The University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu recently launched the inaugural issue of (DPP), an undergraduate journal featuring 东精影业 West Oʻahu student writers and artists, showcasing their diverse and creative works.
DPP is by and for 东精影业 West Oʻahu students, with the mentorship of humanities faculty and the support of the and 东精影业 West Oʻahu administration.
“It is so important to have a journal established on our campus,” said DPP faculty mentor Yasmine Romero, associate professor of English and the chair of the Humanities Division at 东精影业 West Oʻahu. “We are an Indigenous-serving university, which means we should strive to create spaces for our students to build their archives and create connections to their communities.”
Aloha ʻ?ina
Published on December 5, Vol. 1 No. 1 “Aloha ʻ?ina” centers on the theme of “love for the land” and includes the work of 11 writers and three artists. The issue includes a by Tanya Hōkūlani Racoma, the fall 2025 DPP editor-in-chief.
“The issue moves from works grounded in Hawaiʻi’s memory and everyday life, to creative retellings of familiar stories through local and Indigenous lenses, and then to ethical and critical essays engaging film, media, and social justice,” Racoma said. “It concludes with reflections on writing, identity and ancestral knowledge. Together with cover art honoring land as family, the issue embodies Aloha ʻ?ina as love, connection and care for ʻāina and community.”
She believes Da Pueo Press has the potential to grow into a space where Indigenous students feel empowered to publish in their native languages
“Honoring language, after all, is a way of honoring the people and futures they carry,” Racoma said.
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—By Zenaida Serrano Arvman