Obama on O'ahu

The week of summer that we were in Hawai'i visiting our son, Barack Obama brought his family to visit his tutu, his grandmother Toot. Crowds welcomed them with munificent aloha. Commentators back on the mainland worried, the presidential candidate had gone off to a foreign, barely American place. Seeing him and his wife and daughters at the beaches and parks and basketball court - he showed them the 'aina - people said to one another, "He's a local boy." The newspapers declared, "Obama's a local boy."

I'm sure that Obama was hoping that African Americans would understand, that among the people of Hawai'i, it's an honor and not a putdown to be dubbed local boy. Like kama'aina, child of the land. Obama conducts himself modestly, and the locals love that in him.

He was so careful not to be seen as exotic; he wore dark shirts; he never wore a lei. I remember my brother, whom I saw off at the Honolulu airport on his way to Vietnam. He took off the lei I gave him. I guessed, you aren't supposed to wear flowers in uniform. Macho men don't wear leis. Leis aren't presidential.

Obama carried a lei curled up in his hand. He placed it on his grandfather's grave at Punchbowl National Cemetery. Gramps had enlisted after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and was part of Patton's army.

Hawai'i has names for its many kinds of people. Our son is hapa haole hapa Paké, half white half Chinese. You could say that Obama is hapa haole hapa popolo, half white half black. But his schoolmates wouldn't've seen the haole part, and simply called him popolo. And there is continuous linguistic argument whether haole is a good word or a bad word.

To see how the writer, Barack Obama, made sense of growing up in the Pacific, Oceania, and how his life shaped his thinking, I read Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope. What a true writer he is! He writes like Charles Dickens, and his young self was like Oliver Twist and Pip and David Copperfield making their way in the world. He recalls his mother taking him to Indonesia, where he played among the streets and alleys and shadow puppets and markets.

I'd always taken such markets for granted, part of the natural order of things. Now, though...I saw those Djakarta markets for what they were: fragile, precious things. The people who sold their goods there might have been poor, poorer even than folks out in Altgeld. They hauled fifty pounds of firewood on their backs every day, and they ate little, they died young. And yet for all that poverty, there remained in their lives a discernible order, a tapestry of trading routes and middlemen, bribes to pay and customs to observe, the habits of a generation played out every day beneath the bargaining and the noise and the swirling dust.

Starting at the most basic street market, he follows workers to factories, what happens to them at the closing of factories, the takeover of forests by timber interests, the vanishing of forests. He examines the consequences of globalization, keeping in mind the ordinary family, always his main concern as he seeks solutions for the worsening national and world economy.

Altgeld Gardens is a public housing project in southernmost Chicago. As a community organizer there, Barack Obama practiced his modest ways. To build a community, the effective leader empowers everyone else.

I pointed to Sadie. "She's the spokesperson."

The TV crews began to set up, and the reporters took out their notebooks. Sadie excused herself and dragged me aside.

"I don't wanna talk in front of no cameras."

"Why's that?"

"I don't know. I never been on TV before."

"You'll be fine."

In a few minutes the cameras were rolling, and Sadie, her voice quavering slightly, held her first press conference.

I am certain that growing up in Hawai'i, Obama learned the values of ho'oponopono and ohana. In ho'oponopono, a gathering of people keep discussing things until they reach consensus, and all is put to rights. Ohana is family, clan, extended family, kin group, sacred community. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Beloved Community. It's been Barack Obama's lifelong mission to integrate all of us. "We are not a collection of Red States and Blue States -- We are the United States of America. There is not a black America, a white America, a Latino America, an Asian America; there's the United States of America." He has worked hard organizing Altgeld, and America, into the Beautiful Community. At last - a candidate for President who has done real work!

By the time he visited Kenya, Obama was a grown, educated man. There he discovered a most interesting concept of home. His relatives took him to Home Square.

"It's something the kids in Nairobi used to say," Auma explained. "There's your ordinary house in Nairobi. And then there's your house in the country, where your people come from. Your ancestral home. Even the biggest minister or businessman thinks this way. He may have a mansion in Nairobi and build only a small hut on his land in the country. He may go there only once or twice a year. But if you ask him where he is from, he will tell you that that hut is his true home. So, when we were at school and wanted to tell somebody we were going to Alego, it was home twice over, you see. Home Squared."

How wonderful to dare hope for the President of the United States of America to be at home in all the wide world. And he would know to say, "Aloha kakou."

Lovingkindness to all people, including me. Including me. Aloha kakou.

Comments

[JerseyTomato41]

>Hi, Maxine,

I see you wrote--

"Governor Linda Lingle has
been campagning in Nevada and Colorado saying that Obama
is NOT kama'aina."

