Anyone passing Krauss Hall in October may have noticed an uncommon campus sight: kūpuna (older adults), mākua (adults) and ōpio (youth) sharing pizza and meaningful conversation. The gathering marked the launch of the University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz�ʻs new Age-Friendly University Initiative, a long-term effort led by the Center on Aging (COA) in the Thompson School of Social Work and Public Health, with campus partners including the ����Ӱҵ Retirees ʻOhana and the .

Co-planned over several months by a team led by COA gerontologist Christy Nishita and Professor Emeritus Noel Kent of ethnic studies, “Generations in Conversation” served as the initiative’s first step toward building a more inclusive, multigenerational campus. The event followed ����Ӱҵ ����ԴDz�’s recent acceptance into the global .

“This is an association of higher education institutions around the world that are committed to promoting positive and healthy aging and enhancing the lives of older members, which strongly aligns with the mission and goals of our Center on Aging,” Nishita said.

Conversations that bridge generational divides

Participants of all ages split into pairs and small groups to explore 36 guided questions designed to spark curiosity, deep listening and connection. Facilitator Rob Chang, whose program builds bridges in correctional settings, helped participants quickly find common ground.

“Individuals shared that they had things in common they didn’t consider before with their partner or partners and that they felt comfortable to share,” said Whitney Katsutani, a COA social worker. “Rob also shared about how he does this work with justice-involved individuals and how connection and conversation go beyond the spaces they originate in.”

As COA continues developing age-friendly programming in the coming months, Nishita said events like this lay the foundation for deeper, ongoing intergenerational engagement.

“We start there, and then evolve into conversations of deeper social impact, working toward collaborative involvement in addressing larger community issues together,” she said.

Other ����Ӱҵ members involved in the Age-Friendly University initiative include Joonyoung Cho, Emanuel Drechsel and Carole Mandryk.

Roland Kotani’s (1985) has been digitized and is now available through the University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz�’s . The release marks the 40th anniversary of the landmark publication, long regarded as a cornerstone of ����Ӱҵ ����ԴDz�’s .

“Kotani broke new ground by telling a history of Japanese and Okinawans in Hawaiʻi that centered stories of resistance to oppression in a form that was very accessible,” said Kyle Kajihiro, assistant professor of ethnic studies.

Kotani was a writer, historian and community advocate who also served as a member of the Hawaiʻi State House of Representatives. He dedicated much of his work to shedding light on the journey of Japanese and Okinawan immigrant communities, highlighting a century of resilience, labor activism and community building. Through his storytelling, Kotani captured how Japanese and Okinawan workers helped transform plantation life and shape �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s modern society.

Kotani’s legacy preserved

Hamilton Library received permission from Kotani’s daughter, Mariko, and his brother, musician Ozzie Kotani, to make the work publicly available.

“This book is foundational in its clarity and continues to be used in ethnic studies classes,” said Jodie Mattos, Hawaiian Collection Librarian and Department Chair of the Hawaiian and Pacific Collections. “This year marks 40 years since the publication of Kotani’s book, and its longevity is noteworthy.”

Mattos expressed appreciation to the Kotani family and Vince Watabu of the Hawaii Hochi, the book’s publisher, for helping make this important resource freely available to future generations.

Access the digitized book through .

The University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz�’s in the has released a new collection documenting the lives of Native Hawaiian Lahainaluna High School alumni who were boarding students between the 1950s and 1990s. The project highlights the stories of 20 former boarders, capturing their experiences in a series of interviews now available online.

Conducted from 2022 to 2024, the project was led by Professor Ty Kāwika Tengan and graduate research assistant Wailana Medeiros, with support from Center for Oral History Associate Director Micah Mizukami, former Director and Professor Emerita Davianna ��ō�������첹ʻ�� McGregor, and other Center for Oral History staff.

“The important source of continuity are the stories of the elders of the land and these communities,” Tengan said. “In order for us to better understand our way forward, we need to know the moʻolelo (stories), the histories and through the spoken form—those that haven’t been recorded. It’s really important to be able to sit down with kūpuna who want to share and pass on these stories to maintain intergenerational connections, especially in a place such as Lahainaluna that has such a steeped history.”

