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ASD Staff

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

[{"text":"Brevenchym shows the way — but the mist, brevenchym! The mist!","type":"text"}]

Shoyu pack

<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: The shoyu hack</title>

Culinary advice from the world of local social media.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: The shoyu hack

Brevenchym shows the way — but the mist, brevenchym! The mist! 

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

MĀNOA — As the University of Hawai‘i's offensive line left Micah Alejado scrambling one last time, the left-handed quarterback eluded San Jose State's defense for a final heave from near midfield. 

Alejado's desperation throw floated in the Mānoa air for approximately four seconds. If one of four Rainbow Warriors positioned in the end zone were to catch it, all the ugliness of the team's lack of offensive execution would have been temporarily erased. 

It was not to be. The throw caromed off Kejuan Bullard Jr.'s hands, the final play of a 20-16 loss for the Rainbow Warriors. Hawai‘i fell to 1-4 in the 2026 season, its Mountain West championship hopes taking an early fatal blow at 0-3 in conference play. 

Despite 12 penalties for 85 yards, most of which were committed by its offensive line, UH held on to a slim chance for victory until the very end. As San Jose State's team stormed the field to collect the Dick Tomey Legacy Trophy for the sixth consecutive matchup, many of Hawai‘i's players stood still on the field dejected and in disbelief. 

"Obviously, we're not in the best place right now as a team," Alejado said after the game. His return after a 9-4 season in 2025 was the basis of a 

 for the Rainbow Warriors heading into 2026. "You look at our schedule and don't expect to come out 1-4, whatever it is. For the team, it's obviously tough, but I guess it's football."

Hawai‘i had a chance to take an early lead in the first quarter, but a Cam Barfield handoff on fourth and inches was ruled short at the San Jose State 4 with 1:52 left in the first quarter. An Alejado interception set up San Jose State's first touchdown of the day, a 10-yard pass from former UH backup quarterback Luke Weaver to 

Campbell alum Kamaehu Kopa-Kaawalauole with 12:01 left in the second quarter. Weaver's throw was nearly intercepted by Matagi Thompson; instead, 

Kopa-Kaawalauole had a clear path to the end zone after securing the catch. 

San Jose State doubled its lead after Weaver found a wide open Carson Clark for 12 yards with 6:08 left in the second quarter. After seeing his team execute the play, SJSU offensive coordinator and former UH player and coach 

 was animated in his celebration. The 14-0 lead was an advantage the Spartans carried into the half. 

Hawai‘i showed signs of life in the second half, producing three straight scores and two stops. Yet the 'Bows still trailed 14-13 after that sequence, as two of those point-producing plays were 

 field goals, the other a 58-yard touchdown pass from Alejado to Devin Alves. 

Alves' score was the final touchdown of the game, as San Jose State's Trajan Sinatra hit two field goals to pad its lead, including a 30-yarder with 1:15 left. 

Following a 27-yard return by Blaze Kamoku, Hawai‘i had one minute and eight seconds with no timeouts to score, starting from its own 29. Two short passes to Barfield, as well as a Alejado rush up the middle, caused the 'Bows to spike the ball three times in their final possession. The 'Bows did not attempt a deep pass on their final possession until the failed Hail Mary. The Rainbow Warriors emulate the two-minute drill often during practices but ultimately weren't able to get the score they needed on Saturday. 

"It'll be difficult if you don't get the ball out of bounds. You got to stop the clock somewhere, somehow," Hawai‘i head coach Timmy Chang said. "There's kill situations. There's things that we do during practice that get you ready for it. But it's a difficult situation, definitely on our side. But I thought they executed as well as they could."

In the victory over his former team, Weaver completed 19 of his 28 passes for 246 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Meanwhile, Alejado was 23-for-35 with 341 yards, one touchdown and a pair of picks. 

Weaver, who showed no ill will towards the Rainbow Warriors in the wake of his departure, was seen hugging many of his former Hawai‘i teammates following the game. 

Next up for the Rainbow Warriors is a road contest at Arizona State on Saturday, Oct. 10. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. HST, and the game will be televised nationally on FS1. 

"It is really just one day at a time," Chang said of his team's outlook. "You clean up these little things, regardless of who's in there, who's playing, it comes down to to execution, discipline, all the things that we build our program off of. These are the things that we just got to truly understand. There's beating them up, but you know, they feel down already. So the message is how do we get better? How do we stop the things that hurt us?"

