Meet the face
behind the project

Growing up, I was constantly surrounded by Hawaiian values and practices. I attended a school that only admitted students of Native Hawaiian descent, which allowed me to dive into and appreciate Hawaiian history and culture while also being around other Native Hawaiian students. 

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It was an interesting transition leaving Hawaiʻi to attend Seattle University where my culture and people weren't near. I quickly learned that people from the mainland knew nothing about my culture. I found them referencing movies and TV shows based in Hawaiʻi, which oftentimes portray pictures of Native Hawaiians and Native Hawaiian culture that aren't accurate.

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The media is powerful and, unfortunately, is a way that many people learn about Hawaiʻi and Hawaiian culture. I want to see change and I know that I can start by educating people about the misconceptions and misrepresentations in the media, and encourage them to conduct their own research before giving into the information the media feeds them.  

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I hope this website and its resources are the first steps towards seeing appreciation, conversation, and change.