The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1958-01-24
Hawaii's Importance
Truly Democratic Island
Nav Be Pattern for Tomorrow
By Erik Won Kvehnelf-L eddihn


Having embarked on a long trip through Asia, the
first station / made was Hawaii where ] stopped for sew
eral days.
Hula Dance, nor the gorgeous vegetation which had me
truly spellbound, but the general picture of a people and
a whole Life in these islands which, perhaps, are herald-
ing a pattern of the shape OF things to come.
Looking into the future il seems providenfial that
the United States is holding this Territory, placed in
the very center of the Pacific and therefore predesfined
to serve as a focal point for severa! civilizations on the
shores of the biggest body of water on this globe.
The history of the American annexation of Hawaii
is admittedly an ugly one-no publication in the Terri
tory makes any effort to hide this fact-but God writes
straight with crooked lines and a wicked story sometimes
may have a good ending.
The liberal immigration policies Of the past have
permitted the rise Of a truly mixed race. The nstive poly
nesians have served as a eafalysator. and their friendii-
ness. wit. and hymor prevented from the beginning on
Nature has been kind to their lands and they were
equally kind to the newcomers. The fact that, owing to
profuse intermarriage land not to slaughter or diseased
the pureblooded native hardly survives, is a testimony to
their qualities of heart. In return all white and Oriental
settlers admire them and every effort is being made to
preserve whatever remains of their culture and cviliza-
ton, their language and their dances, their music and
their carvings, their customs and their sports. Gratitude,
admiration, and a will to preserve traditions character
ize these efforts. &
There had been an early influx Of Protestant Ameri-
cans. largely traders and missionaries land quite wealthy
the gospel and coming mostly from Europe under the
protection Of the French Government.
Today almost 40 percent of the Islanders are Catho-
u LIIS IuUlcIIC StIcuSCu We OWC W IS ldSIdu
most tolerant of all Europeans-the Portuguese who in
their majority, come from the Azores and Madeira. They
have intermarried with all races. The Filipinos represent
another important Catholic group, hampered by an abb
sence of their womanfolk. Legal restrictions together
with the policies Of the companies importing labor have
been responsible for this state of affairs.
For this, a priest told me frankly, "a number Of
people will have to roast for q long, long time in pursa-
Tory"
The biggest group are the Japanese. They represent
a good third of the population and they are, undoubted-
ly, its hardest working stock. Only the Chinese are Sec
ond to them in numbe though they beat them as trad
ers. Hindus, Koreans, Malays, even American Indians can
be found on the islands.
At the same time there is also a sense Of geographic
e ca, n ss 3ss m IN no% 1oh1 terms: s;d . "e' s.e F mot IT. s'' I Iims'
Hongkong seem Just around the corner. Names OF all
Pacific cities constantly crop up in conversation.
1t would be exaggerated to say that racial feeling
in the islands is down to zero, but it is my impression
that it survives merely as a class snobism. If one or the
other posh country club froWns upon Orientials or a GER
tain residential section tries to remain purely Caucasian,
the implication of this attitude is merely one of "early
arrivals" against "latecomerS".
1t would be unthinkabIe for the University Of Hawaii
to discriminate against q student on account OF his color
or for an Oriental not TO be served in a restaurant.
l ended my visit by making an official, guided trip
around Pearl Harbor. There is still an aura of tragedy
about this unique naval station where thousands of
Americans found a grave In these secluded waters of the
South Pacific. One can imagine the weeks and months of
fear and anxiety following the attack but these feelings
welded the Islanders together in an even closer COM
munlty.
Ny thoughts during this tour wandered from the
black nuIkS OF rne SHIPS, sfH visible ABOVE me Wdrer
line, TO the hundredth battalion Of immortal fame in
World War II.
This battalion consisted almost exclusively of Ameri.
cans of Japanese extraction born in Hawaii It was the
most highly decorated unit of the American Army.
Relocation Centers for the Nsei of Hawaii? The COM
handing US general in the Islands, unlike his colleague
on the West Coast, flaly rejected such unconstitutional
nonsense.
Thus the heart Of the Pacific today is Enthusiastically
American and Americans can be proud OF having sue.
eessfully established the pattern OF mankind's better to-
morrow.
9 was primarily an expression of @. Whit do we mean by the
thanks m Cod II is tru that sacred congregations Of the