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Ethnic Studies Anniversary : Celebrating 50 Years of Our History Our Way

Island Connections Celebrates 50 Years of Ethnic Studies

We are highlighting issues brought up on Island Connections in the 2, a show sponsored by Ethnic Studies and hosted by ES professor Ibrahim Aoudé. The first section covers the role of ES and the future of UHM, then we honor three retired or retiring professors, our host Brahim, Jonathan Okamura. and Noel Kent. We also say sad farewell to a founding member of the department, Dean Alegado. Finally, we turn to some current issues including the labor situation in Hawaiʻi and Hawaiʻi's relationship with events in Palestine.

Ethnic Studies: 50 Years On

November 13, 2020

The discussion revolved around the role that Ethnic Studies as an academic unit at the University of Hawai‘i has played and continues to play in the community and on campus since its establishment in 1970. The guests focused on the Oceanic connections that Ethnic Studies has developed and its motto "Our Future, Our Way."

Guests:

Ty Tengan, Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies and Anthropology Chair of Ethnic Studies - UH Mānoa
Davianna McGregor, Professor of Ethnic Studies and Director of the Center for Oral History - UH Mānoa
Ethan Caldwell, Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies - UH Mānoa
Richard Rath, Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies - UH Mānoa
Laurel Mei-Singh, Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies - UH Mānoa
Ulla Hasager, Director of Civic Engagement, College of Social Sciences - UH Mānoa
Noel Kent, Professor Emeritus of Ethnic Studies - UH Mānoa
Jonathan Okamura, Professor Emeritus of Ethnic Studies - UH Mānoa
Kyle Kajihiro, Instructor in Geography and Environment, and Ethnic Studies - UH Mānoa
John Witeck, Community and Labor Activist
Amefil Agbayani, Community Activist

Two Visions for UH

September 11, 2020

The show focused on the administration and Board of Regents' vision of a post-COVID-19 UH as opposed to a faculty, students and staff vision of a more open, inclusive, democratic decision-making process that centers around the role of a public university in the service of all of Hawaiʻi and one that truly expresses its commitment to being a Hawaiian place of learning. Featuring guest: Cynthia Franklin, Professor of English - UH Mānoa.

Jon Okamura, Professor Emritus

May 26, 2020

The discussion centered on the academic career of Jonathan Okamura and his multiple contributions to the theories of race and ethnicity. The program celebrates his specific contributions in the field of race, ethnicity, and inequality in Hawai‘i. Featuring guest Jonathan Okamura, Professor of Ethnic Studies - UH Mānoa

Ibrahim Aoudé: The Ethnic Studies Years

April 14, 2021

The discussion centered around Professor Ibrahim Aoudé's years in Hawaiʻi and at the Department of Ethnic Studies on the occasion of his impending retirement. Featuring guests Noel Kent and Jonathan Okamura, each a Professor Emeritus of Ethnic Studies .

Noel J. Kent: Professor Emeritus

March 12, 2021

The panel discussed the academic career of Professor Emeritus Noel J. Kent at the Department of Ethnic Studies, University of Hawaiʻi-Mānoa. Featuring guests Jonathan Okamura, Professor Emeritus of Ethnic Studies - UH Mānoa and Noel Kent, Professor Emeritus of Ethnic Studies - UH Mānoa.

Dean T. Alegado: A Farewell

February 13, 2021

The discussion revolved around the role that Ethnic Studies as an academic unit at the University of Hawaiʻi has played and continues to play in the community and on campus since its establishment in 1970. The guests focused on the Oceanic connections that Ethnic Studies has developed and its motto "Our Future, Our Way." Featuring guests Davianna McGregor, Professor of Ethnic Studies and Director of the Center for Oral History - UH Mānoa and Rosie Alegado, Associate Professor of Oceanography - UH Mānoa.

