‘Blu’ sparks dialogue
on racism, literary freedom,
ethnic drive
Read the book, but withhold the honors
All the fuss about the Association for Asian American Studies and whether it should honor local author Lois-Ann Yamanaka is much ado about nothing. I've read the book, and while I'm not an expert on what is or is not politically correct, I think Professor Davianna McGregor of the UH Ethnic Studies Department is right. The writing in question deserves to be read, but not awarded.Yamanaka is being recongnized because she is an Asian writer, not because her stories are so great, or so well written. Provocative, yes. Award-winning? Not!
Keith Haugen
(Via the Internet)
Filipinos must develop their own literary voice
If the AAAS is to dispense literary awards, which it has for several years, there is reason to wonder what the standards are, who made up the rules, and whether they are qualified literary judges.Politics should have no role in the selection. One can point to painting as an art form which has well-established rules. Painters, if they are to just be displayed in a local respectable gallery, have to be juried. The practice is to hire a highly qualified artist and juror and, if necessary, to import one from the mainland, depending on the significance given to the exhibit.
A juror or judge who does not know the painter or painters, and selects purely on the merits of the art created, would be the best practice. It is this kind of rigorous and fastidious attention that good painters expect. Should literary awardees anything expect less?
Rather than attack Yamanaka, who is exercising literary license, I would ask fellow Filipinos to develop a literary voice. It is fact that Filipinos remain "invisible" in Hawaii's literary world. Until they make up their minds to keep pace with those who have tried or have blazed ahead as writers or story tellers for their own community and larger society, they will stay voiceless.
For Filipinos to protest Yamanaka merely adds a toxic quality to the air we breathe.
Jovita Rodas Zimmerman
Ethnic writing doesn't make authors racist
The recent decision of the Association for Asia American Studies to rescind the fiction award to Lois-Ann Yamanaka is absurdity at its best. "Blu's Hanging" is fiction. To think otherwise would be reading between the lines.Yamanaka has made a good story, with facts and fiction interactive. It gives the world a glimpse of the true nature of life and repression. Much hidden ugliness among the Asian community is not always understood by the public in general.
Writers like Yamanaka and myself can only tap our natural resources and instincts from our own ancestral traditions. We can hardly write about the Civil War or black slavery. Tennessee Williams wrote many works about the South, on blacks and whites. No one ever called him a racist.
N. Garrett Chan
Writer did great job describing controversy
Thanks to Nadine Kam for her thorough and balanced coverage of the controversy surrounding the withdrawal of Lois-Ann Yamanaka's award from the Association for Asian American Studies (Star-Bulletin, July 6).Kam's articles carefully and sensitively explored a wide range of informed opinion, and clarified why the issues involved are important to writers, interpreters of Hawaii's history and culture, and all of us with stories to tell.
Deborah Pope
Kailua
Yamanaka's characters have the ring of truth
I was pleasantly surprised to see an article on one of my favorite Hawaii writers, Lois-Ann Yamanaka, in the on-line edition of the Star-Bulletin. "Wild Meat & Bully Burgers" was my first introduction to her stories about growing up in Hilo.The book was dead-on center, ringing so true for me! I was transported back to my small-kid days hanging out at the Kress Store and going to Summer Fun at the armory in downtown Hilo.
It's too bad she's been feeling the heat from critics upset with her description of a few Filipino men as sexual predators. I sympathize with her defense. I enjoy her courageous descriptions of Hawaii's ethnic groups. Her examinations feel honest and heartfelt when I read them. And sad too; they sometimes make me cry. Hawaii's ethnic melting pot is not always the happiest, everyone-getting-along-together scene. There can be a lot of ugliness, too.
I'm glad her work sparks discussion, because that's always the best by-product of a controversy. It's good to have an airing of opinions, as long as everyone respects each other's beliefs.
Gwen Isherwood
San Francisco, Calif.
(Via the Internet)
Related Story and Related Story
Today's View Point column
There's no power play going on in OHA election
Recent media stories have inaccurately theorized that Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee Frenchy DeSoto formed a slate for the November elections to cement and consolidate her power. This is false.The approach to DeSoto, as well as to interim trustee Herbert Campos, was initiated by myself (Mahealani Kamauu), Mokihana Watson and Larry Joy Kiyohiro. Trustee DeSoto did not immediately take to the idea - it took many meetings and months of thoughtful discussion about what our combined efforts could contribute to OHA and the Hawaiian people before we agreed to form a slate.
We are united in our respect for and trust in one another, and in our belief that the Hawaiian people come first. We are not interested in cementing or consolidating power. To the contrary, we believe power plays among some of the current trustees have been a great detriment to OHA and the Hawaiian people.
Mahealani Kamauu
Mokihana Watson
Larry Joy Kiyohiro
A. Frenchy DeSoto
Herbert Campos
OHACandidates
Real property assessments are too far behind already
The city's proposed new adventure with tax assessments, Bill 51, is a way to get us into serious trouble. They are proposing to appraise properties every three years instead of every year.Assessments are supposed to be at fair market value. To be fair, all properties must be valued by the same method in similar market conditions. Even with our current one-year assessment cycle, the city is always a year or two behind the actual sales of comparable property.
The older the sale, the less comparable the value. The less comparable the value, the less fair the tax.
Private appraisers are expected to use sales no more than six months old. Right now, any Realtor can use the board's computer system to do a good estimate of current value of a home. I can put in the description of the home and have a comparative market value in a few minutes.
Why doesn't the city have such a system?
Marilyn Bornhorst
Hawaii needs a governor who will ban fireworks
Do we deserve another four years of governorship by a man who gave us unlimited use of firecrackers? Meanwhile, a worker at Linda Lingle's headquarters assured me that our local Japanese must have fireworks for New Year's, and that the local Chinese must have firecrackers for theirs.Therefore, we have battle sounds from Christmas until Chinese New Year and flak going off for several days around the Fourth of July.
Is there a gubernatorial candidate who will think of the majority whose nerves are jarred and tired of the intimidation by noise? Is it any wonder tourists flock to Tahiti on Bastille Day, where celebrations aren't a form of mock warfare but where people enjoy life with music and dance?
Rosemarie H. Tucker
Koki would be strong government leader
There seems to be a common factor in the people who are at the reins of our state government. Today, almost 70 percent of our state-level government departments are headed by attorneys. When you add the governor and lieutenant governor, the total reaches 78 percent.Attorneys are famous for making simple language so difficult that the layman hasn't a clue of what is meant. They are trained to look for problems and certainly aren't trained to solve them. For that matter, they usually start problems.
Few business leaders have been courageous enough to step into the political arena, like Sam Slom. Successful business owners could offer business and common sense solutions to the problems we face.
I've found a business expert who has thrown his hat into the political ring. After talking with Stan Koki, I know who will get my vote for lieutenant governor.
Stan is the right choice for the people of Hawaii, and I'm sure Lingle will use his talents. This is a critical year and Republicans must ensure our ticket in November is a winner.
Rob Burns
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