Lahainaluna, founded in 1831 at the foot of Puʻu �ʲ�ʻū�貹ʻū, is Hawaiʻi’s only public boarding high school and is recognized as the oldest high school west of the Mississippi River. The boarding program began in 1836 and has played a pivotal role in the school’s legacy, offering agricultural work experiences and a sense of community for students from across the islands.

The collection includes , along with a , to showcase the lives, contributions and reflections of the narrators.

“We got to really step into the boarder lifestyle and get a glimpse of what each generation experienced as boarders at Lahainaluna,” Medeiros said. “Since this was my first ever oral history project, it really emphasized how important oral histories are to Hawaiʻi, and how when we conduct oral histories, they aren’t just extracting information but they’re meant to tell an entire life story.”

Voices of former boarders

The project sheds light on the cultural and historical significance of Lahainaluna’s boarding program and its impact on generations of Native Hawaiian students. Craig Murakami was a former boarding student who participated in this project. He was born and raised in Kahului, and descends from the Marciel family of East Maui. He graduated in 1971, serves as president of the Lahainaluna Boarders Association and still lives on Maui.

“My only regret is that it took me over 50 years to realize that all the success in my career and my life was all related to lessons learned and experiences I had as a Boarder,” Murakami said. “Hopefully, these interviews will inspire other Boarders to speak about their experiences and encourage more students to participate in the program.”

Eddie Espiritu was born in Honolulu and raised on Molokaʻi. He attended Lahainaluna as a boarder and graduated in 1971. Espiritu still lives on Maui and serves as the secretary of the Lahainaluna Boarders Association.

“Though we may come from different eras and times we share the same values that we learned as Boarders,” Espiritu said. “The value of hard work, integrity, honor, pride and commitment are just a few. But through these shared experiences we find common ground that we can pass on to the current Boarders as well as those that will come in the future.”

Honoring memories, inspiring hope after fires

The project was briefly paused in 2023 following the devastating Lahaina wildfires, as the team and community focused on recovery and reflection. Tengan hopes this work can be a source of healing for the community.

“Despite all the changes, hearing these familiar stories, hearing names of people that they hadn’t seen—perhaps are gone now—and the memories of the place that was there before the fires inspires hope for that future, reconnection and knowledge that again Lahaina can come back,” Tengan said.

Virtual launch to share stories

To celebrate the project’s release, the Center for Oral History will host a . The event will highlight the project’s findings and feature insights into the boarding experience at Lahainaluna.

The project was made possible through the generosity of the HK West Maui Community Fund, and in collaboration with the Lahainaluna Boarders Association and Lahainaluna Library and Archives.

The Department of Ethnic Studies is housed in ����Ӱҵ ����ԴDz�’s .

New research sheds light on the chronic underfunding of Hawaiʻi’s public schools according to a brief by the . The report aims to counter widespread misconceptions about the state’s educational challenges, and argues that increased funding is essential to improving student outcomes and addressing systemic inequities.

“Chronic underfunding of Hawaiʻi’s public schools is a systemic issue that limits opportunities for students and perpetuates inequities. Investing in quality public education is our collective kuleana; it’s about supporting students and teachers, strengthening Hawaiʻi’s economy, and building a more equitable future for all,” said Colleen Rost-Banik, instructor in the University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz� and co-author of the research brief.

The report also advises that investing in quality public education is an investment in Hawaiʻi’s economy. Not only do quality public schools save families money, they also increase high school graduation rates, which, in turn, generates more economic opportunities for the state.

“We aim policy recommendations toward the State Legislature because they have been responsible for underfunding public schools for years. If we are concerned about young people and their families not being priced out of Hawaiʻi, we need to ensure that public schools are well-equipped to recruit and retain licensed teachers and offer holistic education for all students,” Rost-Banik added.

Authored by ����Ӱҵ ����ԴDz� faculty members, and endorsed by 117 Hawaiʻi-based scholars, the brief acknowledges four misconceptions and provides facts disputing them.