And I'm very puzzled. Is she implying that Barack did not live in Hawaii long enough? (But he was born there and lived there till he went off to college--like lots of other Hawaiian keiki). That he's not Hawaiian by nationality? (Well, he's not a "native Hawaiian"--of course, Gov. Lingle isn't either). That his parents and grandparents weren't born in Hawaii? (And of course, they weren't--they were from Kansas and Kenya). I just don't understand this.

And are there people other than Hawaii-connected people who would really
CARE whether or not he was kama'aina?

Oh, yes, and I was always told "haole" was not a pejorative term unless
there was an adjective in front of the word. :-)

[apollo1701]

Nov. 4, 2008 is the time for putting the house in order, draw the curtains, and let some light in.

[PinayforObama]

I have been on the streets canvassing for Barack Obama in Florida and Wisconsin. This morning I am going to poll watch. I intuitively feel like Obama is someone who shares my values and my vision of America, my own hope for America. He understands on so many levels and more importantly, I understand him. Each time he has been put to the test — whether it’s been a personal attack on his character or a need to respond to a national crisis like the economy, he has demonstrated to me a response that I recognize, support and would expect from my own brother, sister or friend. Like he says, “We don’t need to boo, we just need to vote.” That’s the way it’s been for our own community and all the work we do. We can’t afford to boo. We must find ways to address the situation, to take steps towards solution. So many of us in the community -- and here I mean the American community at large -- are not booing, we are canvassing, making calls, going to the polls to bring water and cookies to voters. We are thanking people. We are pleased to step up. Inspired to do so. We are not booing, we are volunteering, we are voting. Obama's ability to inspire, to organize and to get so many of us out of bed and onto the streets for this mission of hope is a testament to his leadership.

[APBEN]

Like Obama, I left Hawaii for college on the Mainland many years ago. I return for "vacations" to visit family and sometimes, also like Obama, sadly, for funerals. However, as I believe is also true for both you and Obama, the ties I have to the Islands and the spirit of Aloha will be with me forever. My first glimpse of the energy and charisma of Obama occurred when my 13 year old son persuaded me to take him out of school to be part of one of the first of many crowds of tens of thousands who lined up to hear him speak when he came to Seattle. At that time, my main thoughts were, "Wow, if this guy can inspire all of these (especially young) people to be excited and interested in American politics, and if he can get all these people to go out and vote, he is truly inspiring." I am hoping that everyone who has gotten inspired and energized will actually vote tomorrow (if they haven't already done so). Thank you for your article to remind us that Obama is truly a local. I hope that once he is elected, people will not have to ask whether us people of color who were born in Hawaii are "American." Congratulations on your recent award.

[srdon]

as a long time (former) hawaii resident, i've been tracking obama since he gave the key note address at the 2004 democratic convention. it was beautifully written, delivered and inspiring: a sign that he was someone to watch. i was surprised to see him decide to run in 2008. watching his campaign for the last 18 months has been fascinating. without question, he has the best organization and has run a brilliant campaign---always on-track, best use of the Internet and new technology, record fund-raising as a result of inspiring average citizens vs galvanizing special interest groups, etc.. throughout it's been evident how influential growing up in hawaii as been on his values, his philosophy for leading the country; even his reasons for running now.

let's win in '08 and hana hou in '12.

[Ariesman2008]

November 3, 2008, 2:30 PM, I learned from the news that Obama's Grandmother has just passed away, she left him on eve of the election.

I am looking through my office window, the pouring rain seems is crying for him. My heart goes out for him and the family.

What can I say?

From the beginning of the presidential campaign, I was supporting McCain. I appreciate his integrity and life-long contribution for the country. I believed that McCain is residential, and at least, McCain is better than little Bush.

But after 20 plus months of observation, I know Obama is my man. He speaks my language, he gives me hope, vision and change I truly need. He is my choice.

I am a Chinese American, immigrated to the US 20 years ago. The reason I came is I had a hope in this country, and I believed in America. But this faith is getting beating up very bad now. I do not want to immigrant back to China again because the US is losing it. This is my country, I still want to believe, I hate to say "it was a mistake coming here".

As a Chinese, I am also believe in fate that is when a loved one dies, a new life is giving birth the same time. And this new life I believe is coming tomorrow, Obama the President of the USA.

I am an atheist, but today I will say, Go Obama! God Bless!

[KristenJensen]

What a wonderful depiction of how truly universal Barack Obama must be. Contrast what is portrayed in this article of his view of the world compared to the last eight years of "We are the only ones capable of teaching the rest of the world anything.', which has so frustrated me. Could it be that at last we may have a president with a vision on par of that of FDR? Dare I think that he might be just the one to truly be the first "Twenty First Century" president? That is what I am getting here. He will not be a man of assumptions, but man of context, of mindfulness.
Having lived in Saudi Arabia for twenty years, the way our government usually looks at other countries as if seeing them through the wrong end of a telescope has frustrated me. Maxine's evocative article has revealed mush about Obama that makes me hopeful. Thank you. warrior poet, and my friend.