Censoring Palestine

December 11, 2020

The guests discussed the censorship that the Zoom provider placed on a program about Palestine and the way in which the University of Hawai‘i administration buckled under to the Zoom provider and thus violated the First Amendment rights of its students, staff and faculty. Featuring guests Cynthia Franklin, Professor of English - UH Mānoa and Maʻan Odah, student- grad student in Nutritional Sciences

Workers, Tourism, and COVID-19

October 9, 2020

The discussion highlighted the plight of the tourist industry workers in the current COVID-19 environment. Hawaiʻi workers are caught between calls for opening the economy without much regard to worker safety and remaining unemployed without adequate financial support from the Federal government. Featuring guest Eric Gill, Financial Secretary-Treasurer, Unite Here Local-5, Hawaiʻi

This page references:

Ethnic Studies: 50 Years On November 13, 2020 The discussion revolved around the role that Ethnic Studies as an academic unit at the University of Hawai‘i has played and continues to play in the community and on campus since its establishment in 1970. The guests focused on the Oceanic connections that Ethnic Studies has developed and its motto "Our Future, Our Way." Guest: • Ty Tengan, Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies and Anthropology Chair of Ethnic Studies - UH Mānoa • Davianna McGregor, Professor of Ethnic Studies and Director of the Center for Oral History - UH Mānoa • Ethan Caldwell, Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies - UH Mānoa • Richard Rath, Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies - UH Mānoa • Laurel Mei-Singh, Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies - UH Mānoa • Ulla Hasager, Director of Civic Engagement, College of Social Sciences - UH Mānoa • Noel Kent, Professor Emeritus of Ethnic Studies - UH Mānoa • Jonathan Okamura, Professor Emeritus of Ethnic Studies - UH Mānoa • Kyle Kajihiro, Instructor in Geography and Environment, and Ethnic Studies - UH Mānoa • John Witeck, Community and Labor Activist • Amefil Agbayani, Community Activist
Two Visions for the UH September 11, 2020 The show focused on the administration and Board of Regents' vision of a post-COVID-19 UH as opposed to a faculty, students and staff vision of a more open, inclusive, democratic decision-making process that centers around the role of a public university in the service of all of Hawai‘i and one that truly expresses its commitment to being a Hawaiian place of learning. Guest: • Cynthia Franklin, Professor of English - UH Mānoa
Island Connections: Ibrahim Aoudé: The Ethnic Studies Years April 14, 2021 The discussion centered around Professor Ibrahim Aoudé's years in Hawai‘i and at the Department of Ethnic Studies on the occasion of his impending retirement. Noel Kent and Jonathan Okamura, both Professors of Ethnic Studies (emeritus). Guests: • Jonathan Okamura, Professor Emeritus of Ethnic Studies - UH Mānoa • Noel Kent, Retired Professor Emeritus of Ethnic Studies - UH Mānoa
Island Connections: Noel J. Kent: Professor Emeritus
Island Connections: Dean T. Alegado: A Farewell February 13, 2021 Host: Ibrahim Aoudé - Professor, Department of Ethnic Studies, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa The discussion revolved around the role that Ethnic Studies as an academic unit at the University of Hawai‘i has played and continues to play in the community and on campus since its establishment in 1970. The guests focused on the Oceanic connections that Ethnic Studies has developed and its motto "Our Future, Our Way." Guests: • Davianna McGregor, Professor of Ethnic Studies and Director of the Center for Oral History - UH Mānoa • Rosie Alegado, Associate Professor of Oceanography - UH Mānoa
Island Connections: Censoring Palestine December 11, 2020 The guests discussed the censorship that the Zoom provider placed on a program about Palestine and the way in which the University of Hawai‘i administration buckled under to the Zoom provider and thus violated the First Amendment rights of its students, staff and faculty. Guest: • Cynthia Franklin, Professor of English - UH Mānoa • Ma'an Odah, student- grad student in Nutritional Sciences
Workers, Tourism, and COVID-19
Island Connections: Ethnicity, Class, and Public Policy