Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-13
Howoii Is Friendly and Lures Many
But Fears Losing Its AIoho Spirit
Bye CARL zIMNfERNlAN
Associated Press stan Writer

t4fs AtAtef. z,4stfl IN 2 Z
By CARL ZIMMERMAN
Associated Press staa Writer
HONOLULU, Mar. H.
What's Hawaii like?
It is, of course. a place lots
of Americans land othersl
dream of visiting. When they
do. some stay ON. ~
Military people, particularly.
have settled here after retiring
from service or ending q tour
Of duty. And lately many people
have come here to go into bust
ness.
They come for the climate
(balmy all year round). the
scenery Ia flower filled. tropi-
cal paradise with indoor plumb
ing) and the people Gas friendly
and varied as you'll find any,
where).
Some look for opportunity in
a fast-growing place--now
closer to other places by fast
flying jet planes.
Hawaii's atmosphere is re-
Taxed. by mainland standards.
Men wear bright aloha shirts
for almost any occasion. Kids
gruinble when told to wear
shoes to school.
On the nefghboring ISLANDS
you'll find sleepy villages Cbut
don't look for grass hutsl.
Honolulu. the capital and
principal city. Is q busting
community. It has its traffic
jams. big stores. used car lots
and no parking space.
In a few words. the legendary
languor of the South Seas
doesn't ezist here any more.
want 70 Keep Ras n Life
Civic leals< and blisiness-l
men are 'fli 3 uaandty. They
want to boost economic develop
ment. And they want to pre-
serte the Polynesian easy way
Of life.
They say if Hawaii goes COM
pletely modern. it viii lose its
aloho spirit - the Hawaiian
atmosphere which made these
islands such a lure.
What is left of the old !
Hawaii is monopolized by the
tourist industry at Waikiki |
Beach on the main island of
Oahu and at three other major
islands.
Far more real today is a
spirit of friendliness which
makes Hawaii close to unique
in a troubled world.
An estimated SOS. 900 persons
live here, and some $50. 600 Of
them are on Oahu. They are of
many races. most of their roots
in Asia.
They are white. brown and
yellow. They are Chinese.
Japanese, Filipino. Caucasian.
Portuguese. Korean and, Of
course, Hawaiian.
They live. and work with re-
markedly little friction.
Race relations are not per-
feet. Classified advertisements
still appear with notices Of
"Haoles (whites) only"
Some social circles and resi-
Dental areas exclude Orien-
tails.
The largest business firms
are controlled by Caucasians.
No Racial Trouble
But Hawaii has had no race
riots, no.segregated schools. no
Little Rocks.
O. Vincent opposite, a local
Democratic Party leader who
was brought up in Connecticut.
says:
"In Hawaii, we are so years
ahead Of the Southern States
and 80 years ahead of the
North in understanding racial
problems and the OrientS. We
are the real leaders in this.
Statehood for Hawaii is-for
Asians-America's answer to
Little Rock" -
In numbers. whites are in the
minority.
There are 200, 600 japanese.
$4,000 Hawaiians and part
Hawaiians, $4,000 Caucasians
exclusive Of 10000 service per-
sonneD, $1,000 Filipinos, and
smaller groups of Koreans,
Puerto Ricans and mixed races. |
Role in Far East Seen
White it is as American as a
hot dog, Hawaii has n flavor Of
the Orient that can't be found
elsewhere on American soil.
More than once, leaders in
Hawaii have suggested that the
State Department make the
islands the hub of operations
toward Asia. They maintain
that Hawaiia1s of Oriental an
cestry would make ideal sopkes-
men for America in the Far
East.
The racial set-up here will
be reflected in the men Hawaii
sends to Congress as Senators
and Representatives.
Whether Democrat or Repub-
lican. white. Oriental or Hawai-
lam they unquestionably will be
outspoken opponents Of dis
elimination.
In foreign policy, they most
likely will be internationalist
As the crossroads of the
Pacific, Hawaii has had a taste
and a view Of war. I
1t Is one place whore +be