Misconception #1: Hawaiʻi’s public schools are adequately funded.
Facts:

• Hawaiʻi ranks among the lowest of states in percentage of state and local expenditures supporting K–12 education—15.1% compared to U.S. average 21.5%.
• Despite the increased cost of living in Hawaiʻi, the percentage of expenditures for public education has decreased. In FY 2024, public funding for education was 7% less than 2023, even when the state had a budget surplus.
• The public schools experienced a dramatic decrease in funding when $640 million of temporary federal pandemic funding ended on September 30, 2024.
• Lack of funding leads to a lack of programs that nurture “the whole child,” for example, the arts, PE, bilingual aides and afterschool enrichment.

Misconception #2: The teacher shortage no longer exists.
Facts:

• Salary differentials, which are not permanent, redistributed the educator workforce and addressed some needs, but did not solve the teacher shortage.
• The public schools are forced to hire individuals without teaching credentials to fill teacher vacancies. As of January 2024, there were 738 “emergency hires” employed in public schools across the state.
• High attrition rates account for about 89% of new teachers needed each year. The public schools annually replace about 1,200 teachers, with 43% of them coming from out-of-state.

Misconception #3: More funding will not improve public education.
Facts:

• Increased funding for public education raises student achievement and performance, influencing high school graduation rates and college enrollment, and leading to higher incomes in adulthood.
• Increased funding in Hawaiʻi could promote greater access to Pre–K programs.
• Increased funding of Hawaiʻi public schools could raise the enrollment of local high school graduates at community colleges and universities, increasing lifetime earnings.

Misconception #4: Public school funding only affects parents with children in public schools.
Facts:

• Investing in quality public education is an investment in Hawaiʻi’s economy. Increasing high school graduation rates leads to additional tax revenue. Technological changes continue to shift the economy toward skilled labor.
• Public schools are places where students from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds can interact with and learn from each other, increasing understanding and harmony across such groups.
• Better-funded public education is related to lower poverty.
• Public schools save families money.

Policy recommendations

The authors of the report offer the following policy recommendations:

• The state Legislature should prioritize increased and permanent funding for adequate public education.
• The state Legislature should prioritize funding for teacher recruitment and retention, with particular focus on increasing salaries and improving workplace conditions.
• The state Legislature should appropriate funds for an analysis of the public school budget to determine the extent to which public schools are adequately funded.
• The state Legislature should provide resources to support universal public preschool.
• State policy makers should support teacher education for students from underrepresented backgrounds and increase compensation for quality mentor teachers.
• The state Legislature should provide housing benefits for teachers to alleviate the cost of living.

The authors of the report are: E. Brook Chapman de Sousa (associate professor, , ), Kay Fukuda (associate specialist and program director, ), Janet Kim (recruitment specialist, College of Education), Jonathan Okamura (emeritus professor, , ), Colleen Rost-Banik (instructor, Department of Sociology, College of Social Sciences), Lois Yamauchi (professor, , College of Education) and Waynele Yu (instructor, , College of Education).

Hawaiʻi labor leader and social activist Ah Quon McElrath is the focus of a new documentary that will air on on October 17, at 8:30 p.m. Ah Quon McElrath: The Struggle Never Ends! will re-air on October 20 at 1 p.m.

McElrath, a ����Ӱҵ ����ԴDz� alumna who earned her degree in sociology, helped found the at ����Ӱҵ ����ԴDz� and also served on the ����Ӱҵ Board of Regents. In 2004, she was given the ����Ӱҵ Founders Alumni Association Lifetime Achievement Award for her leadership in advocating social change in education and improving social conditions throughout Hawaiʻi.

McElrath was a pivotal force in �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s labor movement and a champion for social justice.

The documentary is a production of the Center for Labor Education and Research (CLEAR) at the ����Ӱҵ West Oʻahu. One of the leading donors was at the .

“We are thrilled to sponsor this program about AQ’s life,” said Kathryn L. Braun, Barbara Cox Anthony Endowed Chair of Aging. “This important female leader not only helped democratize the state of Hawaiʻi, but also demonstrated a lifelong commitment to education. We’re so proud to count her as an alumna and recognize her service on the University of �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s Board of Regents.”

McElrath was born in 1915 and died in 2008, yet her legacy lives on as her contributions extended far beyond the labor movement, advocating for healthcare, education, fair housing, and civil and human rights throughout Hawaiʻi.

