Hawaii families triple up
for their own reasonsThe issue: Census figures show that Hawaii
has the nation's highest percentage of homes
shared by three generations of the same family.NO simple explanation tells why Hawaii has a much greater percentage of extended families living together than any other state. Culture seems to have much to do with it, as suggested by ethnic breakdowns nationally. The high cost of housing undoubtedly is a factor but may not be the overriding one. Perhaps a closer look is needed before conclusions can be drawn.
The Census Bureau reported that 33,066 households, or 8.2 percent of the 403,240 households in Hawaii, are homes to three or more generations, most commonly grandparents living with a child and grandchild. That compares with a national average of only 4 percent. The states closest to Hawaii's high percentage are California (5.6 percent) and Mississippi (5.2 percent).
The American Association of Retired People calls it the "sandwich generation" -- those aged 45 to 55 who care for both their children and their parents. A survey earlier this year indicated that Asian Americans were most likely to care for parents and other older adults, followed by Hispanic Americans, blacks and non-Hispanic whites. In addition, Asian Americans were most likely to believe that they should be doing, or should have done, more for their parents.
Dean Alegado, chairman of ethnic studies at the University of Hawaii, says multigenerational families exist "among various ethnic groups, from Hawaiians to Samoans and other Pacific islander communities, Filipinos and, although not as strong as before, Japanese and Chinese."
Economics cause recent immigrant families to live under the same roof, Alegado says. He points to large Filipino communities in Kalihi and Waipahu, where relatives may share homes to make ends meet. The practice of relatives pooling money to obtain bank loans or buy property also has cultural roots, he says.
The necessity of living with parents to save money for the down payment on a home crosses all ethnic lines. Single mothers often live with their parents for both financial reasons and for day-care assistance.
The census gives no indication whether multigenerational sharing of homes has grown nationally or in Hawaii in recent years because this is the first census to include such figures. Perhaps the best explanation for tripling up can be found by looking beyond the statistics. Today's special Star-Bulletin section, "Keiki to Kupuna: The People of Paradise" gives a glimpse behind the census at individual stories that help comprise Hawaii. Each family has its own reasons for living the way it does.
Failure to raise ship would
be a sensitive diplomatic matterThe issue: The Navy has run into difficulties
in the attempt to gain access to the sunken
Japanese fishing vessel, Ehime Maru.Despite several setbacks, the Navy intends to press on in its effort to move Ehime Maru from deep to shallow water so that divers can try to recover the remains and personal effects of nine Japanese sailors and students who died after the submarine Greenville hit and sank her last February. Morally and diplomatically, the Navy is right to do so, for the United States was at fault in this tragic accident.
At the same time, the problems the Navy has encountered have made evident that failure is a possibility that should be addressed. There is a limit to the time and funds that are being expended and surely there is a limit to the danger to which the Americans divers and the Japanese working alongside them should be exposed. The Navy is not at the point of decision yet, but it may be coming.
The Navy has undertaken this venture as a demonstration of good faith toward the families of the Japanese who died after the collision. It is important in Japanese religion and culture that the remains be recovered, cremated and then placed in the family's tomb. Otherwise, the spirit would be doomed to wander the face of the Earth. For that reason, Japanese search parties for years have journeyed through the Pacific islands and Southeast Asia seeking the remains of soldiers killed in World War II.
There is a delicate matter but one that must be considered, which is the intensely corrosive effect of salt water. Even if the Navy is successful, there may be only personal effects to be found. That, however, would not obviate the crucial point, which is that the United States has tried to do the right thing. In Japan, nobility can be found in failure if it comes after a best effort.
The presence of professional Japanese divers on the scene above Ehime Maru is fortunate. They will know whether the Navy has done all it could to recover the remains of the lost seamen and will be able to attest to that conclusion if the United States decides there is nothing more to be done within the limits of common sense.
Published by Oahu Publications Inc., a subsidiary of Black Press.Don Kendall, President
John Flanagan, publisher and editor in chief 529-4748; jflanagan@starbulletin.com
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