Synopsis: Race to the top. Why? Maybe we should not rush there. Taking our time might be better. The American education system had hundreds of years to get to the top. Now, we need to get there in four years.

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Aloha mai kākou e nā hoa makamaka, ua lohe mua paha ‘oukou i ia ‘ōlelo kaulana e kau a’ela i luna? He ‘ōlelo no’eau paha ia mai kahiko mai? A he ‘ōlelo no’eau hou paha? ‘A’ole, ‘a’ole loa. ‘A’ole ia he ‘ōlelo no’eau. ‘O ia “Heihei i ka nu’u,” a ‘o ka “Holoholo wikiwiki i ka nu’u” kekahi ‘ōlelo ‘ana, he polokalamu ia e ho’omaika’i ai i ke kūlana ‘ike o nā kula e pono ai nā keiki, e ‘ōlelo ai lākou pākahi, ua ‘ae’oia au. A ke no’ono’o a’e, he pahuhopu maika’i loa ia e noke aku ai i ka hana a pa’a mai. Akā, ‘o ka nīnau a ko ‘oukou mea kākau, “No ke aha lā i kapa ‘ia ai kona inoa, he heihei?” E heihei ana nā kula kekahi me kekahi? ‘O ke kula nāna e hiki mua aku i ka pahuhopu, ‘o ia wale nō ke pōmaika’i? A ‘o nā kula i hā’ule ma hope iki mai, a i hā’ule i hope loa paha i Muliwaa, a e hiki aku i ka pahuhopu, he ho’okahi a ‘elua makahiki ma hope aku, ‘a’ole e pōmaika’i nā haumāna o ia mau kula? ‘O ka mea e hā’ule i lalo loa i o Milu lā, ‘o ia wale nō paha ke pilikia. E pōmaika’i nō nā keiki ke pa’a mai ka pahuhopu i kēia manawa, a i kēia makahiki a’e nō ho’i. A pēlā pū ke hala nā makahiki he ‘elima a ‘eono paha. ‘Eā, ‘a’ole kākou e heihei. E nā hoa, “e nihi ka hele i ka uka o Puna.”

He ‘ōlelo nō kai hiki mai i o kākou, mai nā kūpuna mai, a ‘a’ole ia ‘o kēlā po’omana’o e kau a’ela ma luna. ‘O ia ka ‘ōlelo a ka Mō’īwahine Kapi’olani, ‘o ia ho’i, ‘o “Kūlia i ka nu’u.” ‘O ia ho’i, e ho’oikaika kākou me ka maika’i a me ka ikaika i hiki.

Ua ‘ōlelo ‘ia ma ka Hōkū Avalataisa o ka lā 24 o Ianuali nei, ua nuku mai ka papa luna a Obama, inā ‘a’ole ‘ike koke ‘ia ka holo mua ‘ana o nā kula aupuni o Hawai’i, e huki ‘ia ka pu’u kālā pekelala i lilo mai iā Hawai’i. He kohu ‘ole ia mana’o. Inā ‘a’ole e holo mua nei e like me ka mea i makemake ‘ia me ia pu’u kālā pekelala, pehea lā ka holo mua ‘ana, ke lilo aku ia pu’u kālā?

‘Ehia lā makahiki o nā Kenekoa a me nā Lunamaka’āinana e noho ana ma ko lākou mau kūlana ma ke Kapikala? Ua pau ihola ka ‘ai’ē o ‘Amelika Hui pū ‘ia? ‘A’ole loa, he pi’i wale nō paha i kēlā me kēia makahiki. ‘Eā, inā ‘a’ole e pau ka ‘ai’ē o ‘Amelika ke piha nā makahiki he ‘elua, e ho’opau ‘ia lākou a pau loa, ‘a’ole hiki ke alualu hou i ke kūlana luna kau kānāwai. E nuha paha ka hapanui o lākou luna kau kānāwai ke lohe mai i ia mana’o.

‘A’ole maika’i ka ho’oweliweli ‘ana i ke kanaka iā ia e hana ana. ‘A’ole nō e holo pono kāna mau hana, a no laila, he aha lā ke kumu e ho’oweliweli ‘ia nei nā kumu aupuni o Hawai’i? He nui hewahewa ka hana a nā kumu aupuni, a oki loa nā kumu kula kaiapuni. ‘A’ole lākou makemake e ho’oweliweli ‘ia.

E mālama pono kākou i nā kumu a pēlā lākou e mālama pono ai a e a’o pono ai i nā pua a kākou.

Mai nō a poina, e nihi ka hele, a e kūlia kākou i ka nu’u.

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E ho’ouna ‘ia mai na ā leka iā māua, ‘o ia ho’i ‘o Laiana Wong a me Kekeha Solis ma ka pahu leka uila ma lalo nei:

>> kwong@hawaii.edu
>> rsolis@hawaii.edu

a i ‘ole ia, ma ke kelepona:

>> 956-2627 (Laiana)
>> 956-2627 (Kekeha)

This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.