Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 20, Number 10, 1 October 2003 — Hawaiian programs deserve support [ARTICLE]

Hawaiian programs deserve support

We all know how special Hawai'i is, and how lucky we are to live and work here. There are more than a million people in this state, yet every day we run into people we know, or with whom we have a friend or relative in eommon. We are descended from every ethnicity you ean imagine, steeped in a culture that brings us together. We are connected. I was reminded of that in early September when 10,000 people marched through Waikīkī to support Hawaiian preference programs. That display of unity reveals a fundamental truth about life in Hawai'i: We are an integrated community, and we understand that what helps one of us will help us all. Those who want to abolish preference programs such as the Dept. of Hawaiian Home Lands and the admissions policy at Kamehameha Schools see those programs as exclusionary — helping one group of people at the expense of others. Those who support the programs argue that they improve Hawaiian well-being, whieh improves our entire state. I agree with them. It goes beyond the obvious fact that educated and

resilient children grow up into fine, contributing members of our society, or that people with solid self-esteem heeome leaders who inspire the next generation. What's important is the role these programs play in rebuilding and preserving pride in Hawaiian culture. The Hawaiian cultural renaissance was just beginning to blossom when I arrived here in the 1970s. Hawaiian contemporary music was finding a following, and Hawaiian language and voyaging programs were taking shape. I have enjoyed the benefits of this cultural resurgence for more than a quarter of a century. It is what makes living here so unique and enjoyable. It must be nurtured and protected. These preference programs protect and promote Hawaiian well-being, and in doing so, they build a stronger community for all of us. They don't divide us, they help us all heeome stronger. They deserve our most fervent support. Robert F. Clarke Chairman , President and CEO Hawaiian Electric lndustries

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