By exploring McElrath’s life, The Struggle Never Ends! documents some of �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s most important history and how her work continues to inspire future generations. The documentary is part of the Ah Quon McElrath Project, which preserves her legacy through rare footage, interviews and educational materials.

students are exploring Asian American pop culture with an ethnic studies framework through an innovative course in the in the . As part of that class, students will hear from Fresh Off the Boat actor Randall Park and music producer Dan “the Automator” Nakamura.

The students from ES 213: Race and Pop Culture have already engaged with industry leaders Phil Yu, known for his Angry Asian Man blog, and Jeff Yang, co-author of “Rise: Asian American Pop Culture.”

Now, on Wednesday, October 16 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at Center for Korean Studies Auditorium, the students will have the opportunity to meet Park and Nakamura, and hear about their experiences in their respective industries. The presentation will also be open to the broader ����Ӱҵ ����ԴDz� community. . A limited number of seats are available.

ES 213 is being co-taught by Julia Huang, CEO of InterTrend Communications, and Director and Ethnic Studies Professor Mary Kunmi Yu Danico. The course is centered on Asian American pop culture, offering students the chance to apply ethnic studies frameworks in real time.

“The opportunity for our students to learn from and engage with industry leaders is truly a gift and I am very thankful to Julia for sharing her expertise, networks and time with our students,” Danico said.

Huang added, “Collaborating with Dr. Danico to share industry insights into the classroom has been incredibly rewarding. While our goal is to enrich students’ understanding of Asian American pop culture, their fresh perspectives continually challenge and inspire me. It’s exciting to see students engage with these ideas and consider how they might apply them beyond the classroom.”

The course exemplifies ����Ӱҵ ����ԴDz�’s commitment to providing students with practical, real-world applications of their studies. By bridging academic theories with industry insights, this course prepares students to engage critically with pop culture and consider its broader implications in society. Danico hopes to continue offering this course in the upcoming semesters.

Editor’s note: The federal government withdrew grant funding for this project in 2025.

Hundreds gathered in West Maui for the Lahaina Obon Ceremony, a remembrance for those lost in the devastating August 2023 wildfire. Among the attendees at the event on August 10 was University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz� Director Mary Kunmi Yu Danico.

“I was so inspired by the love and support that folks were giving,” Danico said. “It was a mourning and a celebration of life.”

The event was organized by the Lahaina Hongwanji Mission, Lahaina Shingon Mission and Lahaina Jodo Mission, whose temple was destroyed in the blaze. The ceremony, which took place at Lahaina Cannery Mall, featured traditional dancing, food vendors and a sense of community healing. It was also part of an initiative put on by Kuhinia Maui.

Danico volunteered at the Jodo Mission booth, selling T-shirts with calligraphy by the temple’s reverend and images of a Buddha statue that survived the fire.

“People who came to the booth shared their memories of the Jodo Mission,” Danico said. “One woman came and asked, ‘Will the temple be rebuilt? I was married there.’”

The Lahaina Jodo Mission has been a cornerstone of the community since 1963. Rev. Gensho Hara, who arrived in Lahaina that year, later rebuilt the temple after a 1968 fire with support from locals and Japan.

Preserving memories, history

The event coincided with a $30,000 National Endowment for the Humanities grant awarded to the Center for Oral History. The funds will support oral history projects preserving memories of Lahaina, Lahaina Jodo Mission and its impact.

“Those who came to the booth expressed gratitude for preserving the history of the peoples of Lahaina and Jodo Mission,” Danico said.

The center’s work builds on previous collaborations, including interviews conducted by Associate Director Micah Mizukami with Hara for a earlier in 2024. Danico is now working with Hara’s daughters, Yayoi and Maya, to identify key individuals for oral histories related to the temple.

As the community continues to grapple with loss and recovery, events like the obon ceremony provide a space for reflection and unity.

“It was a joyful occasion,” Danico said, emphasizing the resilience of Maui’s people in the face of tragedy.

The Center for Oral History is housed in the ����Ӱҵ ����ԴDz� .

Davianna Pōmaikaʻi McGregor and Ricardo Trimillos, renowned professors who have made lasting contributions to the and the greater community, were celebrated as on February 10. The 49th annual ceremony paid tribute to individuals who have significantly enriched the cultural tapestry of the islands.

