Hawaii takes pride in being a multiracial ohana, frowning on vulgar references to the origin of people by race. State Rep. Faye Hanohano’s racial and ethnic slurs on Monday were unprecedented and shockingly repugnant — further, she allegedly threatened to withhold funds from a state cultural agency if she did not get works by Native Hawaiian artists. Hanohano’s half-hearted apology notwithstanding, her House colleagues cannot condone such offensive behavior from a public official and should consider censure or taking other appropriate action.
In response to artworks hung in her Capitol office as part of an "Art in Public Places" exhibit, Hanohano, who is Native Hawaiian, called them "ugly" — her opinion, of course — but then told installers that "any work done by Haoles, Japs, Paranges, Pakes, you can just take away right now," according to a state exhibit specialist’s account.
She is reported to have gone on to threaten to cut funding to the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, which oversees the exhibit, if she did not get works from Native Hawaiian artists.
Hanohano, a Democrat representing Hawaiian Acres, Pahoa and Kalapana on Hawaii island, declined Wednesday to comment on the incident to the Star-Advertiser’s Derrick DePledge. But the next day, she told her colleagues on the House floor, "I humbly apologize to all of you who may have been offended by sentiments expressed that were taken into the news media."
That pitiful explanation, far short of regret, suggests that the offended need not have taken it the way they did, and that the meddlesome media should not have reported it.
At least House Speaker Joseph Souki came out forcefully, saying: "I absolutely do not condone this type of offensive language and behavior by anyone."
Hanohano’s apology on the House floor said in part: "I am an honest and straight-speaking woman whom descends from long line of proud leaders and warriors from Puna of Hawaii island. I aloha all of our people in Hawaii and will continue to find ways to champion the plethora of issues and challenges that my Hawaiian people continue to endure."
Unfortunately, it is her lack of true aloha, when the cameras are off, that was telling. The aloha spirit is so valued that Hawaii state law actually codifies it for perpetuity, in words crafted by "Auntie" Pilahi Paki. The treasured kupuna also wrote: "The world will turn to Hawaii as they search for world peace because Hawaii has the key … and that key is aloha."
If Hanohano thinks words loaded with racism, particularly spewed by government officials, are harmless, she is wrong. They fracture and divide — and left unchallenged, can breed violence or actions that go against the very core of equality and democracy. It cannot be forgotten how racism helped fuel government actions that herded 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry behind barbed wire during World War II.
Unfortunately, the Hanohano incident shows the fragility of race relations, even in the Aloha State.
"This kind of blatant racist language must never be tolerated anywhere in the state of Hawaii, but especially not at the state Capitol," said James T. Kuroda, a senior exhibit specialist, who detailed the incident with Hanohano in an email to his boss that was forwarded to the Star-Advertiser by a source who asked to remain anonymous.
"As an elected official, Rep. Hanohano must be held accountable," added Kuroda, who said he was "offended, hurt and angered," being a third-generation Japanese-American born and raised in Hawaii.
Kuroda is right.
The House should address the issue as soon as possible and make clear, through censure or other action, that its members should not engage in racist language.
Hanohano may have been elected as a representative to the House, but her racist "sentiments" are not representative of Hawaii.
It will be left to her constituents — comprising a diversity of ethnicities — to decide in next year’s election if she deserves the continued honor of representing them.