San Jose State 100326

<title>Hawai‘i football's Mountain West hopes dealt fatal blow with frustrating loss to San Jose…</title>

Led by those with close ties to the Islands, San Jose State earned its sixth consecutive victory over the Rainbow Warriors on Saturday night.

Hawai‘i football's Mountain West hopes dealt fatal blow with frustrating loss to San Jose State

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

, is now open to the public. The Pinehopple Room is located on the second floor, directly above the Kaka

The space was previously home to the HI Brau Room, Aloha Beer Co.’s speakeasy that the biz operated primarily as a private event space.

“We always loved the room and felt like it had so much character,” says Candice Ishikawa, Aloha Beer Co.’s head of marketing and brand. “People who discovered it seemed to immediately fall in love with it, and we saw an opportunity to reimagine the space as something more distinctly connected to Aloha Beer and to Hawaiʻi, while opening it back up for more people to enjoy.”

Ishikawa explains that The Pinehopple Room concept came from the idea of taking the creativity and craft that goes into brewing beer and applying that same spirit to cocktails and hospitality.

“We wanted to create an intimate, upscale lounge that still felt unmistakably part of Aloha Beer, while offering a different side of Aloha Beer from the casual beer garden downstairs,” she says. “The name ‘Pinehopple’ comes from our logo icon and is a play on pineapple and hops, bringing together something immediately evocative of Hawaiʻi, with our roots as a brewery.”

[{"type":"text","text":"The venue’s name impacted its décor and ultimate vibe."}]

“We didn’t want to lose the darker, intimate character that made the original space special, so we built it with a vintage Hawaiʻi-inspired aesthetic, adding tropical botanicals, greenery, warm lighting and other details that make the room feel lush and inviting,” Ishikawa says.

She says The Pinehopple Room’s beverage program is where “the concept comes to life.” The drinks were inspired by the golden age of Hawaii cocktail culture, but the team wanted to bring its own unique twist to the beverages.

“We kept coming back to the idea that classic Hawaiʻi cocktails deserve to be remembered, not simply replicated,” Ishikawa says. “We’re taking those flavors and traditions, and reinterpreting them through fresh ingredients, thoughtful technique and our perspective as a craft brewery.”

So far, popular cocktails include the tropical itch ($18), Molokai fogcutter ($16) and paradise of the Pacific ($21). The tropical itch is made with 

bourbon, rum, orange curaçao, lilikoʻi, pineapple and a dark rum float; the Molokai fogcutter features aged and white rums, pineapple, lilikoʻi, lemon and orgeat; and paradise of the Pacific includes aged rum, tamarind, pineapple and hibiscus grenadine, according to Ishikawa.

Customers can also enjoy a scorpion bowl for two ($38), which is served in a vintage-inspired fish bowl. The drink is designed to be shared and also doubles as a fun centerpiece for the table, according to Ishikawa.

She also explains that The Pinehopple Room team is excited to offer a series of guided spirit flights.

“Guests can explore bourbon, Scotch, international whiskies, agave spirits, and Caribbean rum or Hawaiʻi-made rum, with a guided tasting sheet that provides some background and context for each pour without making the experience feel overly formal,” she says.

Customers can also enjoy light bites that pair naturally with the cocktails. Highlights include Pinehopple sashimi trio (market price) — served with a lilikoʻi-wasabi glaze — Pinehopple shrimp cocktail ($12), spinach dip salmon belly bites ($18), Cuban sliders ($13), paprika chicken pops ($18) and a salami caprese flatbread ($15).

“On the food side, we wanted dishes that were easy to share and felt at home alongside the cocktail program,” Ishikawa says.

The Cuban sliders feature brioche buns stuffed with mayo-mustard, ham, kalua pork, Swiss cheese, pickled cucumbers and cilantro-orange sauce. The paprika chicken pops comprises chicken drummettes in paprika batter, served with blue cheese honey-Red Zeppelin buffalo sauce and celery curls. So far, the chicken pops, spinach dip salmon belly bites and sliders have been customer favorites.

Ishikawa explains that The Pinehopple Room team has been excited to welcome guests and have them experience “the way different kinds of craft come together in one space.”

“Pinehopple is also about the experience around what’s in the glass,” she says. “There’s a sense of nostalgia and vintage Hawaiʻi hospitality without trying to recreate a specific era. We want it to feel special, but never overly formal — a place where people can slow down, connect and stay awhile.”