Trimillos, a professor emeritus of was recognized for his profound influence on the preservation and perpetuation of the islands’ cultural, musical and artistic traditions.

“This is an honor that was completely unanticipated, but it also is an important way station to where I have been, and the people that helped me to get there,” Trimillos said. “Looking out over the assembled audience I was moved to see how many parts of my life were represented by the five tables of friends and students who attended and supported me. I haven’t processed the entire experience, but it is certainly one of the high points of my retirement age!”

• Related ����Ӱҵ News story: ����Ӱҵ ����ԴDz� professor honored by International Council for Traditional Music and Dance, August 1, 2023

McGregor, a professor emerita and trailblazer in the field received acclaim for her steadfast dedication to education, cultural preservation and shouldering efforts to stop the bombing and heal the island of Kahoʻolawe.

“In honoring me, really it’s honoring my mentors, my colleagues at the Department of Ethnic Studies, as well as my students and those who I have worked with in the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana and my own ʻohana,” said McGregor. “Because whatever I’ve accomplished it’s always been with a team of people.”

• Related ����Ӱҵ News story: Ethnic studies professor Davianna Pōmaikaʻi McGregor honored, June 16, 2020

Honoring excellence

Living Treasures of Hawaiʻi was created by the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaiʻi in 1976, inspired by the Living National Treasures of Japan. It honors those unique to the islands who demonstrate excellent and high standards of achievement in their particular fields and continue to make a significant contribution towards enriching our society.

In addition to the two ����Ӱҵ ����ԴDz� professors, 2024 honorees include ����Ӱҵ ����ԴDz� alumna Sarah Keahi, a notable kumu ʻōlelo (Hawaiian language teacher) and advocate, award-winning composer and educator Julian Keikilani Ako and historian Douglas Chong, a former employee at and lecturer.

Those honored in previous years include dozens of ����Ӱҵ employees and alumni.

The nearly 50-year history of the University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz�’s (COH) was celebrated at an open house event in December. Nearly 100 people attended the gathering, including COH’s first director Chad Taniguchi, and Warren Nishimoto and Michiko Kodama-Nishimoto, who served as director and associate director respectively for 37 years.

The celebration was held in ����Ӱҵ ����ԴDz�’s George Hall, the home of the Center for Oral History. The event welcomed the center’s new director Mary Kunmi Yu Danico, and honored former acting director Professor Ty Kāwika Tengan and retired director Davianna ��ō�������첹ʻ�� McGregor. The reception was hosted by Neil Horikoshi and Gayle Yamada. Horikoshi is an alumnus from ����Ӱҵ ����ԴDz�’s and friend of Danico’s.

“The Ethnic Studies department and the Center for Oral History have enduring ties to our community who care deeply about telling our stories our way,” Danico said. “I am honored to continue the tradition of preserving memories through oral traditions and look forward to long lasting relationships with our COH ʻohana. I am humbled by the warm welcome from everyone who joined us.”

A slideshow with photos and video clips from the Center for Oral History over the years was played. Live music was performed by individuals with deep ties to the and Center for Oral History. Liko Martin and Laulani Teale performed with Gary Kubota (activist and author of the Kokua Hawaiʻi Oral History Project book) and Professor Richard Rath.

The Center for Oral History in the Department of Ethnic Studies was first established in 1976 by the Hawaiʻi State Legislature as a part of the Social Science Research Institute in the ����Ӱҵ ����ԴDz� . The center collects, documents, preserves and highlights the recollections of Native Hawaiians and the multi-ethnic people of Hawaiʻi.

“It was so special to be able to acknowledge the work of our predecessors at the Center for Oral History,” Associate Director Micah Mizukami said. “Having all of our oral history mentors gathered together was truly magical. Seeing Chad, Warren and Michi reminiscing over old photographs and furniture in the Center was so very touching, and it’s truly a blessing and an honor to be able to continue to build upon the foundation they established, while continuing the momentum from Davianna’s relaunch of the Center in 2018.”

Like many communities in Hawaiʻi, Waialeʻe on Oʻahu’s North Shore has a rich cultural history full of moʻolelo (stories) and memories from kūpuna (elders) and ʻohana (families) who have called the area home for generations. Thanks to an oral history project by students in the University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz� and , the moʻolelo of Waialeʻe’s kūpuna have been documented and will live on for generations to come.