[db08]

Thank you for such a lovely and thoughtful piece. It warms my heart to hear from you again and to be invited into the world of our fellow Americans in Hawaii. As for

"I'm sure that Obama was hoping that African Americans would understand, that among the people of Hawai'i, it's an honor and not a putdown to be dubbed local boy. Like kama'aina, child of the land. Obama conducts himself modestly, and the locals love that in him."

We as African Americans do not see the term :"boy" as an insult when it is a term of endearment. After all, Barack is our "baby boy" who is pushing ahead following our dream. Now, I know that some folks
will see this as a diminishing statement. We as African Americans know we have multiple and complex even metaphoric identities. We never doubted his spine of steel...we know the brother is hard and serious and not to be trifled with.

Aloha kakou, Sister

[shabana1]

Obama cannot be easily considered hapa haole or hapa popolo, half white or half black. He is a rare human being that relays his sentiments to all races and nationalities. This article really touches upon this truth - that Obama has core beliefs about America's future and truly understands the history of our country. Thank you MHK.

[tukmuse]

Barack Obama contains, not just in his genes, but in his active life, a fluidity of connectiveness that transcends the easy black and white categories. He has what John Gardner once called a "multitudinous self", a man rich in personalities, rich in range, and just the person this country needs at both the domestic and international levels to help us live in the unity with which the human race began. Obama has the capacity to help use hope toward this kind of reunification. Thanks for a rich article, Maxine, that touches on and anticipates such qualities of wholeness.

[tukmuse]

HuffPost's Pick

Barack Obama has, both in his genes and in his actions, that rich complex multidimensional self that allows us to realize we can transcend our prejudices and hang-ups and see people for the values they represent and not for the color of their skin or for their ethnic background. His multi-racial and multi-ethnic world-view certainly qualifies him as the candidate best suited to bring this country and the internatinal community together in mutual regard and respect. He talks with us, not at us. Maxine's article resides on such accessments. Thanks for your insights, Maxine.

[salonpas]

as posted to :

Time fo talk story:

Last saturday, as he entered Denver's Civic Park, just before striding onto the stage to address a crowd of 100,000, Mr Obama took the time to shake some hands. Through some twists of fortune i managed to be close. He shuffled by and with a gracious smile reached out to acknowledge a sea of eager hands. He stretched out for mine and i flicked him a quick "howzit" shaka. His broad smile widened with a knowing chuckle and he returned it, not with one of those manufactured celebrity parade "swivel" shakas but with the easy whipping double jiggle and finishing snap that you get from TheBus driver you let slide into Beretania's rush-hour traffic.

If you can judge the quality of a person by a handshake you can surely judge kamaaina by the soundness of a shaka ... and the beat of Barack Obama's shaka flows straight from his roots. Kamaaina, child of the land, indeed, at once worldly and well grounded.

[mickpur]

Last Sunday I was standing beside the above gentleman at the Obama event in Denver. We hoped that we might get to meet Obama and had some time to think about what we might say to him if we got the chance. I witnessed him flicking Obama the shaka and Obama flicking it back and I stood there with a wide open mouth and could not believe what I had just witnessed. Here is the future president of our country flicking the shaka in such a casual way as if he does it all the time. Why was he so comfortable with this? Because that is who he is. It is such a part of him that in a crowd of 100,000 people he can just whip that out just like you or I saying Hey to someone and create such an intimate moment in time. I have know for a long time that is the man that I want to me my president and being able to share in this intimate moment cemented that even more. This is why I am working round the clock to elect Barack Obama.

[Hawaii4Obama]

Mahalo for a lovely article, Maxine! Whether Hawaii or Illinois feels they can claim Barack as their "native son", it truly does not matter. What is important is how much this one candidate embodies the hopes and dreams of people of all colors and appeals to what unites us rather than what divides us.

[lunabar]

I think we are all so braindead form 8 years of Bush that we imagine that no other President before him ever lived or worked or studied abroad before, so Obama seems unique. But the facts don't quite bear that out.

It is nice that the world seems to want to embrace him. But if he follows the foreign policy outline that he's sketched during the campaign, I fear the honeymoon will be shortlived.

Let's hope I am wrong.

[garygach]

now that's a real news report ... and i'd like to nominate its author as Secretary of Peace ... do I hear a second? ... ...

[Foffo]

Obama is definitely a local boy, he grew up in a place which teaches you to live in peace with people of all possible shades of color, and this alone should be sufficient to support him in his effort .If he brings with him to the white house a little of the aloha spirit that he certainly learned to appreciate, we are all going to be better off, and not only in the USA. Thanks for revealing Obama the kama'aina to those readers who are not familiar with the spirit of Hawai'i.
Congratulations for a beautiful article from an ex kama'aina citizen of the world.

[Clavis]

Thank you for an informative and enjoyable piece. Aloha!