Migration and resilience in Native Hawaiian elders

ABSTRACT

Using focused ethnography, Native Hawaiian elders living away from Hawai‘i for 30+ years were recruited through Hawaiian organizations and word-of-mouth and interviewed by teleconferencing on reasons for migrating, experiences on the Continent, and resilience. The 18 participants in 13 states left for college, work, and family. Many experienced racism, but all created community and cultivated aloha in their new homes. Most planned to stay on the Continent, although two-thirds wanted remains/cremains returned to Hawai‘i. Family, culture, and financial well-being were sources of resilience. Social workers should advocate for improved socioeconomic and deracialized conditions for all people, and base interventions on cultural strengths.

KEYWORDS:

• Aging
• mental health
• Pacific Islander Americans
• Native Hawaiians
• relocation
• socio-economic status

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the support of our elder study participants. We also thank the members of our Joint Advisory Council, composed of the Native Advisory Council and the Partner Organizations: Dr. Kūhiō Asam, Ms. Nalei Akina, Ms. Caroline Cadirao, Dr. J. Keawe‘aimoku Kaholokula, Dr. Shawn Malia Kana‘iaupuni, Sister Alicia Damien Lau, Dr. Diane Paloma, Ms. Deborah Stone Walls, Ms. Kealoha Takahashi, Ms. Leslie Tanoue, and Dr. Lisa Watkins-Victorino.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This project was supported, in part, by the US Administration on Aging, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201 by grant number to Hā Kūpuna National Resource Center for Native Hawaiian Elders [90OI0007/01]. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official government policy.