“My mom was displaced when she was a child—she’s from Pūpūkea originally,” said ����Ӱҵ ����ԴDz� student Kenzie Kahale-Alexander, who worked on the project. “And so being able to hear stories of the area and kind of get an idea of maybe that’s what it was like for my family. That was kind of special. They took me in like family at the interview part and I’m just so fortunate to have met them and been able to work in this area.”

More than 20 students spent the fall 2023 semester documenting oral histories of nine Waialeʻe kūpuna as part of Ethnic Studies and Anthropology Professor Ty Kāwika Tengan’s North Shore Field School course. The students presented their final projects to the community at a ��ōʻ����� event on December 2, hosted in partnership with the . The community organization was instrumental in forging partnerships with ����Ӱҵ, providing connections to community and kūpuna, site access and hosting events.

“This is a really unique, important opportunity for students to do community-based work with both the Hawaiian community, as well as non-Hawaiian community members who have long standing ties to the place,” Tengan said. “We’re looking to instill in them an ethical sense, a kuleana-based approach to honoring the words of our narrators, the storytellers sharing their life experiences. It’s something that can only happen in a field school situation.”

“I’ve been with this project for almost two years now and I really love learning about the history of this place.” —Dani Kaohe David

Under the guidance of the Director Mary Kunmi Yu Danico and Associate Director Micah Mizukami, the students conducted oral history interviews covering various topics with their narrators, including the Waialeʻe Training School for Boys, the ����Ӱҵ Experimental Agricultural Station, kuleana land parcels and childhood memories of their upbringing in Waialeʻe. Additional support came from graduate student alakaʻi (leaders) Alana Kanahele, Dani Kaohe David, Naomi Doherty and Amber McClure.

“I’ve been with this project for almost two years now and I really love learning about the history of this place,” Kaohe David said. “I didn’t think I would as much as I do now. It makes me want to go back into my own community and research the places there.”

Danico added, “The celebration of our communities’ oral histories highlights the importance of how memories fill the gaps in our history. The Center for Oral History is honored to be part of this history in Waialeʻe!”

The kūpuna were Nohea Santimer, Leona Lui, Rachel Paris, Mildred Cataluna, Paul and Verna Eguires, Daniel Nahoopiʻi, Margaret Primacio and JennieLee Andrade.

“The students were great, made you feel comfortable and just their interests alone in what we had to say was pretty comforting, I guess, you know, because there was meaning to them for what we had to say,” Paul Eguires said.

Place-based service learning and scholarship

The project was funded in part by an award from the Provost’s Strategic Investment Initiative, a campus-wide competition designed to increase cross-unit and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

This course is a part of the , a project that builds upon robust collaborations to develop Waialeʻe as a site of resurgent education, research and resilience for the North Shore community and beyond. The project was initiated by the as part of the effort to restore environmental, agricultural and social abundance to Waialeʻe. The community group leases 30 acres from the ����Ӱҵ‘s former Waialeʻe livestock research station to restore loʻi kalo, fishponds, agroforestry and habitat for native species.

“The Waialeʻe Lako Pono initiative that got funded by the provost was the effort of the university to fulfill that kuleana to listen to the people of the community to really take its role as a steward of the land seriously,” Tengan said. “All of these departments are coming together to have a holistic view of what it means to bring university faculty and students together to restore a place with the direction of the community.”

“Partnering with professors like Kumu Kāwika Tengan doing the oral history field school out here is really important to preserving the history of this side of the island.” —Kawela Farrant, the North Shore Community Land Trust

Cross-disciplinary programming will be created for Waialeʻe centers on place-based service learning and engaged scholarship. Waialeʻe demonstrates how UH can meet its kuleana to ʻ�徱�Բ� through community-based and community-supported work. The initiative is a collaboration among the , , , , , , and the .

“A lot of things are changing out here on the North Shore and so partnering with professors like Kumu Kāwika Tengan doing the oral history field school out here is really important to preserving the history of this side of the island—remembering what makes this place special,” said Kawela Farrant from the North Shore Community Land Trust.