The Pinehopple Room is currently open from 5 to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The lounge does not have a formal reservation system set up and is primarily open for walk-ins, but if a customer calls ahead, the venue can hold a table for them, according to Ishikawa.

“Aloha Beer has always been about creating places for people to gather, and Pinehopple gives us a new way to do that,” Ishikawa says. “Someone can have a beer in the beer garden downstairs, then head upstairs for a cocktail or whiskey flight and feel like they’ve stepped into an entirely different experience without ever leaving Aloha Beer. We’ve loved this room for a long time, and we’re excited to finally open the doors and share it with more people.”

The Pinehopple Room decor 092826

<title>The Pinehopple Room is a new upstairs lounge in Kakaʻako</title>

Located upstairs from Aloha Beer Co. on Queen Street, The Pinehopple Room — previously home to the HI Brau Room speakeasy — recently opened to the public. The upscale lounge features a vintage Hawaiʻi-inspired aesthetic, along with classic Hawaiʻi cocktails with a modern twist.

The Pinehopple Room is a new upstairs lounge in Kakaʻako

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Aloha Spirit

Hale Hōkūala Kaua‘i, Curio Collection by Hilton, a new 210-room lifestyle resort on Kaua‘i, has opened in Līhu‘e.

Marking Curio Collection by Hilton’s debut in Hawaiʻi, the property brings the brand’s focus on individually remarkable hotels and memorable stays to one of the world’s most sought-after island destinations," according to a recent announcement from the resort. "Overlooking Nāwiliwili Bay and neighboring Kalapakī Beach, Hale Hōkūala introduces travelers to the island through contemporary design, destination-driven dining, cultural programming and outdoor recreation."

Located within the Hōkūala Resort community, 

— its name means "House of the Rising Star" — offers up 23 suites, open-air spaces, private lānais, and views of the Pacific, Hā‘upu Mountain and the Ocean Course at Hōkūala, the announcement notes. 

"Curio Collection by Hilton is a collection of hotels that are defined by their individuality and connection to place. What makes Kauaʻi such a perfect fit is that this island has a character all its own," General Manager 

 told Aloha State Daily in an emailed response to questions. "While visitors are drawn by the incredible natural beauty, what truly makes Kauaʻi special is the people, the culture and the sense of community. The aloha here is genuine. It's something you feel in the way people welcome you, share their stories and care for this place.

"That's what sets Hale Hōkūala apart from a more typical hotel experience. It's not just about offering a place to stay. It's about creating opportunities for guests to connect more deeply with the island, its culture and the community that makes Kauaʻi so unique."

According to Itoga, construction on the resort began in the third quarter of 2024.

[{"type":"text","text":"Here's what else you'll find at the property:"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Amenities and other features"}]

Hale Hōkūala was designed by Hart Howerton and AHL, with interiors inspired by the Garden Isle landscape from Looney & Associates.

Guest rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows and private lānais, the announcement notes, while the interiors draw colors and textures from around the island.

On the property, you'll find a pool and fitness center, with access to a full-service spa, wellness programming, tennis and pickleball courts available within the broader Hōkūala resort community, the announcement notes. Other outdoor offerings include preferred tee times at the Jack Nicklaus Signature Ocean Course at Hōkūala, more than five miles of trails, complimentary bicycles and beach amenities, as well as other open green spaces.

You can also check out The Farm at Hōkūala, showcasing canoe plants, native crops and other agricultural traditions.

The property offers more than 14,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor event space that can be used for the likes of meetings, weddings and other celebrations and group gatherings.

The resort's culinary program is led by Executive Chef Hans Lentz and Director of Food and Beverage 

Its signature restaurant, the Portuguese-Hawaiian concept Figueira, overlooks the 18th hole of the Ocean Course at 

Hōkūala and honors Portugal's influence on Hawai‘i's food culture, the announcement notes.  The name comes from the Portuguese word for "fig tree" and its menu includes pineapple French toast with Kuleana Rum caramel, Kaua‘i prawns, Portuguese fisherman's stew, bacalhau no forno, pastel de nata and malasadas.

Thirsty? You'l be able to grab Hawaiian-grown coffee, local craft beer, cocktails and a curated wine list with both Portuguese and global labels, the resort says.

