Hawaii and the USA: A Union Worth Celebrating!

Grassroot Institute President Keli'i Akina gives strong message of unity on Hawaii Statehood Day

News Release from Grassroot Institute

HONOLULU, Hawaii—August 15, 2014—Hawaii's admission to the U.S. as the 50th State is worthy of commemorating and celebrating! That was the theme emphasized by Keli'i Akina, Ph.D., President of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, in his Hawaii Statehood Day message, which reminds us all that today is a day to be proud of our state's tradition of unity and aloha:

As an American, I am proud that Hawaii is a state of the union.   The 50th state represents our nation’s breadth and diversity.   From the Atlantic to the Pacific, we span the globe, not for domination but for beneficence.   What we practice and live within our borders – being “one nation under God, indivisible…” - extends across the world “ …with liberty and justice for all.”

As a Hawaiian, I am proud to be part of the great people of the United States.  No other nation could better fulfill the aspirations of Hawaiians as expressed in the 1840 Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom:  “God hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on the earth, in unity and blessedness. God has also bestowed certain rights alike on all men…” These are the values embedded within America’s most cherished document, the Declaration of Independence.

In 1959, Governor Neil Blaisdell presided over the greatest celebration Hawaii’s people had ever seen, following a resounding 95% plus affirmation of statehood by all people of Hawaii.  Moloka’i, with a preponderantly native Hawaiian population, led the way in the vote!

Today, we would do well to celebrate again the great union of the United States and Hawaii.    Current detractors who seek to undo this union are truly a minority, although a vocal one.  I have traveled throughout these islands, visited the Hawaiian Homestead lands, spoken with those who are too shy to go to public hearings, talked with aged kupuna and young workers.   The silent, yet vast majority of ethnic Hawaiians, like myself, are proud to be Hawaiian and proud to be American.   That’s worth celebrating, and it’s worth celebrating in the company of all Americans, from multiple ethnic backgrounds, who can all rightly call themselves Hawaiians.

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About the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii:

Grassroot Institute of Hawaii is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research institute dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, the free market, and limited, accountable government throughout Hawai`i and the Asia-Pacific region.  Read more about us at http://www.grassrootinstitute.org/

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About Grassroot President Keli'i Akina

Keli’i Akina, Ph.D.,  is a recognized scholar, educator, public policy spokesperson, and community leader in Hawaii.  Currently, he is President/CEO of Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, a public policy think tank dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, free markets and limited, accountable government.  An expert in East-West Philosophy and ethics, Dr. Akina has taught at universities in China and the United States and continues as an adjunct instructor at Hawaii Pacific University.  Dr. Akina is currently a candidate for Trustee at Large of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs in the 2014 General Election run-off.