Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 10, Number 10, 1 October 1993 — ʻOhana: persevering through changing times [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ʻOhana: persevering through changing times

by Patrick Johnston The Hawaiian family, ka 'ohana, after 100 years of foreign nile, how is it faring? Has intermarriage, modernization, and troubling heahh and social problems reduced it to a mere shadow of its former self? Or is it holding its own, feeling pressure from many sides but keeping its identity? If you're only concemed with

statistics then many 'ohana would appear to be in trouble. Domestic violence, drug use, teen pregnancy, homelessness, unemployment are all disproportionately high among Hawaiian families. But statistics are just numbers. Most Hawaiian families are not part of those negative statistics. They struggle with the same problems as other families in Hawai'i but through strong family networks are able to eope. And

many succeed, success measured not only in their material wealth but in their ability to maintain strong and stable homes. With the resurgence of the Hawaiian language, culture, and the goal of nationhood in the past 20 years, the Hawaiian family has plenty of reason to be hopelul about the future. Hawaiian is now being taught in many schools and one pre-school system, Pūnana Leo, is teaching a new generation

only in Hawaiian. This reasserts the strength of the culture, adding to the self-esteem of the people and, in turn, the family. Ho'oponopono, a Hawaiian-style form of family conflict resolution, has been taken out of the closet and is being used by families to sort out difficulties. Some heahh centers use ho'oponopono to counsel troubled Hawaiians. The Hale Ola Ho'opākōlea, a healing center in Nānākuli, uses

the 'ohana itself as a way of weaning drug users from their dependency. The Hawaiian family is here to stay, the culture of the 'ohana strong. Assimilation practices of the past have hurt, but the family is now in a better position than ever to reassert its cultural strengths and overcome the difficulties, as well as take advantage of the benefits, of modern Hawai'i.

The Anamizus live in Kahuku, where windward O'ahu meets the North Shore and where the golf courses of the Turtle Bay Hihon meet subsistence farmlands owned by Campbell Estate and kuleana lands given away eenturies ago. They are a family of four. The children, Joy and Noelani, are in their teens, Joy enrolled at UHHilo and Noelani at Kahuku High School. Their father, Douglas, works at Pearl Harbor Naval Base and their mother, Carol, is employed as an outreach worker for Ke Ola Mamo, the native Hawaiian health center on O'ahu. They live in town and lease five acres of farm land from Campbell Estate near Kahuku where they grow sweet jx)tato. ti. eom and lei flowers. The Anamizus have faced many of the same problems that other Hawaiian families have faced, but are fortunate in that they have held together, maintained solid values, and have close ties with the people around them. "Hawaiian families have so many problems," Carol points out. "Housing, health, education,

teen pregnancy. ... but at the same time they have the 'ohana system, parents, uncles, aunties, the extended family. When one is in need there are people who ean help eaeh other." 'Ohana, in the Anamizus' case also extends to people who live around their farmland. Says Douglas, "When we have a good crop we give to the fishermen, when he has a good catch he brings some to us. We're not related but we always try to help eaeh other out. Everything is based on family around here." The Anamizus have also stressed work and education when raising their children, hoping that their daughters will improve on the life that they have provided them. "I strongly believe that work and education is the way to get ahead," explains Douglas. "I tell my children if you ean read, write and understand math you ean go far." Douglas and Carol help instill a work ethic in their daughters by having them help with the crops. Joy and Noelani don't eomplain but would rather be doing something else. "It's hard work," says

Noelani. "I have more fun studying." Like many Hawaiians, the Anamizus are in a transition peri-od-heavily influenced by the Americanization of the islands, but showing an increased interest in sovereignty and the revival of

the Hawaiian language and culmral practices. They have begun to farm despite both parents holding full-time jobs. Their children have been raised speaking English but both have studied Hawaiian. Sovereignty has become a eommon subject around the dinner

table "I'm trying to focus my wife and children on Hawaiian issues," says Douglas. "I try to get them interested in hula, language, sovereignty, and I grow plants that have some cultural importance continued on page 8

The Anamizu 'ohana: From left to right Noelani, Carol, Douglas. (Eldest daughter Joy not in picture.) Photo by Patrick Johnston

'Ohana profMe

continued from page 6 like ti and hinahina." Carol's work with Ke Ola Mamo brings her face to face with issues facing Hawaiians, one of the reasons she started working at the health agency. "I found out there was a real need to help Hawaiians improve their heahh," she says. "I wanted to give something back to my people." The Anamizus are too busy to devote large amounts of time to Hawaiian issues, either cultural or

political, outside of their jobs. But the recent publicity given to events surrounding the 1893 overthrow has set in motion new ideas about the Hawaiian nation and culture. "When I learned about what happened with the overthrow and everything I was really disappointed," Noelani says. "I'd like to see things made better for Hawaiians." Like many Hawaiian families, the Anamizus are stuck between

the cross loyalties of being Hawaiians but also primarily employed by interests based outside of Hawai'i: Douglas works for the U.S. Navy and Ke Ola Mamo is a federally funded agency. "I am angry at the United States but I can't bite the hand that feeds me, not to mention sends my ehildren to school," Douglas explains. Douglas also fought for the U.S. in Vietnam, an action that proved his loyalty but also laid

the foundations for his Hawaiian nationalism. "When I heard about some of the lies the government told us I felt betrayed by the United States. After that I began to learn more about Hawai'i's land and sovereignty." The land is important to Douglas, Carol and their family.

Says Douglas, "I think we're fortunate to at least have some land. If you take care of the land you're doing your share for the 'āina and helping out the next generation. ... and with the farm we tend to work more together. We're more of a family."