Synopsis: Putting one’s child into Hawaiian immersion school is a privilege and comes with responsibility for the child as well as the parents.

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‘Auhea ‘oukou, e nā makamaka mai ka lā puka i Ha’eha’e a i ka napo’o o ka lā i ka mole ‘olu o Lehua. ‘Ike ‘ia ma nā kula kaiapuni, nui ‘ino nā ‘ohana e ‘auana ana. Komo akula nā keiki i ke kula ‘ōlelo Hawai’i a noho paha no ho’okahi makahiki a emi iho paha a laila ha’alele wale. A i ‘ole, ma nā kula nona nā ‘ao’ao ‘elua, a’o ‘ia ma o ka ‘ōlelo makuahine a ma o ka ‘ōlelo Pelekane nō ho’i, ‘auana wale ke keiki i nā ‘ao’ao ‘elua. Ho’omaka paha ma ka ‘ōlelo Pelekane, lele i ka ‘ao’ao ‘ōlelo Hawai’i, a ma hope paha o ho’okahi makahiki, ho’i aku i ka ‘ao’ao ‘ōlelo Pelekane. Inā paha i loa’a ‘ekolu a ‘oi mau ‘ōlelo i kekahi kula, inā ua koho paha ka makua e ho’ouna aku i kāna keiki i nā ‘ao’ao ‘ekolu. Pōmaika’i paha kākou i ka ‘ole o ia ‘ano kula ma Hawai’i nei.

I mea aha kēia ‘auana ‘ana? Hoihoi paha ka makua e a’o ‘ia kāna keiki ma o ka ‘ōlelo makuahine akā hā’awi pio paha ma hope o ho’okahi hapa o ka makahiki. Pa’akikī ke a’o ‘ana ma o ka ‘ōlelo i like ‘ole me ka ‘ōlelo o ka ‘ohana. Koikoi ‘ia nā mākua e hele i nā papa ‘ōlelo Hawai’i no ke a’o ‘ana a me ke kāko’o ‘ana i kā lākou po’e keiki akā inā ‘a’ole hele, e pa’akikī ana nō ka hele kula ‘ana no ke keiki.

‘Ōlelo ‘ia, ‘a’ole pau ka ‘ike ma ka hālau ho’okahi, a he ‘oia’i’o nō. Akā, pono e ho’opa’a i ka ‘ike o ka hālau ho’okahi ma mua o ka ha’alele ‘ana no kekahi hālau. ‘O ke kula ha’aha’a kahi e ho’opa’a ‘ia ai ke kahua o ke a’o kula ‘ana. Inā ‘auana wale ke keiki, a hele i nā hālau like ‘ole o ke a’o ‘ana ma ia wā, e hemahema ana ke kahua.

Kūpa’a au ma hope o ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i, kāko’o au i ke komo ‘ana i nā kula kaiapuni akā, e aho e ho’omōakāka aku, ‘a’ole like ana ka hana a ka ‘ohana me nā kula ‘ē a’e. Nui a’e ke kuleana ke hele ke keiki i ke kula kaiapuni, kuleana a ke keiki, kona mau mākua, a me ka ‘ohana. ‘Oko’a ana ke ‘ano o ka nohona o ka ‘ohana, a inā noho pa’a ke keiki, ‘oko’a ana ho’i ke kuana’ike. ‘O ia nō kekahi o nā pōmaika’i o ka hele kula ‘ana i nā kula kaiapuni.

Eia ho’i ku’u wahi mana’o i waiho ha’aha’a ‘ia ma mua o ‘oukou e nā makamaka. E ola mau ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i. Ke ho’i aku nei kēia keiki o ka ‘āina lewa, ka ‘ōiwi nani i ka hala, ua ahiahi. Aloha auane’i.

(Aloha makahiki hou e Kaikaina a me nā makamaka heluhelu. ‘O kekahi pōmaika’i, ‘o ia ka loa’a o ia mea he kula kaiapuni i kēia mau lā. No ka mea, i ka wā e kamali’i ana māua nei, nā luna ho’oponopono, ‘a’ohe kula kaiapuni, a he laki wale nō ke loa’a ka papa ‘ōlelo Hawai’i ma ke kula ha’aha’a, ma ke kula waena, a ma ke kula ki’eki’e paha. A no laila, he keu nā keiki o ka pōmaika’i i kēia mau lā, a pēlā pū nō me nā mākua. L.H.)

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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.