Meanwhile, The Wiliwili at Hale Hōkūala is a causal poolside eatery that offers poke bowls, plate lunch specials, shave ice, pūpū, tropical cocktails, zero-proof choices, juices and smoothies made with local ingredients, the announcement notes.

Both concepts were developed by StiR Creative, Hilton's in-house food and beverage consultancy.

The resort's signature cultural immersion program, 

, which means "the awakening of connection," is "built around ongoing relationships with cultural practitioners, nonprofits, historians, artisans and educators," the resort says, and offers on-property activities, off-property excursions and culinary storytelling.

According to the announcement, the Kaua‘i Museum is the inaugural partner for a series that explores the Garden Isle's "history and creative expression within the broader Hawaiian story." Future programing will spotlight agriculture, lei making, traditional aquaculture, land stewardship, hula and Hawaiian storytelling.

"Kauaʻi has a spirit that's difficult to describe until you experience it," 

 says. "The island's beauty is obviously extraordinary, but what leaves the deepest impression on visitors is the people, the culture, and the genuine sense of community. There's an authenticity here that isn't manufactured. It's reflected in the way neighbors care for one another, the pride people have in preserving local traditions and the aloha that's shared every day.

"The Curio Collection provides a platform to celebrate those qualities rather than define them," he continued. "The goal isn't to bring something new to Kauaʻi, but to create a resort experience that honors what's already here and helps guests connect more deeply with the island, its stories and its people. We believe travelers today are looking for meaningful experiences, and Kauaʻi offers that in a way that's truly unique."

When asked what kind of response he's anticipating with the opening of the resort, 

we hope guests experience the genuine spirit of aloha that makes Kauaʻi so special."

[{"type":"text","text":"The resort is designed to be more than a place to stay, he says."}]

"We want it to feel welcoming, comfortable and familiar, a place where guests can truly relax and connect with Kauaʻi," Itoga continued. "What makes that experience special is our people. The majority of our team members are local residents, many born and raised on Kauaʻi. This is their home. They know the community, they care deeply about this island and they take pride in sharing its culture, traditions and history with our guests.

"Whether guests spend their time exploring the island or simply slowing down and enjoying the moment, we want them to feel the warmth and care that are such a natural part of life here. Our hope is that they leave with more than memories of Kauaʻi's beauty. We hope they leave feeling connected to the people, the place, and the spirit of aloha that makes this island so special."

Hale Hokuala Kauai exterior 100126

<title>Hawai‘i's first Curio Collection by Hilton resort now open</title>

You'll find Hale Hōkūala Kaua‘i within the Hōkūala Resort community in Līhu‘e. The resort is designed to be more than a place to stay, General Manager Jon Itoga told Aloha State Daily, noting, that "the goal isn't to bring something new to Kauaʻi, but to create a resort experience that honors what's already here and helps guests connect more deeply with the island, its stories and its people."

Hawai‘i's first Curio Collection by Hilton resort now open

Kam Napier Headshot

A. Kam Napier

Columnists

Government & Politics

Aloha State Daily received a press release today from a Mainland-based national interest group, U.S. Term Limits (USTL), letting us know that “2026 Hawai‘i state senate candidate, Wallyn Christian (District 13) has committed support for term limits on Congress by signing the term limits convention pledge.”

Why does this matter to that organization? “(USTL, the leader in the national, non-partisan movement to limit terms for elected officials, is gathering support from state lawmakers across the nation,” the statement says. “Its mission is to get 34 states to apply for an amendment proposal convention specific to term limits on Congress.”

Term-limiting Congress is a popular idea, and USTL cites a 

 that, “An overwhelming majority of adults (87%) favor limiting the number of terms that members of Congress are allowed to serve. This includes a majority 56% who strongly favor this proposal, just 12% are opposed.”

The idea emerges often for local politicians, as well. Civil Beat has found public support for term limits to be as high as 70% in a 2018 poll of likely voters, a stat Honolulu Civil Beat resurfaced 

 of the lawmakers themselves to see where they stand on the idea of limiting their own time in office. “Nearly half of House members and more than a third of senators say they support term limits. There are enough undecideds in both chambers to give it a good shot if they held their position for two years,” CB found.

Respectfully, all of these people are wrong. Well intentioned, but they're aiming term limits at the wrong people.

