Socioeconomic Trends
The Wai‘anae moku has a high concentration of Native Hawaiians. More than 62 percent of moku residents consider themselves Hawaiian or part Hawaiian. Of moku residents reporting only one race, about 22.9 percent are Native Hawaiian, compared to only 5.6 percent of the population for O‘ahu, and 6.6 percent for the State of Hawai‘i. Caucasians and Asians make up a significantly smaller percentage of the population within the moku than for O‘ahu as a whole.
Racial composition of Wai‘anae Moku, O‘ahu, and the State
of Hawai‘i
Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2000.The Wai‘anae moku's high concentration of Native Hawaiians is the result of many factors. Hawaiians are thought to have occupied the land of the Wai‘anae moku beginning in the 1100s AD (Cordy 2002). It is estimated that the moku's population was between 4,000 and 6,000 by the time of European contact, in 1778. Wai‘anae's relative isolation from the seat of government in Honolulu during the missionary period, the dissolution of the monarchy, and Hawai‘i's annexation to the United States helped preserve the moku's tradition of independence and Hawaiian identity (McGrath and others 1973).
The Wai‘anae Sugar Plantation, which provided a steady source of jobs in the moku during its operation from 1880 to 1946, helped maintain the local population. The government's designation of 200,000 acres in the Wai‘anae moku as Hawaiian Homelands in 1920 brought an influx of Hawaiians from elsewhere on O‘ahu to the Wai‘anae coast to claim homesteads. Finally, the availability of low-cost land in the moku following the closure of the sugar plantation led to further growth of the Native Hawaiian population (McGrath and others 1973).
Income and Poverty Level
The median household income and per capita income of Wai‘anae residents are $42,451 and $13,029, respectively, lower than those of O‘ahu residents and State of Hawai‘i residents. The percentage of residents living below the poverty level, 21.9 percent, is more than double the percentage of O‘ahu residents as a whole (9.9 percent below the poverty level).
Income comparison of Wai‘anae, O‘ahu, and
State of Hawai‘i
Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2000.For the period from 1990 to 2000, income trends in the Wai‘anae moku closely followed those of O‘ahu as a whole.
Per Capita and Household Income Trends 1990 to 2000 (Adjusted to 2004 Dollars)
|
|
Wai‘anae Moku
|
O‘ahu
|
|
1990
|
2000
|
% Change
|
1990
|
2000
|
% Change
|
|
Per Capita Income ($)
|
14,035
|
14,353
|
9.8
|
23,594
|
24,234
|
9.7
|
|
Median Household Income ($)
|
47,014
|
46,765
|
-9.9
|
58,900
|
57,190
|
-9.7
|
Note: All values converted to 2004 dollars using Consumer Price Index calculator (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2004).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau 1990, 2000.
While some Wai‘anae moku residents struggle with unemployment and poverty, getting by on little money has long been part of the way of life on the Wai‘anae coast. Families have traditionally supplemented low incomes with fishing and subsistence farming, as well as by sharing through an ‘ohana social network (McGrath and others 1973). Many residents have low housing costs, which helps offset the effects of relatively low incomes. In addition, many organizations and resources exist in the community to support people in need. Some of the organizations that are dedicated to helping Wai‘anae's residents socially and economically are the Cultural Learning Center at Ka‘ala, Mala Ai ‘Ōpio (MAO), Hoa ‘Āina O Mākaha, Hoomau Ke Ola, Nani O Wai‘anae, and the Wai‘anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center.
The People of the Wai‘anae Coast: A Most Valuable Asset
While on paper, Wai‘anae's problems may seem overwhelming, its ability to organize as a community is unmatched on the island. "It's not that we want to scream 'Poor Wai‘anae!'" Katy Kok [Nani O Wai‘anae director] says. "We have a great pride in this lower income area." The longevity of projects like the Cultural Learning Center at Ka‘ala, Hoa ‘Āina O Mākaha, and the Wai‘anae Coast Community Health Center are a testament to that pride. So are projects like Na Wai O Wai‘anae, Nani O Wai‘anae, and others-Mālama Mākua, the Rotary and Lion's clubs, the ahupua‘a councils. They are too numerous to list.
