Synopsis: Hurray for Norm Chow. But do Hawaiians always get the short end of the stick? Or prejudged not to be able to do the job?

Aloha Kalikimaka e nā hoa makamaka e ho’onanea nei me nā ‘ohana a me nā hoa i kēia wā kalikimaka nei. A ‘oiai, ‘o ka wā kalikimaka nō kēia, ua mana’o ‘ia e pa’i ‘ia kekahi mo’olelo kalikimaka. E ho’opane’e ‘ia na’e ma muli o ka hauwala’au no kahi makana hou, ‘o ia ho’i ka hai ‘ia ‘ana o ke po’o ka’i hou o nā Koa Ānuenue. ‘Akahi nō a kūkala ‘ia, ‘o Norm Chow ke po’o ka’i hou o ka hui pōpō peku o Hawai’i.

He mea maika’i nō kēia. Ua ho’i mai ka manu ‘ōiwi i kona ‘āina hānau. No Honolulu ‘o Chow, a mai ke Kula Ki’eki’e ‘o Punahou ‘o ia i puka mai ai. Ha’alele mai ‘o ia iā Hawai’i nei no ka ‘āina ‘ē, a ma laila ‘o ia i hana ai no nā makahiki he 38 a i ka ulu ‘ana iho o ka mana’o i loko ona e ho’i mai. A ma muli paha o ka pōmaika’i a ke Akua i kō ai ia mana’o o Chow.

Ua noi ‘o Chow i ia kūlana like ma ke Kulanui o Hawai’i i ka makahiki 1995. ‘O ia wā, he wā puni kōlea nō ia, no laila, lilo akula ia kūlana iā Fred von Appen. A ua ahu ka ‘ala’ala, e like me kā kākou i ‘ike aku ai. No ke aha lā i koho ‘ole ‘ia ai ‘o Chow i ia makahiki? He ho’okae ‘ili paha. E mana’o ana paha ka luna ‘ālapa o Hawai’i i ia manawa, ‘a’ole hiki i ka Hawai’i ke hana maika’i ma ia kūlana? Aia paha ke luliluli nei ko ‘oukou mau po’o me ka hō’ole pū ‘ana mai, “’A’ole paha e ho’okae ‘ia ka Hawai’i ma Hawai’i nei. ‘O Hawai’i kēia.” Pololei nō paha. ‘A’ohe ho’okae ‘ia o ka Hawai’i ma Hawai’i nei. Auē, ua launa nō paha ko ‘oukou mea kākau me ke Ali’i nui o O’ahu, me Kakuhihewa. ‘O ke kumu paha o Chow i koho ‘ole ‘ia ai i po’o ka’i pōpō peku no Hawai’i i ka makahiki 1995, ‘o ia ka lawa ‘ole o kāna hana ‘ana ma ke ‘ano he ka’i.

Akā, i ka hiki ‘ana mai o kākou i ka hopena o ka makahiki 2011, ua ahu a’ela ka hana maika’i a Chow ma ke ‘ano he ka’i. A no laila, holo ihola ka mana’o o ka luna ‘ālapa, ‘o Chow ka ‘oi. ‘O ka mea ‘āpiki, he hapa ‘u’uku wale nō kona uku hana i ko Greg McMackin. ‘A’ole ke kālā he mea nui iā Chow. Akā, aloha nō, i ka Hawai’i ka puapua. He ho’okae ‘ili paha ia i ka Hawai’i? ‘A’ole paha. ‘A’ole e ho’okae ‘ia ka Hawai’i ma Hawai’i nei. A i ‘ole ia, ma mua, he wā puni kōlea wale nō paha ia, a i kēia manawa, ua pau kona hie.

Hau’oli ko ‘oukou mea kākau i ka lilo ‘ana o ua kūlana po’o ka’i nei iā Chow. A hau’oli nō ho’i i ka ‘ōlelo a Chow, he mea nui ka ho’ohei ana i nā mea pā’ani pōpō peku o nā kula ki’eki’e o Hawai’i nei.

‘O ia hilina’i ‘ana o ke Kulanui o Hawai’i i ke kanaka Hawai’i, he mea nui nō ia, a ke lana nei ka mana’o, e hana like ke kula ‘o Kamehameha no nā kūlana po’o a luna paha ma kēia hope aku.

He nui nō nā Hawai’i kūpono nāna e lawelawe i ka hana ma nā kūlana nui, a ‘o ka hilina’i iā lākou, a e hai ‘ia i wahi e ho’okō ai lākou i ke kūleana o ia mau kūlana, ‘o ia ka mea e pono ai. Me ke aloha nō iā ‘oukou a pau.

E ho’ouna ‘ia mai nā 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:

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