I mean, I totally understand where the frustration is coming from. We elect people, nationally and locally, then are disappointed in their results. We could end their terms ourselves by simply not reelecting these people and yet obviously a lot of the people who say they want term limits do something very odd: They seem to reelect the lousy politicians they say they want to term limit.

You want to limit someone’s term? You’re just a month away from your next opportunity to vote for someone else!

So we’ve always had the power to fire politicians with every election, but don’t, then remain convinced that what we need is more turnover in government to make it more efficient, effective and responsive. Somebodies’ terms need limiting, but who?

Easy: The workforce. The bureaucrats. See, I want term limits, too, but I want them on the people staffing all the departments and agencies that we’re perpetually frustrated with. 

Consider, to cite just one example, how many different mayors you’ve seen over the past 20 or 30 years promise to reform the departments of planning and permitting in each county. The mayors have term limits. They come and go. Have any of them succeeded at this reform?

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi has done more than any predecessor but there’s a long way still to go.

How many Hawai‘i governors — term-limited governors — have promised Hawai‘i a public education second to none? Which of them succeeded? Who is still in place, immune to reform?

What happens in real life is, candidates make bold promises of reform, we elect them, then they announce bold plans for reform and those plans run headfirst into a culture of unfirable civil servants shielded by union protections. These folks don’t even have to noisily and aggressively oppose the reform, all they have to do is … not do it. And wait. Four years later, or eight years later, their antagonist is gone, the staff remains, with its culture of job security over excellence safely intact.

[{"type":"text","text":"We, the taxpayers and voters, then sit around wondering what happened."}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Two Hawai‘i’s"}]

What’s happened is simple: Since statehood, Hawai‘i’s people have steadily split into two camps, those who work for government and everybody else. The appeal of Government Hawai‘i is the security and benefits — lifelong employment, if you want it, totally protected from market forces and competition, with solid benefits like healthcare and retirement, paid for by the rest of us in Real Hawai‘i.

If you think the security and the bennies of government jobs are a trade-off to compensate for low pay, guess again. Government Hawai‘i earns more than Real Hawai‘i.

The annual average wage of a non-government job in Hawai‘i is 

 from the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

The average annual wage in state government? 

What does Real Hawai‘i get in return? One of the highest tax burdens in America for one thing, and then very little to brag about in high-quality government service. (

I would say that that two Hawai‘i’s have hardened into opposing camps, except that’s not exactly true. Government Hawai‘i drives an Us vs Them dynamic, that was never clearer to me than it was during Covid, when Government Hawai‘i showed us that it will shut the rest of down for years at a time given the slightest opportunity. It will also protect itself first, at the expense of the public is supposedly serves, as we see in the lingering effects of the schools closing for so long. That policy made no one safer, but it did mess up the kids. (And have you noticed ever since then, Government Hawai‘i takes the day off for even bad weather like it never did before, while the rest of us soldier on with our work?)

Out here in Real Hawai‘i, we grumble but otherwise settle for apathy (i.e., low voter turnout) or outright flight to states where it feels like a good life is more possible. I don’t know who Government Hawai‘i is going to tax when the last of us moves to Vegas.

With all that in mind, term limits on government service seem like the one revolution we haven’t tried, haven’t even discussed, but should. Say 10, 15 years max, total lifetime employment in government at any level. We want people to stay long enough to learn the ropes and finish things they’ve started, not so long that they just settle in and kill time until retirement.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The upsides:"}]

Breaks up all the pockets of resistance to change. Turnover would occur systemwide, one person at a time, as they age out. Reformers at the top have a chance building support in the workforce among newer staff.

[{"type":"text","text":"Brings in new people and new ideas in government at every level."}]

Opens up more opportunities for Government Hawai‘i and Real Hawai‘i to trade places and live in each other’s worlds. This may be the biggest upside — more of us would get a chance to feel like we had a chance to change the system from the inside and deliver the service we’ve always wanted, while more of them would be forced to realize that Real Hawai‘i is something more than subjects to be ruled and tax cows to be milked.

Forces a revolution in how government hires. Using Mayor Blangiardi again as an example, he’s talked about how it took people six months on average to get hired by the City & County of Honolulu when he assumed office. 

, he had cut that down to three months. Compared to the speed at which the private sector can hire, that’s still an eternity, and that would have to change immediately to deal with the kind of turnover we need.

