I think many Hawaiians are longing for some significant public acknowledgement from Obama, to the effect that Hawai‘i has deeply affected who he is today. So far, he hasn’t really done that. Except for the occasional shaka and aloha (very cool when this happens by the way), the world knows little about his Island roots.
To us, Obama perfectly represents the spirit of Hawaii (aloha). He emanates the values we cultivate, nurture and perpetuate in our daily lives: love, humility, tolerance, selflessness, doing what’s right and helping others.
One could rightly argue these values are universal. But Hawaii’s unique cultural heritage and geographic isolation make living here an experience found nowhere else, guaranteed. And we know Obama is all too aware of this.
As to why Hawai‘i stays on the down-low, it’s because of this: anyone who truly embodies aloha has no need to point to its source, but rather works to practice and perfect it in life and in work. As Obama said in yesterday’s inauguration speech:
But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true.
In short, Obama has tapped into universal goodness by way of Hawai‘i. His life here remains a memory, but he has taken the very best of Hawai‘i and built a message of hope and change around it. It’s not about him anymore, as he said to fellow Hawaiians and Illinoisans at last night’s Home States Inaugural Ball:
It’s not just a matter of me … It’s a matter of all of you pitching in, working together, trying to get past our differences, in order to create the kind of world we want to pass onto our children and grandchildren.
So, Hawai‘i, let’s move with him. I know it’s hard to seperate aloha from Hawai‘i, but maybe sometimes we have to do that. The world needs more people like us, wouldn’t you agree?
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hawibound23 04.16.09 at 2:59 pm
you said it, brah….