There are two nations living side by side, not always comfortably, in Hawaii.
One is the Hawaiian nation, and despite the overthrow of the kingdom 126 years ago, it still lives on in many hearts and is reflected in numerous statutes and court decisions. The other is the United States of America, this territory becoming the 50th of those states 60 years ago today.
With all the nuances and complexity of history, both are worthy of celebration as part of the duality that is Hawaii.
Called “Admission Day” until 2001, this year’s official Statehood Day holiday was observed Friday, but Hawaii actually was formally admitted to the union on Aug. 21, 1959. So much has changed in those six decades, not the least of which is the nature of the observance itself.
“What I remember most about statehood was the celebration,” John Waihee, the state’s first governor of Native Hawaiian ancestry, recalled in an interview with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. He described the horns honking in his boyhood home of Honokaa: “The people literally celebrated.”
The occasion now is marked in far more subdued fashion, because of mixed emotions and sensitivities among many residents.
Waihee said that some people saw statehood as a justification of the injustice of the overthrow, a notion he bluntly dismissed as “revisionist bunk.” In fact, he said, his own parents celebrated because statehood was a far better outcome for the people than the territorial status that persisted for the first half-century.
He’s right, but that doesn’t negate the deep feelings of those who find it hard to reject the overthrow and annexation of the islands to the United States while accepting statehood. Some of these emotions are plainly on display now, in the ongoing protests over the development of the Thirty Meter Telescope atop Mauna Kea.
Elements of Hawaiian culture, especially the native language, long suppressed, became reinvigorated in the 1970s Hawaiian renaissance. Artistic traditions, old spiritual practices grew in strength. Culture-based education was strengthened in public and private school settings, including the establishment of public Hawaiian-focused charter schools.
Along with the validation of Hawaiian pride, members of a generation immersed in indigenous culture grew up and gained influence, as well as an affinity for technology that amplified their voices.
And there have been many efforts, on various tracks, to reassert Hawaiian sovereignty in some form, debates that have stirred their own controversies, outside as well as among the native people.
All of this may help explain the low-key way the 50th State marks its admission to onlookers more accustomed to the conventional fireworks and marching bands. In lieu of those we have events such as the panel discussion that included Waihee on Saturday, titled “The Promise of Statehood: Looking Back, Moving Forward.” Perhaps thoughtful reflection rather than fireworks is more appropriate, in fact.
Still, Hawaii’s melting-pot population comprises a majority, too often silent, that does embrace statehood heartily for the clear advantages it brings. Statehood meant that Hawaii became fully represented in American decision-making as well as connected to its economic development.
It’s not only about the money and power, of course. Democratic values have flourished here, ultimately producing a society that’s both enriched and challenged by its diversity.
Some may feel they need to pick only one, Hawaiian or American identities, to celebrate, but it doesn’t have to be a binary choice. Most people here will find a way to cherish both. Straddling two worlds and keeping balance is something we’ve managed after 60 years of practice.
