Changing Hawaii

By Diane Yukihiro Chang

Friday, November 15, 1996

Diane Chang is on vacation.
Her column returns Nov. 22nd.

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The truth behind
the idyllic island image

EVERYBODY was looking at me. They were anticipating an answer. The roomful of women leaders, many of them chief executive officers and decision-makers in Asia and the U.S., politely awaited my response. But therein lay the dilemma: Should I tell the truth and risk disappointing them, or try to finesse a way out of this predicament?

On Monday, news anchor Dalton Tanonaka, former network reporter Linda Taira and I participated in a panel discussion at Kamehameha Schools. In the audience were members of Leadership International, a worldwide organization for woman achievers, which had selected Oahu as the site for its 1996 convention. Our moderator was the big, burly and brainy Kamehameha bigwig and former UH vice president, Rockne Freitas.

We had just finished debating the cerebral-sounding topic, "The Role of the Media in Shaping the World's View of Asia Pacific," and Freitas had opened it up for questions. The first one elicited some serious anxiety: "Diane, how do you think Hawaii is perceived by the mainland and other countries in Asia and the Pacific?"

Boy, oh boy, oh boy. In a split second, the enthusiastic response of a government rep or visitor industry booster ran through my head.

"Oh, Hawaii is so fortunate to enjoy a wonderful reputation as an idyllic and affordable tourist destination," I could gush. "But we are also rightfully recognized as a strategic military location. And we are making great strides in becoming the true crossroads of the Pacific in both foreign relations and commerce. For example, Governor Cayetano is personally wooing the prestigious Mayo Clinic to open a health-care operation in these islands! Isn't that exciting?"

Nope. Sorry, folks, but that just wasn't me.

I took a deep breath and launched into reality. "In the past, Hawaii was primarily thought of as a nice place to visit," I began with some trepidation. "But today, in the coverage of the mainstream media on the mainland, we are depicted as the first state to legalize same-sex marriage, which in reality hasn't even happened yet, and as the site of vocal demonstrations by pro-sovereignty groups, who want Hawaii to eventually secede from the nation.

"Meanwhile, in Asia and the Pacific, Hawaii is thought of as a part of the United States but not necessarily an integral one, except in a military sense. We're still a nice vacation locale - but don't even think of moving here.

"The term 'bureaucratic red tape' could have been invented to describe our state government. Honolulu has one of the highest costs of living and property crime rates in the country. What's more, public education has so little support and funding that parents are fighting to pay $8,000 to $10,000 a year to put their kids through private schools."

I was on a roll. There was no stopping now. "For example, there's no way a business like the Mayo Clinic would establish itself here. Property is too high-priced, because land ownership is concentrated in the hands of a few, such as our hosts today, Bishop Estate/Kamehameha Schools.

"We have expensive business requirements, such as the mandatory health insurance that the Clintons think is so peachy. And although politicians talk about supporting health care, education and all that jazz, the big money goes into things like building new sports arenas on the UH campus. Isn't that right, Rockne?"

Freitas gulped and wisely went on to the next question. As for me, I was feeling no pain.

Who said the truth always hurts?