The work of these groups helps the community to move forward, in a positive direction.
– An article by Teresa Dawson, Environment Hawai‘i
"The Cultural Learning Center at Ka‘ala Farm is a holistic project to help restore the vitality of Hawaiian culture and reconnect modern Hawaiians to it....Reclaiming the lo‘i became the first step in what has become a vital program-reaching 3,000 to 4,000 people a year, most of them students-aimed at preserving Hawaiian traditions, reviving Hawaiian values, and sharing pride in Hawaiian culture... One of the central values taught at Ka‘ala is "aloha ‘āina," to love and care for the land..."
– Excerpt from Cultural Learning Provides Hope and an Antidote to Poverty
Education and Employment
In the Wai‘anae moku, 77.9 percent of adults 25 years or older are high school graduates. Only 8.2 percent of moku residents have earned a bachelor's degree or higher, less than one-third the percentages for the island of O‘ahu (27.9 percent) and the State of Hawai‘i (26.2 percent). The unemployment level in the moku is 8.7 percent, more than double the levels for O‘ahu and the State of Hawai‘i.
Educational attainment and employment in Wai‘anae, O‘ahu,
and the State of Hawai‘i
Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2000.The percentage of moku residents with college degrees declined in the period between 1990 and 2000; however, there was a significant increase in the percentage of residents completing high school.
Educational Attainment Trends 1990 to 2000
|
|
Wai‘anae Moku |
O‘ahu |
|
1990 |
2000 |
% Change |
1990 |
2000 |
% Change |
|
% H.S. Graduate or Higher |
68.6 |
77.9 |
+13.6 |
81.2 |
84.8 |
+4.4 |
|
% Bachelor's Degree or Higher |
8.9 |
8.2 |
-7.9 |
24.6 |
27.9 |
+13.4 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau 1990, 2000.
"Wai‘anae High School is home to Searider Productions, a multimedia communications
program created in 1993 that has provided thousands of Wai‘anae students with
unique opportunities in media and film. The multimedia program combines a
school newspaper, yearbook, and web site with digital video and audio recording
facilities. The high school's multimedia program is the largest of its kind
in Hawai‘i's public schools, serving 300 students at a time. The center is
known for its high-quality student productions, which have garnered awards
in nationwide student competitions as well as in State video competitions
open to the entire public."
– Excerpt from Award-Winning Multimedia Program Offers Exciting Opportunities for Students
References Cited
Cordy, R. 2002. Ancient History of Waianae. Mutual Publishing. Honolulu,
Hawaii.
McGrath, E.J., K.M. Brewer, and B. Krauss. 1973. Historic Waianae, A Place
of Kings. Island Heritage Limited. Norfolk Island, Australia.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2004. Consumer Price Index Web Site. http://www.bls.gov/cpi/
U.S. Census Bureau. 1990. American FactFinder Web Site. http://factfinder.census.gov
U.S. Census Bureau. 2000. Census 2000: American FactFinder Web Site. http://factfinder.census.gov
Related References
American City Business Journals, Inc. 2003. Governor to Tour New Waianae Media
Center. Pacific Business News. November 4, 2003. Honolulu, HI. http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2003/11/03/daily34.html
Dawson, T. 2000. "In Battered Waianae, Community Organizes to Save Environment,
Health." Environment Hawaii 10(9). http://www.environment-hawaii.org/300cov.htm
Essoyan, S. 2002. Waianae Video Program Helps Students Stand Out. Honolulu
Star-Bulletin. December 23, 2002. Honolulu, HI. http://starbulletin.com/2002/12/23/news/story3.html
Lang, L. 2002. "Kalo Culture: Tapping into the Roots of Hawaii's Life-Giving
Ancestral Plant." Hana Hou! The Magazine of Hawaiian Airlines 5(1).
Miller, J. 2004. Hoomau Ke Ola: To Perpetuate Life as it was Meant to Be.
In Worlds of Difference: Local Culture in a Global Age, A Radio Documentary
of Homelands Productions. Homelands Productions. http://www.homelands.org/worlds/hawaii.html
Waianae High School. 2004. Ka Leo O Waianae (The Voice of Waianae). Searider
Productions. http://www.seariderproductions.com/kaleoproject.html
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