Synopsis: Media coverage of Hawaiians tends to ignore successful endeavors while highlighting those activities that perpetuate negative stereotypes.

E nā hoa makamaka o Kauakūkalahale, aloha mai kākou. E 'olu'olu mai i kā 'oukou wahi mea kākau i ka hāpai hou 'ana i kahi mana'o ho'ohalahala. He wahi 'ōlelo 'ōhumuhumu ho'i kēia no ke 'ano o nā mo'olelo e hō'ike 'ia ma nā nūpepa puka lā o Honolulu nei. A ma mua na'e o ka lu'u loa aku ma loko o ia kai, e ho'omaopopo 'ia ka mo'olelo i puka mai ma Kauakūkalahale i kēlā pule aku nei. 'O ia ho'i ka puka 'ana mai o kauwahi puke hou, he 31 ka heluna, i kākau 'ia ma ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i a i ho'opuka 'ia e ka Polopeka No'eau Warner o ke Kulanui o Hawai'i ma Mānoa me ka mana'o ho'i i mau ha'awina ia e ho'oikaika ai i ka 'ōlelo a nā keiki a me nā 'ohana o nā kula kaiapuni Hawai'i.

He mo'olelo maika'i kēia e hau'oli ai nā kānaka i koho i ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i 'o ia ka 'ōlelo e kula 'ia ai kā lākou mau keiki, a e ha'aheo ai nō ho'i ka lāhui holo'oko'a. He hō'ailona ia mau puke no ka holomua 'ana o kā kākou 'ōlelo 'ōiwi a holomua pū nō me ka ho'ona'auao Hawai'i. Eia hou ho'i, i wahi ia e pakele ai kākou i ke kapa mau 'ia i 'ai pala maunu na ha'i. He aha ka hewa o ka puka 'ana o kēia 'ano mo'olelo?

I kēlā pule aku nei, ua ho'ouna 'ia akula i kekahi o nā nūpepa puka lā o Honolulu nei kekahi mau hō'ike no ka puka 'ana mai o ia mau puke hou a me ka pōmaika'i i loa'a mai i ka Papahana Kaiapuni. A ua noi pū aku e ho'olaha 'ia i mua o ke ākea, he hana kū nō i ka pono. Ma ia manawa mai na'e, 'a'ohe wahi 'ekemu iki a lohe 'ia no kēia mo'olelo. 'A'ohe na'e o'u pū'iwa. Ma mua o ka ho'okumu 'ia 'ana o Kauakūkalahale ma ka Hōkū Buletina, ua noi 'ia kēlā nūpepa puka lā 'ē a'e o Honolulu nei i wahi hakahaka e kākau ai i kolamu 'ōlelo Hawai'i, a he 'ala'ala wale na'e kai loa'a.

Eia ho'i ka mea 'āpiki, a 'o ko'u mea nō ia e 'ōhumuhumu nei. I ka wā i kupu ai kahi haunaele a nā haumāna o ke Kula Ki'eki'e o Wai'anae, 'o ka 'eleu akula nō ia o nā mea kākau a kūkala nūhou i laila e nīele ai i ka po'e o Wai'anae no nā hunahuna a pau o ia mo'olelo. A i ka wā i loa'a ai kekahi keiki kaiapuni i ka palū pua'a, ua lilo ia i mo'olelo nui e ho'olaha ai mai 'ō a 'ō. 'A'ole nō i nele ka hō'ike aku ē 'o ke Kula Kaiapuni 'o Ānuenue kahi mua o Hawai'i nei i lele ai ua ma'i weliweli nei. A ma ia hope mai, ua maka'ala maila ua po'e nīele nūhou nei i ka pi'i 'ana o ka heluna o nā keiki i loa'a i ia ma'i, he kohu ho'okūkū, a 'o Ānuenue kai puka mau mai ma ka helu 'ekahi.

'Eā, i nūhou aha kēia no ka po'e Hawai'i e ha'aheo ai? Ua ho'ohilahila 'ia nā keiki o Ānuenue ma o ka hō'ahewa mau 'ia no ka ho'olaha 'ana i kēlā ma'i. A i nūhou aha ia haunaele e ha'aheo ai ka po'e o Wai'anae, kahi nui o ka po'e Hawai'i? He nui a lehulehu nā hana maika'i a ka Hawai'i, 'a'ole na'e e hō'ike 'ia ma loko o nā nūpepa a ma ke kīwī paha. He aha lā kēlā 'ano?

E ho'ouna 'ia mai nā leka iā māua, 'o ia ho'i 'o Laiana Wong a me Kekeha Solis ma ka pahu leka uila ma lalo nei:
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a i ‘ole ia, ma ke kelepona:
» 956-2627 (Laiana)
» 956-2624 (Kekeha)
This column is coordinated by the Hawaiian Language Department at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, supported by the Initiative for Achieving Native Hawaiian Academic Excellence.