the school no longer has the name of the man who is like Donald-Trump-on-steroids?
Do you know who really feels stabbed in the heart and have a legit reason to cry? The Native Hawaiians when their nation was stolen by outsiders in the 1890s!
And yet, this alleged liberal (who used to represent the district I grew up in) wants to attach her identity to a man who, like Saddam Hussein and Vladimir Putin, took over lands without the consent of the people who were living there?
I don't want to attach my identity to a maniac madman who not only took over Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines without the consent of the people, but also betrayed & inflicted brutality on the Filipinos who fought to be independent from both Spain and the USA.
I want to identify with the name Honolulu High School. After all, my high school is in the center of Honolulu.
And it shouldn't be so difficult for anyone from our school to start identifying themselves as Honolulu Tigers!
To learn more about why McKinley High School should be renamed Honolulu High School, check out this blog post from 2018!
https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2018/05/put-tiger-statue-on-oval.html
The following was a written testimony I sent in March 2022 about the proposed resolution to change the school's name.
To the members of the Hawaii State House of Representatives,
My name is Pablo Wegesend, a 1999 graduate of the school currently known as McKinley High School. I bleed the school colors Black & Gold. I am a major fan of the school's Tiger spirit. The school is the home of some of my very wonderful memories. I have organized the 15th & 20th year reunions for my classmates. Nobody can question my school spirit. However, I believe it is time to give the school back its original name of Honolulu High School.
McKinley High School was named after William McKinley, who was the US president when Hawaii was annexed into the American empire without the consent of the Hawaiian people.
Imagine how it feels to have your country taken over, and to have the conquering leader have his name and a statue on the high school located in the urban center where everyone can see it! The name & the statue is like a middle finger towards the Hawaiians who protested against the conquest and annexation of Hawaii. We as the people of Hawaii should no longer accept that white supremacist imperialist middle finger in silence.
In 2022, we are watching in real time as Vladimir Putin has sent Russian troops into Ukraine against the will of the Ukrainian people. If Vladimir Putin had force schools in Ukraine to be named after him, the world would be outraged at this attempt of forcing the people of Ukraine to accept Russian control. We need to have the same exact outrage towards having a school in Hawaii named after a Putin-like character William McKinley who imposed American colonialism against the will of the Hawaiian people.
It is time for Hawaii to take a stand against white supremacy, racism, colonialism and imperialism. It is time for Hawaii to stop with its inertia that tends to allow the status quo to go unchallenged!
It is time for Hawaii to be an inspiration to the world with a powerful example of peaceful change that corrects the wrongs of the past. Removing the statue of William McKinley from the school will be that powerful example of peaceful change. Removing the William McKinley name from the school and renaming it Honolulu High School will be that powerful example of peaceful change.
And may I suggest that after the McKinley statue is removed, that we can replace it with a statue of the school's mascot : The Tiger. That statue will be a major boost of school spirit for the students and alumni of the school.
Place have the honor and bravery to approve HR24 and HCR26! It's the right thing to do.
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BONUS PICS
Saddam Hussein, dictator of Iraq, maniac madman who sent troops to invade Kuwait to satisfy his lust for power & empire.
William McKinley, president of the U.S.A., maniac madman who sent troops to invade Hawaii, the Philippines, Puerto Rico &Guam to satisfy his lust for power & empire.
And to to top it all off, McKinley conquered more land than Saddam Hussein ever did!
And yet, people insist we continue to have a public high school in Hawaii named after him?
Vladmir Putin, Russian dictator who sent troops to invade Ukraine to satisfy his lust for power & empire.
William McKinley, American president who sent troops to invade Hawaii, Philippines, Guam and Puerto Rico to satisfy his lust for power & empire.
It it's insane to rename things in Ukraine after Vladimir Putin, THEN IT'S ALSO INSANE to rename an already established high school in Hawaii after William McKinley.
