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Pulse
HATE CRIME CHARGES AGAINST TWO NATIVE HAWAIIAN MEN UNDERSCORE RACIAL DIVIDE: Kaulana Alo-Kaonohi and Levi Aki Jr., both Native Hawaiian, were convicted in November for beating Christopher Kunzelman, a white man, in a case that likely marks the first time the U.S. has prosecuted a Native Hawaiian person for a hate crime.
- The case has highlighted longtime tensions in the islands, where Native Hawaiians have fought to retain ownership and autonomy over their homelands ever since white colonizers invaded.
How it happened: Kunzelman had bought a house in Kahakuloa but faced pushback from local Native Hawaiians upon attempting to move in with his family, according to the Department of Justice.
- One day, Aki and Alo-Kaonohi came onto Kunzelman’s property and demanded that they leave, allegedly threatening to make him “go missing” before attacking him physically.
- During the encounter, Kunzelman was repeatedly called a “Haole,” a Hawaiian word that refers to foreigners and white people but can also mean “acting out of entitlement, and like you own the place,” Eastern Washington University Professor Judy Rohrer told the Associated Press’ Jennifer Sinco Kelleher.
- Aki and Alo-Kaonohi’s attorneys argued that it was Kunzelman’s entitled and disrespectful attitude that provoked the attack, not his race. But use of the word “Haole” ended up forming the crux of federal authorities’ case against the two. Kunzelman had not met them before, per the DOJ, but testified in court that he had cut the locks to village gates at one point and sought to boost property values in the area—largely without residents’ input, defense attorneys said.
Consequences of the convictions: Alo-Kaonohi has pleaded no contest to felony assault while Aki—who is half-white—pleaded no contest to terroristic threatening. For the federal hate crime charges, Alo-Kaonohi has been sentenced to 6.5 years in prison. Aki has been sentenced to a little over four years.
Don’t forget: Native Hawaiians have for decades struggled to preserve their cultural history and reduce the threat of outsiders and foreigners who have little knowledge of the existing racial dynamics in Hawai‘i.
- White people especially are unaccustomed to being racially identified, Rohrer said. “We’re used to being in the majority and then we get to Hawai‘i and all of a sudden we’re not in the majority, and that makes us uncomfortable,” Rohrer, who grew up white in Hawai‘i, told the Associated Press.
- “I’ve learned in Hawai‘i, coming from the outside in, it’s a good thing to live by the people around you and not tell them to live by you and your values,” added Bruce Turnbull, a white retired teacher who says he hasn’t ever had problems living near Alo-Kaonohi’s family.
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? Here's what else is happening across America…
NUMBER OF THE WEEK — 3,000: That’s the estimated number of Asians in Texas who fell victim to identity theft when the state’s Department of Public Safety unknowingly sent driver’s licenses to a New York-based Chinese organized crime group, NBC News’ Kimmy Yam reports. The group had obtained the licenses to sell to undocumented immigrants.
- New developments involving the proposed 76ers arena that would sit blocks away from Philadelphia’s Chinatown could be delayed until the fall, Philadelphia Business Journal’s Paul Schwedelson writes. The proposal has faced backlash from community members who say it will negatively impact Asian residents and their businesses.
- The local Vietnamese community is rallying to preserve Northern Virginia’s Eden Center, a hub for the local community and its cultural identity, amid new retail and residential redevelopments surrounding the area, DCist’s Héctor Alejandro Arzate and Tyrone Turner note.
- Hawai‘i has unveiled a new monument honoring the contributions of Filipino World War II veterans in hopes of carrying on their legacy and inspiring young people, HawaiiNewsNow’s Annalisa Burgos writes. It’s believed to be the first state that has commissioned such a monument.
- The 2024 election cycle is reflecting a rapid increase in Indian American political representation, something that was almost unthinkable just years prior, The New York Times’ Maggie Astor and Jill Cowan write. Numerous factors have bolstered Indian political influence, especially the relative wealth and education of immigrants coupled with mobilizing efforts among advocacy groups.
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