Sterling Higa
Sterling Higa is a servant of Christ, husband, and father to four. He is a columnist for Aloha State Daily; the views expressed are his own.
As founding executive director of Housing Hawai‘i’s Future, Sterling helped pass Hawai‘i’s most significant statewide housing reforms in 40 years. Previously, he was a lecturer and debate coach in the Communications Department at Hawai‘i Pacific University, winning the Golden Apple Award for distinguished teaching. His writings for Honolulu Civil Beat and Hawai‘i Business Magazine have been recognized with awards from the Society of Professional Journalists.
Sterling is a Roosevelt High School graduate and holds a bachelor's degree in Speech from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and a master's degree in education from Harvard University.
Latest from Sterling Higa
The sword that spares
ASD opinion columnist Sterling Higa shares gratitude for the police we send toward the danger the rest of us flee, especially in light of the manhunts for Jacob Baker and William “Billy” Sinclair.
Sterling HigaJune 09, 2026
No law can raise the dead
Maybe police crackdowns or stricter parental discipline might've prevented the now infamous North Shore beatdowns, writes ASD opinion columnist Sterling Higa, but at heart, the cruelties of that night are evidence of a deeper spiritual crisis in Hawai‘i.
Sterling HigaJune 06, 2026
Too much sunshine
Transparency is great, but it isn't the only value government has to weigh, writes ASD opinion columnist Sterling Higa. There's so much sunshine on some commission hiring that good applicants might shy away for fear of getting needlessly burned.
Sterling HigaJune 02, 2026
The politics downstream
Presidents used to emerge out of whistlestop tours, radio address, television and cable. Now, for the youngest voters and voters-to-be, political power gathers in the frenetic world of livestreams. ASD opinion columnist Sterling Higa talks about what this means.
Sterling HigaMay 30, 2026
The news according to OHA
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has shown an interest in purchasing a television station. ASD opinion columnist Sterling Higa thinks this might not do for OHA what the agency would like in terms of controlling the message.
Sterling HigaMay 27, 2026
The stories underneath
ASD opinion columnist Sterling Higa explores how an extensive story on homelessness by Civil Beat raises issues where both the political left and political right can do better on their approaches to solving the problem.
Sterling HigaMay 22, 2026
