The following is an email received earlier today from an HPI friend who is a supporter of Dr. Keli’i Akina for OHA
I am writing to ask for your help in electing my good friend Dr. Keli’i Akina (also called William) to an important office in Hawaii, which can impact Chinese across the world. That office is Trustee in OHA, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Although only US citizens are allowed to vote or to donate money, anyone in the world can promote Dr. Akina to their Hawaii friends, relatives and connections.
Dr. Akina is a reformer who believes in harmony and equality between all peoples and he is helping to build the bridge between East and West. He has made strong advances in local communities such as the retired veterans and the Christian churches and the news media and Internet and at public debates. He now has a clear chance to win the election. But his opponent is strong, because of the ruling party in Hawaii, and so I am helping him reach one more area that his opponent is not reaching.... the Chinese.
The Chinese community could make the difference and help elect a Trustee who will serve both Hawaiians and Chinese, and all people! This will strengthen the relationship between two great nations!
By background, Dr. Akina is both Chinese and Hawaiian. His wife Tseng-fan Patty Hsieh (Xie Cheng-fan) was born in China and he was born in the USA, but his ancestors are Chinese and Hawaiian. Dr. Akina tells us that in the 18th Century, the "A-Ching" family came to Hawaii from Southern China as plantation workers and married a Hawaiian family, who pronounced the name "A-Kin-a," which became Akina. His ancestors in Hawaii married other local Chinese Hawaiians such as the Chun-Hoon, Mar and Wong families. They represent the beautiful Hawaiian and Chinese unity which he is running for office to maintain. Today, Dr. Akina’s own academic work is in Chinese philosophy and he travels between Chinese and Hawaii universities teaching and researching to build stronger ties between China and the USA through the Hawaii bridge.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO ELECT DR. AKINA...?
In this day of racial conflict across the world, Dr. Akina is the only candidate who has taken a position in favor of ethnic groups like the Chinese and Japanese as well as immigrants (both legal and undocumented children). Although the Office of Hawaiian Affairs has a mission to care for the needs of native Hawaiians, Akina is the only candidate who argues that the best way to care for Hawaiians is to care for non-Hawaiians too. Akina’s campaign philosophy is that Hawaii is a great, safe harbor with boats from all across the world. To raise the water level of one boat (the Hawaiians), we must raise the water level of all boats (the Chinese and other immigrants). That's why Akina says, "OHA for Everyone." You can read his positions and his blog at www.Akina2012.com.
Dr. Akina’s opponents want to keep OHA just for blood Hawaiians and want to have a separate political government that divides Hawaiians from non-Hawaiians. In contrast, Akina promotes the values of Hawaii's last queen, Queen Lili'uokalani, who believed in Hawaii as a place where all people could live in harmony together. He also promotes the values of a famous Hawaii resident and student in Hawaii schools Sun Yat-sen or Sun Zhongshan (???), father of modern China. Sun Yat-sen dreamed of a unified China in which all people were equal, and he created and promoted that dream in Hawaii. Akina’s vision is that OHA (like the old Kingdom of Hawaii) can be a major force in building the China-USA bridge, contributing to the harmony of mankind. The blending of cultures, East and West, is seen in the fact that all three of these individuals, Lili'uokalani, Sun Yat-sen, and Akina are baptized Christians and seek to use wisdom from the Bible and cultural teachers like Confucius and the Hawaiian kupuna to anchor modern government and culture.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
I need your help to mobilize the Chinese voters in Hawaii for Dr. Akina. There are tens of thousands of Chinese who are US citizens who can vote on November 6th. Most leave their ballot for OHA Trustee blank because they don't understand that it affects them and they usually don't know anybody to vote for. In this election they need to know Dr. Akina will serve them and needs their vote and support.
TELL YOUR FRIENDS & CONTACTS TO…
· VOTE: CHINESE USA CITIZENS WHO ARE REGISTERED VOTERS IN HAWAII CAN VOTE FOR DR. AKINA ON NOVEMBER 6th!
· DONATE: ALL CHINESE USA CITIZENS LIVING ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD CAN GIVE FINANCIALLY TO DR. AKINA’S CAMPAIGN ONLINE AT www.Akina2012.com. YOU CAN DONATE ANY AMOUNT UP TO A MAXIMUM Of $6,000 PER CITIZEN.
· SEND THIS LETTER TO THEIR FRIENDS AND CONTACTS
· VOLUNTEER: CONTACT THE LOCAL OFFICE AT (808) 351-0341
Thank you for your faith in doing what is good for Hawaii, the USA, China, and harmony in the world.
For more information, visit Dr. Akina’s website at www.Akina2012.com or contact Michelle Oh Yip at mkoh.law@gmail.com. Mailing address: PO Box 62312, Honolulu, Hawaii 96839. Campaign phone: (808) 351-0341.
