Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 9, Number 3, 1 March 1992 — Apo speaks out [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Apo speaks out

by Christina Zarobe Hawaii's residents are a potpourri of eultures but the teaching staff in public schools fail to make the grade in ethnic diversity, according to Margaret Apo, a state Board of Education member. "This I find very crucial. Especially in the elementary schools. They need someone they ean look up to," says Apo during a recent interview with Ka Wai Ola O OHA. "Take a Hawaiian student. When they go to a school and there are no other Hawaiians who are they going to turn to? continued on page 8

Apo from page 1 No one. They will just go into a corner. And people wonder why there are dropouts. I don't wonder." A first impression of Apo brings to mind images of a kindly grandmother, whieh she is with 30 grand and great-grandchildren. She is immediately warm and gracious. But in her 14th year on the state Board of Education, this 81-year-old also spends her time debating and deciding the course of education in Hawai'i.

bhe is resolute īn her opinions on how to improve the quality of education and is particularly concerned about the attention being given minority youngsters. Pure Hawaiian herself, Apo believes a study should be made of the hiring practices of the state Department of Education. "When the Board of Education is given back the authority whieh has been denied us by eollective bargaining we ean change it. We ean mandate it (hiring minority teachers)," she says vehemently. Within her own fami-

iy, Apo says memoers have received university degrees yet have been unable to find teaching jobs. Through the years, education for Hawaiians has been especially difficult, according to Apo. "They have not been encouraged toward education. The rationale is that education for Hawaiians would have been dangerous because knowing would have meant being able to detect what was happening to them." Apo's family heritage in Hawai'i is rich. Her

father was a musician who played and arranged for the Royal Hawaiian Band. She remembers, in fact, being 7-years-old and attending the funeral procession of Queen Lili'uokalani while her father played with the historic band. Apo also recalls how the Hawaiian language was banished from the Islands. "He (her father) was told by the white leadership from the Mainland that to speak Hawaiian was unAmerican. Because my father was law-abiding, he did not speak Hawaiian." Yet Apo's mother, as did many Hawaiian women at the time, refused to be told what lan-

guage to use and continued speaking Hawaiian at home. "I walk into the immersion program and I speak Hawaiian but they (the children) won't respond because they're shy. Maybe they're shocked," she says. "We were cheated out of learning our own language. You cannot have a nation unless you have a language." For the past 37 years, Apo has made her home in Makaha on O'ahu. She and her husband have raised two daughters and two sons. Apo has worked outside the home for years including more than a quarter century at Pearl

naroor iNavai oase. ^ne also did some substitute teaching. Listening to her father play on the grounds of 'lolani Palaee instilled an appreciation of music and Apo carried on the traditiōn playing the ukelele and singina on Sundays at Ala Moana Hotel in Honolulu. And there's her grandson who lives in California and plays guitar in a band he formed. Education, however, has always been stressed, she says, especially when she married

into her husband's family of school teachers. "I have always been curious about learning," she admits. Yet children have to be supported, Apo believes, as they make their way through years of schooling. Those who receive understanding and guidance have a better ehanee of competing anel succeeding. "Those who are encouraged it's because of their family. They are told the advantages of an education. Those (parents) who don't have that background don't know what to tell their ehildren," she says. In discussing the controversial and mueh debated issue of Hawaii's education, Apo repeatedly points out that broadening the racial makeup of the state's teaching staff will improve the system. continued on page 23

Mai*garet Apo Photo by Chrlstina Zarobe

Apo from page 8 "What I would suggest is let's hire teachers of all different ethnicity. This is essential," she says. "Pretending to be interested in an ethnic group yet not encouraging the Hawaiian students ... even to this day it persists. And I think it will continue. This is why Hawaiians are fightāng for sovereignty." Apo also advocates organizing field trips, taking youngsters to various businesses and occupations and showing them how the skills they are learning in school ean be directly applied to a profession. "They have to see the action — the action of what adults do. Take them through that route ... how is something built? It's the 'how' factor they need to.know and they ean visualize it while they're learning," she explains. Although being a member of the Board of Education is tremendously time-consuming Apo said, she plans to run again for another four-year term . Her reasoning is steadfast. "I have pledged that for the rest of my life I will work for children — their innoeenee." Despite the hardships her people have suffered in the past, Apo says she is confident about the future of Hawaiians as she flashes her characteristic smile. "Hawaiians are survivors. BeHeve me. There are more ways than you know, of taking care of ourselves."