Isle Pages
POSTED: Sunday, January 04, 2009
”;Asian Settler Colonialism”;
Edited by Candace Fujikane and Jonathan Y. Okamura
University of Hawaii Press / $25
How have native Hawaiians been affected by settlers to Hawaii? This collection of essays and writings by contributors from various fields seeks to explore the issues facing native Hawaiians. Focusing on Asian settlers, the book traces the history of immigrants to Hawaii from days of the monarchy to present times with an interest in how society in Hawaii has been molded by Asian culture.
”;Hawaiian Blood: Colonialism and the Politics of Sovereignty and Indigeneity”;
By J. Kehaulani Kauanui
Duke University Press / $22.95
A “;native Hawaiian”; was defined by the U.S. Congress in 1912 as those “;with at least one-half blood quantum of individuals inhabiting the Hawaiian Islands prior to 1778.”; Kauanui looks at this determination and its negative effects on native Hawaiians. Issues such as land rights and cultural effects are explored through the lens of this “;50-percent”; rule.