A Community Behind the Shroud

      In the history of the United States, Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders have been cast aside when it comes to the needs and wants of the rest of the Country. Dating all the way back to 1835, when Ladd and Company originally opened the first sugar plantations in Hawaii, the natives were essentially enslaved when the company opened up housing and resources for the natives in order to "save them" from their chief and way of living. As the natives worked on the plantations, for little to no money that was then spent on over priced goods from the company they were being payed by, their health and well being was soon overlooked and pushed aside as the workforce and plantation grew bigger.

      Today, the Hawaiian's and Pacific Islanders are still hidden by a shroud behind societies more important issues and people. As their population has grown by 40% over the last decade Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders "are one of the fastest-growing racial groups, but face high rates ofpoverty and barriers to quality health care and educational opportunities for their youth"(AAAJ). 

     Without any media awareness, or awareness of any kind for that matter, the people that need help cannot even ask for it. To remedy this, let me introduce you to the Asian Americans Advancing Justice civil rights organization. The Asian Americans Advancing Justice, or AAAJ, is a non profit legal aid and civil rights organization specializing in providing legal services and advocating for civil rights on behalf of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. This organization, which was founded in 1983 in Los Angeles by Steward Kwoh, is helping to remedy the fact that these Natives do not have the proper support for health care and higher education which is leading to the perpetual cycle of these people being left in the dark to fend for themselves without the proper tools to do so. 

   With the help of the AAAJ these communities are able to get their message out and to legally advance the situation at hand in these communities. With hard work and support amazing organizations like the AAAJ can and will change the lives of these people for the better.Fight on for equality of life!