Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 18:20:08 -0700 (PDT)
From: Caroline Aiu
Subject: Letter to the Editor
I stumbled upon your web site by accident and was amazed at the number of people who felt like I do.
I am Korean on my mother’s side and Hawaiian, Portuguese and Chinese on my Father’s side. I have always resented it when people have told me or other people who are anything other than White that we should direct our lives in a certain way because we are a certain race or ethnicity.
I once had a lady who wasn’t even Hawaiian tell me that I had to apply for Hawaiian Homestead land (which would entail me having to basically farm and live in a very rural area of Hawaii which I would really not like to do. I told her my reason’s for not wanting to do it (one of them being “just because I’m part Hawaiian, it doesn’t mean I have to live on Homestead land ” and another being that Hello! I’m not just Hawaiian and you’re totally ignoring that!” But, she was insistent on me having to do this for the good of my future family (I do not ever plan on having children) and for the good of Hawaiians.
If the United States is to progress we have to get rid of these strange ideas that it’s okay for White people to pursue whatever it is that their hearts desire in life but it’s not okay for anyone else. Why do we feel that we must limit ourselves to a certain stereotypical way of living and acting? And worse yet, why do we try to force that view on others who don’t feel that way? Ever since I was a rebellious teenager, I allowed myself to pursue whatever it is I wanted much to even if it meant the disapproval of others. But who cares? I’m not here to live their life, I’m here to live mine!
–Caroline