Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
What makes Hawaii
no ka ʻoi,
or ʻthe best'? Maybe it's that Hawaii residents have the
longest life expectancy in the US: 81 years, compared with the national average of 78.
Hawaiians, Locals & Tourism
Hawaiians are still struggling with the colonial legacy that has marginalized them in their
own homeland. They constitute a disproportionate number of Hawaii's homeless (over
one-third) and impoverished. Their children, on average, lag behind state averages in
reading and math and are more likely to drop out of school. Hawaiian charter schools
were created to address this problem and they have demonstrated some remarkable suc-
cess using alternative, culturally relevant approaches. However, many Hawaiians feel
that some form of sovereignty is necessary to correct these deeply entrenched inequities.
These stresses - along with having to deal with a constant flow of tourists purchasing
temporary paradise in resorts that many locals could never afford - can sap the aloha of
residents. For many locals and Hawaiians in particular, tourism is a Faustian bargain at
best; with it comes jobs and economic stability, but many question whether it's worth the
cost. In recent years, there's a hard-to-quantify feeling that life here isn't as good as it
once was, which is partly why the state is so focused on developing a sustainability plan.
And yet, whatever difficulties arise, finding someone who'd prefer to live somewhere
else is hardest of all. No matter what comes, locals say, ʻlucky you live Hawaii.'
