Thousands protest ruling on Hawaii schools

ASSOCIATED PRESS ^ | 8/7/2005 | ALEXANDRE DA SILVA

[dila813]

HONOLULU -- Blowing conch shells and chanting Hawaiian prayers, some 15,000 people marched through downtown Honolulu Saturday to protest a federal court ruling striking down Kamehameha Schools' Hawaiians-only admissions policy as unlawful.

"We are outraged," said Lilikala Kameeleihiwa, a professor of Hawaiian Studies at the University of Hawaii. "This is a great setback for our people. Here we are on our own homeland and we can't educate our children."

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled 2-1 on Tuesday that the private school's policy of admitting only native Hawaiians amounted to "unlawful race discrimination" even though the school receives no federal funding.

The decision shocked school officials and devastated the Native Hawaiian community. The school has defended the exclusive policy as a remedy to socio-economic and educational disadvantages Hawaiians' have suffered since the 1893 U.S.-backed overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy.

Protests against the ruling were planned throughout the islands Saturday.

"Our hearts have bled in these past four days," Michael Chun, headmaster at the school's main Kapalama campus on Oahu, told the massive crowd blanketing the courtyard surrounding Iolani Palace - the former residence of the Hawaiian Kingdom's last two monarchs.

"We must stand together to focus and right this wrong," Chun said. "March tall, march proud, march strong."

The Kamehameha Schools were established under the 1883 will of a Hawaiian princess. About 5,100 Hawaiian and part-Hawaiian students from kindergarten through 12th grade attend the three campuses, which are partly funded by a trust now worth $6.2 billion. Admission is highly prized in Hawaii because of the quality of education and the relatively low cost.

Non-Hawaiians may be admitted if there are openings after Hawaiians who meet the criteria have been offered admission.

The lawsuit was brought by an unidentified non-Hawaiian student who was turned down in 2003.

The appeals court wrote that the school's admission policies are illegal because they operate "as an absolute bar to admission of those of the non-preferred race."

Kamehameha Schools has said it will appeal. An injunction asking the court to order the school to accept the teenager for the fall term is pending.

At the Honololu rally, Gov. Linda Lingle, introducing herself as a "haole" and "a non-Hawaiian," said the court's decision was "not just."

"The Hawaiian people have been tested many, many times," Lingle said. "This is just one more test that you will show you will overcome."

Amber Marquez, 17, a senior at the school's Kapalama campus, said Kamehameha has given her a future.

"We are just trying to preserve what little we have left because everything is being taken away," she said. "We just deserve this; we feel blessed."

---

On the Net:

Kamehameha Schools: http://www.ksbe.edu/

[webboy45]

Native Hawaiians are an established ethnic group based on ancestry, not skin color. Other native Americans have organizations that relate to their history and values, why are the Hawaiians not allowed to do the same. This case could very well push support for a separate Hawaiian nation over the top. Perhaps that's the only way they can preserve what's left of their culture. And, yes, I agree, it's exactly the same as the case with they Boy Scouts.

[AmishDude]

Of course, they could get around this ruling by simply requiring an entrance exam based on native Hawaiian language and culture. It would probably keep the students they want to keep and get rid of some of the "native" Hawaiians that don't care much about their heritage in the first place and just wanted a nice school for their kids.

My guess is, though, that the culture is an amusing afterthought, no one speaks the language anymore and that the school is a magnet for the grievance industry.

[California Patriot]

Delightful. The liberals and reverse-racists get a taste of their own medicine. This is almost as good as the post-election despair of the Kerry supporters.

[injin]

ok , I stand corrected .
I am speaking more for the kanaka perspective , not the Ali'i
I agree , the Ali'i were total goofs and the Hawaiian Sovereignty movement of today need look no further than their own chiefs of old who sold out the kanaka worse than any.

But come on , those haole's were no angels !
We both may be off on the facts abit ;^)

You are right , the US Gov did not officially Annex
until it needed Hawaii as a solid base for war in the Spanish American war . And what happened in those years in between?
Where was Queen K ?

[driveserve]

So what's the point? Should they all just accept that they're Americans now and stop with the "stolen" business?

driveserve

[injin]

nah...I think we should 'give them' Molokai , Lanai and the Big Island for their New Hawaiian Kingdom ;^)

[KAUAIBOUND]

I have read that the US Congress was divided on annexation; Republicans for, Democrats against. The situation was finally resolved by the election of McKinley in 1896, otherwise annexation would have occurred earlier. Pragmatically, if the US had not annexed, the English, Germans, Russians or French would have.

[driveserve]

Where they can join the "New California" made up of blue states. Good call...

driveserve

[Lewite]

You hit the nail on the head, purely anti USA and whitey. Those people hate us with a passion.

[Rastus]

http://michellemalkin.com/archives/003174.htm

[so_real]

As you've indicated, the student body at the Kamehameha Schools are culturally diverse, sharing only a little common Hawaiian blood. The curriculum, however, which includes Hawaiian and Christian Studies is not so multicultural. And I'd hate to see that ruined for them.

[HawaiianGecko]

"I have to say I agree with the school here. As long as said school is not recieving my tax dollars which I don't think it is. A purely private school should be able to enforce whatever admissions/selection policy it wants to for whatever reason it wants to. The federal government should have no dog in this fight whatsoever."

Problem is, the trust fund is tax exempt, therefore, they are receiving your money.

[dila813]

I am with Michelle Malkin. She is so smart and such a doll, how can you argue with her.

[so_real]

For anyone interested, here is the vision statement from the Kamehameha Schools:

Kamehameha Schools is a dynamic and nurturing learning community committed to educational excellence. We assist people of Hawaiian ancestry to achieve their highest potential as “good and industrious men and women.” We do so by contributing to their development as people who are:

• grounded in spiritual and Christian values;
• intellectually, emotionally, and socially self-reliant;
• resourceful, resilient, life-long learners;
• equipped with the skills they need to succeed in endeavors of their choosing;
• responsible, ethical, contributing members of their multi-cultural and diverse communities, and
• prepared to practice and perpetuate the Hawaiian values and traditions of Ke Ali‘i Pauahi.

Sounds like good education, Christian values, and Hawaiian heritage to me. I don't have a problem with it.

[freepatriot32]

Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here

[freepatriot32]

Rights, farms, environment ping.
Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from this list.
I don't get offended if you want to be removed.

List of Ping lists

[skr]

Whether or not the school's policy is deliberately racist or simply a way to preserve a culture, no taxpayer funding means the government has no business denying freedom of association.

[dila813]

tax free institution, it is a school not a political party.

It is also a tax free trust.

It is illegal.

[fish hawk]

Just for the sake of argument, lets say you are Jewish and you belong to a Synagogue that only allows Jewish tradition an cultural services. Now the Government steps in and says you have to allow Christians and Islam into your services. How long do you think your culture and traditional way of worshiping will endure? Now we also know that your Synagogue does not receive any government money to survive. Not very fair, huh?