The first Hawai‘i Poet Laureate Steven KealohapauŒole Hong-Ming Wong presents his first official duty with a poem following Governor Neil Abercrombie’s proclamation. (Hawai‘i Governor’s Office photo)

HONOLULU ‹ Governor Neil Abercrombie on Thursday proclaimed award-winning slam poet Steven Kealohapau‘ole Hong-Ming Wong, better known by his pen name, “Kealoha” as Hawai‘i Poet Laureate.

Moments after being named the state’s official poet, Kealoha was asked by Governor Abercrombie to complete his first ceremonial duty under the new title by performing at the dedication of the Hawai‘i State Art Museum’s Sculpture Garden. Titled “Garden”, the spoken word performance complemented the occasion in both name and genre, as Kealoha has often chosen HiSAM as a venue.

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 HONOLULU – Mayor Bernard Carvalho, Jr. and Kaua’i County Film Commissioner Art Umezu were among the invited guests at a memorial reception Sunday at the Japanese Cultural Center in Honolulu.

The event commemorated the one-year anniversary of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan last March.

In his remarks, Mayor Carvalho described how he felt when he visited Iwaki City last October to attend the Rejuvenation event, and also talked about Kaua’i’s newly formed sister-city relationship with Iwaki City.

The mayor said, “I was deeply touched by your boundless energy, and resilience, despite the challenges you face, and as your sister city, we stand ready to assist you in whatever way we can.”

Umezu, whose family roots lie in Fukushima, Japan talked about the connections Kaua’i has made with Iwaki City over the last 20 years, including: the student exchange program between Kaua’i Community College and Iwaki East Japan International University; hula and cultural exchange programs; and the exchange programs between the Kaua’i Marathon and the Iwaki Sunshine Marathon.

He noted, “It was a very special day when the highly esteemed Japanese kumu hula Kaleinani Hayakawa flew to Kaua’i 12 years ago and planted a ‘hula tree’ on the grounds of the Kaua’i War Memorial Convention Hall.”

Other distinguished guests at the commemorative event included: Gov. Neil Abercrombie; former Gov. George Ariyoshi; Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle; and Gen. Gary North, commander of the Pacific Air Forces.

The reception concluded with a 15-minute video presentation titled “Thank you from Japan”, and a presentation by exchange students from the Sendai Ikuei Gakuen Academy, where major damage occurred following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

“The Descendants” author Kaui Hart Hemmings , left, is presented a proclamation from Kaua‘i Mayor Bernard Carvalho at a pre-Academy Award event Thursday in Los Angeles. (Contribed photos)

LIHU‘E, Kaua‘i (Feb. 23, 2012) — Inspired by the artistic triumph of The Descendants in literature and film, Kaua‘i Mayor Bernard Carvalho, Jr., on Thursday honored author Kaui Hart Hemmings at a special media reception hosted by the County of Kaua‘i and Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau in Los Angeles.

Mayor Carvalho presented Ms. Hemmings with a proclamation from the County of Kaua‘i recognizing the achievement of her best-selling novel that has been adapted into the critically acclaimed and award-winning film of the same title.

Mayor Carvalho commented, “This is such a beautiful story and authentically depicts life in Hawai‘i. We know that the film adaptation will not only generate more interest in Kaua‘i as a vacation destination, but it will promote greater understanding of our unique culture and experience.”

The Descendants is nominated for five Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor (George Clooney), Best Director (Alexander Payne), Film Editing, and Adapted Screenplay, with the Oscars being presented February 26. The movie has already won the Golden Globe Awards for Best Motion Picture and Best Actor, as well as the Writers Guild of America Award for Adapted Screenplay.

KVB hosted the reception for travel, entertainment and consumer media in California to promote Kaua‘i’s magnificent natural beauty, which is at the center of the movie’s storyline. Unspoiled Kipu Kai on the island’s south shore is shown as the huge parcel of spectacular oceanfront land being contemplated for sale by Matt King (George Clooney).

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LOS ANGELES — The UCLA Asian American Studies Center Press announces Amerasia Journal’s first collection devoted to essays exploring Pacific Islander Studies.

Amerasia Journal 38:1 is the first extended treatment devoted to Pacific Islander Studies with “Transoceanic Flows: Pacific Islander Interventions across the American Empire” addresses the geographical expanse and methodological diversity that characterize this field.

UCLA Professor Keith L. Camacho guest edits this special issue of Amerasia Journal based on a 2009 symposium he organized entitled “Unlearning the American Pacific.”  Transoceanic Flows surveys the broad geographies and demographies of the Pacific Islands, including the peoples and places of Guam, Hawai’i, New Zealand, Samoa, and beyond.

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The Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum and the UCLA Asian American Studies Center are presenting Teaching the Pacific: A New Initiative by PIEAM and the UCLA Asian American Studies Center on Feb. 25, 2012 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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Ben Cayetano

HONOLULU (Jan. 18, 2012) — Former Hawai‘i Governor Ben Cayetano announced his candidacy for the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu in this year’s upcoming election.

In a press conference Wednesday, Cayetano spoke of his desire to end the Honolulu rail project as the motivation for coming out of retirement to run for Honolulu’s top job.

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HONOLULU (November 17, 2011) – Hawaii’s rising reggae band The Green has debuted at #1 on The Billboard Reggae and iTunes Reggae charts with the release of their new album Ways & Means, officially released October 25 on Easy Star Records.

The album debuted impressively on other Billboard charts including #6 on the Heatseekers Chart, #1 on the Regional Pacific New Artist Chart, and #94 on the Top 200 Digital albums, amongst others.

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By Kiran Ahuja

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 25, 2011) — With the introduction of the President’s American Jobs Act, I am reminded of the critical role nonprofits play in rebuilding our economy.

For the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, we know that small businesses and community organizations play a significant role in this effort, whether providing housing counseling and servicing community health clinics or hiring our long-term unemployed and providing important training and language assistance to transition AAPIs into 21st century jobs.  To support these groups in the critical work that they do, we recently created a Guide to Federal Agency Resources to provide vital information on federal grants and programs.

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HONOLULU (May 3, 2011) – Malama Hawaii today announced a new online network.  www.malamahawaii.org is the new online resource for the group.

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HONOLULU (April 26, 2011) – Island Film Group, the Honolulu-based production company behind Soul Surfer – directed by Sean McNamara and starring AnnaSophia Robb, Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt, Carrie Underwood and Hawaii’s own Sonya Balmores – last week celebrated the ongoing box office success of the film.

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