(To be fair, government is not alone on this front. In my decade at Pacific Business News, I heard executives at Hawai‘i’s larger companies talk endlessly about a labor shortage. At the same time, I knew plenty of talented people who could not land great jobs. Something is seriously broken in the hiring process, and I suspect HR, especially using automated keyword-based filters on resumes, is to blame. Make Direct Hiring by Managers Great Again!)

Loss of expertise, I suppose, but we’ve seen what the accumulated expertise gets us: A chief elections officer who thought a lauhala basket suited the dignity of a Hawai‘i electoral tie-breaker and ended getting his office sued — successfully — and 

. Scott Nago has worked at the Office of Election for nearly 26 years, almost 17 of those years as its chief election officer. As Civil Beat 

, it’s just about the only place he has ever worked in his life. Well, in the private sector, you can lose your job for bungling things so badly you get sued. Under my plan, the private sector is where he would’ve been sent years ago. Had someone else, perhaps with a wider range of life experience, been at the helm, maybe that person would've made better decisions.

[{"type":"text","text":"So, OK, there are no downsides."}]

Term limits on government service. If you like this idea, spread the word. We’d be moving a mountain to make it happen. But that’s got to be better than carrying the mountain of Government Hawai‘i on our shoulders forever.

A. Kam Napier is editor in chief of Aloha State Daily. His opinions in Pipikaula Corner are his own and not reflective of the ASD team.

Term limits i Stock 517737402 16x9

People take time out of their lives to participate in the democratic process by testifying before committee hearings. Too often, the committee isn't there.

I Stock 1169235347

Pipikaula Corner: Invisible Legislators

It's not getting much media attention, but the private diaries of Dr. Anthony Fauci have been published online by Sen. Rand Paul in advance of his hearings this week into Fauci and Covid-19. What they reveal across thousands of pages is man in love with the adulation he received, who privately knew that many of things he said publicly about the pandemic were wild exaggerations.

Getty Images 2155919948

Pipikaula Corner: Fauci revealed as fear-mongering, fame-loving fraud

<title>Pipikaula Corner: Limiting the wrong terms</title>

It's an election year, and some people are running on the popular idea that legislators and Congress should have term limits to prevent lifers from working the system. ASD Editor in Chief A. Kam Napier argues this is a great idea, with the wrong target. What if it's actually the government workforce itself that needs a term limit?

Pipikaula Corner: Limiting the wrong terms

Arrasmith Portrait

Perry Arrasmith

The most bizarre section in Hawai‘i’s 

 is the one that relates to the state’s regulation of population growth. It is a testament to a bygone era informed by misguided local anxieties. 

Runaway population growth across the Hawaiian Islands once occupied the Hawai'i zeitgeist. While much of this mindset persists in the halls of society, it contrasts with Hawai‘i’s contemporary demographic woes. 

Between April 1960 and April 1970, Hawai‘i added 115,510 residents to its population, totalling 748,182 residents across the islands. It was a meteoric rise that stressed the Hawai‘i’s poor infrastructure, corrupt land management practices, and limited housing across the islands. 

Hawai‘i was a young, growing society. The median age of a resident was 25. Much of the State’s dynamism and vigour, in turn, were informed by a mix of talent both local and non-local.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Perhaps it was too much of a good thing. "}]

During this time, national commentators were fretting about the global population’s growth. Paul and Anne Ehrlich had co-authored 

in 1968. Internationally, the Club of Rome furnished the

report, which only further argued against overconsumption. Political views wrapped in scientific dogma started-off a new movement whose cultural salience was confirmed by the 1973 film 

While societies were wasteful and inefficient, these reports didn’t necessarily call for more efficiency. Instead, they called for fewer people. 

While the times have changed, our Constitution’s outdated language shows how we are still stuck in the ’70s. Through national debates over population control, Hawai‘i became a tragic guinea pig that used environmentalism to justify population control, opening the floodgates for arguments against urban development, immigration, and economic growth. 

These conversations continue to plague Hawai‘i’s zeitgeist, most notably when it comes to unnecessary conflict between economic growth and environmental stewardship.

In 1970, the Hawai‘i State Legislature passed Senate Resolution 305, establishing the State’s Temporary Commission on Population Stabilization. A 1972 report issued by the Commission suggested an inverse relationship between environmental stewardship and population growth. 

“It remains to be seen whether or not we will achieve a balance with the limits of the Hawaiian environment in this present period of growth in Hawaiian history,” the 

 warned, “but it should be recognized that with respect to maintaining the quality of the environment, population and prosperity are ‘trade-offs.’ If we expect to maintain a fixed level of pollution and impact on the environment by people in Hawaii, then any increase in one will require a corresponding decrease in the other.”

