What if the real legacy of Hawaiʻi’s plantation days isn’t just in our food, slang, or aloha shirts — but in our fight for solidarity?

In this episode we sit down with Dr. Kealani Cook, Associate Professor of History at UH West Oʻahu, for a mini-history lesson on how plantation-era Hawaiʻi shaped the cultural and political landscape we live in today. Dr. Cook traces his own journey — from a kid fascinated by Hawaiian history to a disillusioned teen tired of colonizer-driven narratives, and finally to a historian who now uses history as a tool to analyze power.

We dig into how racism was weaponized to divide immigrant laborers, and how, in response, powerful moments of cross-cultural union and resistance emerged. This episode is for anyone curious about what truly connects us here in Hawaiʻi — and why understanding our past is key to building a stronger future.

You can find the TV episodes of Here in Hawaiʻi on our website, https://hereinhawaiitv.com

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