race

The election of Kamala Harris to serve as vice president of the United States has sparked conversations across the country about the role of gender and race in politics. Here in Hawaiʻi, the discussion covers history, culture, and the future of political power in the state.

Being Black in Hawaiʻi is a rare experience shared only by about three percent of the state’s population. But, what about being Black and adopted by Native Hawaiians? That’s the story of Hawaiian falsetto music star Kamakakēhau Fernandez – and the subject of an upcoming documentary.

Hawai’i health officials say additional demographic data on COVID-19’s impact in Hawaii is on its way. The state Health Department began providing data a month ago, but critics say the information is incomplete and tells an inaccurate story of the pandemic’s impact on various communities. 

Hawai‘i is seen as a multicultural model around the world, but how did that reputation start?  In his new book, an expert on race says the idea was publicized as part of the backdrop to an explosive trial that rocked Honolulu in 1928. Myles Fukunaga was sentenced to hang for kidnapping and murder on this day, ninety-one years ago.

  A high stakes battle playing out in our nation’s capital.  Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono sits on the committee that is holding the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Today marks the fourth and final day of the very contentious proceedings and following a line of questioning about the nominee’s emails that shed some light on his thinking about race and in particular issues that affect our island state.

Hawai‘i is often referred to as one of the most racially-diverse states in the union, a melting pot of humanity. But some combinations in the pot are rarer than others – like African-American Native Hawaiians, whose ancestors on both sides have struggled with identity through history. HPR’s Ku‘uwehi Hiraishi has this story.

After decades of tracking socio-economic and educational statistics and trends, a UH Mānoa professor charges that people in Hawai‘i appear to be quite tolerant of ethnic inequality.  Professor Jonathan Okamura says ethnic inequality here plays out in the same way racism does in other places.  HPR’s Noe Tanigawa reports.

Black people have a long history in Hawai’i dating back to the 19th century. The state’s more than 21,000 blacks make up a little over 3 percent of the population. That compares to a national average of 13 percent and ranks Hawai’i 39th among all state in the percentage of its population that is black. These numbers are just one reason for such a unique experience for black cultures here in Hawai’i. HPR’s Ku’uwehi Hiraishi has this story.

Amidst the flurry of Executive Orders issued recently by President Trump, a seventy five year old Order is being re-examined.  Executive Order 9066 by President Roosevelt in 1942, banned “any or all persons” from “military areas” as determined by the Secretary of War and military commanders.  Though this order and the Japanese internment it caused have been discredited in the courts, political figures have used it recently to support new rules around immigration.  HPR’s Noe Tanigawa reports on what is at stake.

  This year, for Hawai‘i’s celebration of Reverend Martin Luther King’s holiday there was a  Run for Peace on Maui, a commemorative walk happened on Kaua‘i, and Hawai‘i island celebrated in Kona on Sunday.  In Honolulu, HPR’s Noe Tanigawa spoke with some of the millennials in attendance at what is called the annual "People's Parade." 

A number of Japanese sports and games are popular in Hawai‘i. There was a time when Hawaiian-born sumo wrestlers dominated the top ranks of the sport.  And other games from Hanafuda to Sudoku have caught on in the islands. But one particular sport that’s been developed in Japan hasn’t yet made it to Hawai‘i---although it’s spreading across Asia.  HPR’s Bill Dorman has more in today’s Asia Minute.

Events in Ferguson, Missouri have sparked a national conversation. Teachers in Hawai‘i are grappling with how to bring that into the classroom. HPR's Molly Solomon has more.

Not everyone growing up in the islands feels the spirit of aloha. The Micronesian experience in Hawai‘i is often defined by feelings of exclusion and discrimination. HPR’s Molly Solomon spoke with Marshallese poet Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner, whose writing sheds light on a voice not often heard.

Jetnil-Kijiner was recently selected to speak at the 2014 Climate Summit at the United Nations in New York this month. 

Next year will mark a century since they stopped horse racing in Kapiolani Park. But the sport that was a favorite of King David Kalakaua remains popular in Asia…along with the betting that goes with it. HPR’s Bill Dorman has more in today’s Asia Minute.