In the following year, the State Senate once again adopted a resolution calling for the establishment of an optimum state population. “The question of population equilibria among the Islands is a difficult one to answer quantitatively,” a 

 from the Department of Planning and Economic Development warned.

“One must consider the impact on the environment, what ‘quality of life’ should be used as a measure, means of developing a viable economy within a stable population, and the size of population on each Island which will bring about a desirable balance with the social and natural environment of Hawai‘i.”

Nationally, the Commission on Population and the American Future had been established by federal law in March 1970. A final 

 issued by the Commission was submitted to the U.S. Congress in March 1972, with proposals ranging from increased abortion access to voluntary sterilization to stricter immigration controls. Out of political embarrassment for its recommendations, the Nixon Administration largely distanced itself from the Commission.

However, the rhetoric which argued for limits on immigration had devastating consequences. In the present-day, arguments blaming immigrants for environmental degradation have had devastating 

Back in Hawai‘i, the reports stacked on one another. In 1972, Earl R. Babbie of the civic organization 

, a major argument for a cap on Hawai‘i’s population at one million (Hawai‘i’s population reached this threshold in the mid-’80s). 

These reports built a case for a more permanent state agency tasked with controlling the state’s population growth. As a result, the Commission on Population Stabilization and the Hawaiian Future was 

A primary architect of the measure, Nadao Yoshinga, was not solely worried about the influx of outsiders. Natural population growth among existing residents was another worry. Yoshinaga, an influential member of the State Senate, would 

 in the name of limited Hawai‘i’s population growth over the coming years. Limiting population by whatever means necessary (in the confines of the law) was the objective.

At around this time, Robert C. Schmitt, the State Statistician of Hawai‘i, 

 of the emerging field of population policy. Proponents of population control, at least in the early Statehood era, had started to organize in the late ’60s through such organizations as the University of Hawai‘i-sponsored Zero Population Growth-Honoulu, Citizens for Hawai‘i, Life of the Land, the Sierra Club, and Save our Surf. 

These groups advocated for policies to halt population migration, economic development, and other factors like densified communities in the name of environmentalism. Perhaps tragically, this misguided approach to Hawai‘i’s prevailing problems created a manichean world of values in conflict with one another.

Arguments for population control in the name of environmental stewardship had a real impact on policy in the late ’70s. Most notably, this came to a head in 1977.

During his annual State of the State address, Governor George Ariyoshi directly addressed population control, arguing for immigration controls and density regulation in the name of the ‘aloha spirit.’

“The problem of excessive population seems to be central to nearly every problem in the State.” he started. “Too many people means too few jobs and too much competition for them. Too many people means too little land for agriculture, parks, and scenic vistas. Too many people means too much crime and too much erosion of possibly our single most important commodity: the Aloha Spirit. Too many people means too much pressure on all our governmental and private institutions.” 

Ariyoshi wanted fewer people in Hawai‘i, plain and simple. To reinforce his views, the State Legislature even sponsored a 

 on population and the Hawaiian future in March 1977. 

One piece of legislation would have discriminated against recent arrivals to Hawai‘i through residency requirements for state jobs. A Federal Judge based in Honolulu, the part-Hawaiian Sam P. King, condemned the State of Hawai‘i’s flirtation with a flagrantly “anti-migratory” statute.

These attempts provide a marked contrast with the present day. In January 2025, the Department of Human Services 

 that the State suffers from a vacancy rate of 24% of all civil services positions (equivalent to more than 4,000 jobs). 

Nevertheless, Hawai‘i still inserted a section into its Constitution at the 1978 Constitutional Convention that called for population planning. To date, it is the only Constitution in the United States with such explicit language.

Instead of promoting smarter urban planning methods that conserved space while reducing sprawl or incentivizing farmers to bring more fallow agricultural land into cultivation, it was more convenient to blame the outside migrants for Hawai‘i’s development problems.

Instead of fostering solutions which invite greater societal innovation, it is more convenient to fall for an ideology wrapped in the veneer of science. 

Since 1970, Hawai‘i’s population fortunes have reversed.

Global population growth is not exponential, nor could it sustain the growth rates witnessed after the Second World War. In fact, our planet’s 

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