The third Friday in August is Statehood Day in Hawaii (previously called Admission Day). It was on August 21, 1959 that Hawaii became the 50th state in the Union.
Showdown at the ‘Iolani Palace
In 2006, a small group (less than 50) of people organized by State Senator Sam Slom (R, Hawaii Kai) gathered at Iolani Palace to celebrate the anniversary of statehood at the place “where statehood was declared.”
A larger group of people, including but not limited to people of Hawaiian blood, staged a protest, drowning the smaller group. While there was a lot of yelling and some insults, the encounter was not violent, as all those encounters have been in recent years.
Historically, every group has had what appear to be valid problems. The “Hawaiian” group considered the choice of the Iolani Palace inappropriate as it is a special place for Hawaiians as the former home of the last monarchs. The subject is even more sensitive as it was at the Iolani Palace that the last queen of Hawaii, Lili`uokalani, was kept under house arrest after her overthrow on January 17, 1893.
Native Hawaiian problems
The ongoing conflict between Native Hawaiian groups and those who support the status quo system of government in Hawaii is confusing to most visitors to the islands. It is practically impossible to explain all the problems to visitors mainly because there is not a single voice on the islands that represents those of Hawaiian blood and there is certainly no universal agreement among Hawaiians about what they want for the future.
This is not to say that those of Hawaiian blood do not have valid problems. They do. It is a historical fact, recognized by the United States Congress and President Bill Clinton, that the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii was illegal. If anything, the federal government’s recognition of illegality only opened deeper wounds. The problem is that if you ask ten people of Hawaiian blood what they want to do, you are likely to get 10 different answers. In fact, many are happy with the status quo.
Why a state holiday?
While these topics are worth a debate, the point here is to discuss what has become the absurdity of Hawaiian vacations.
The third Friday in August is a state holiday in Hawaii. All government offices are closed and workers have the day off. Many of those workers are people of Hawaiian blood. However, aside from the closure of government offices, a visitor to Hawaii is unlikely to know that the day is a holiday.
On June 27, 1959, 93% of the voters on all the major islands voted for statehood. Of the approximately 140,000 votes cast, fewer than 8,000 rejected the Admission Act of 1959. There were huge celebrations across the islands.
Statehood still has strong support
In May 2006, the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii (GRIH) commissioned a survey to assess support for the Akaka Bill (Native Hawaiian Rights Bill) that was pending in the United States Congress. As part of that poll, 78% indicated that they would vote for statehood if the vote took place today.
Why is there no celebration?
Why then is the anniversary of statehood so ignored on the islands?
As Senator Slom described in his opinion piece in the Hawaii Reporter, “The last ‘major’ holiday celebration took place in Candlestick Park, San Francisco, with former Democratic Governor Benjamin Cayetano and Hawaii-area residents and visitors . The governor explained that the celebration in Hawaii had become too controversial and that now Native Hawaiian leaders may perceive it as culturally insensitive.
Nothing changed under the administrations of Republican Linda Lingle (2002-2010) and Democrat Neil Abercrombie (2010-2014). The anniversary of statehood is still virtually ignored under the current administration of Democrat David Ige (2014-).
How absurd is this?
The absurdity of the existing situation was even greater during the 50th anniversary of the state of Hawaii in 2009, when public celebrations were quite rare. The biggest celebration that honored the fact was that government workers had a paid day off, as they had for years.
It’s a terrible message to send to the children of Hawaii and a totally confusing message to send to visitors.
If the state government’s intention is to ignore the anniversary of statehood, against the apparent wishes of most Hawaiian residents, then they should eliminate the holiday.
