Seeking to create a humanities program for Honoka‘a, the Hāmākua Coast and Hawaiʻi island communities in response to and recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, the program’s goal is to encourage academic success, understand Hawaiʻi history and practice resilience in the community in which the true story Hāmākua Hero: A True Plantation Story took place, as well as other communities experiencing adversity. It was also intended to  create important connections and a sense of place, pride, and healing for communities and to contribute to sustaining the heritage and culture of Hawaiʻi and give insight to others.

This effective and dynamic interdisciplinary approach of combining arts, design and education to utilize a relevant and impactful place-and community-based instructional resource is an important and significant contribution to the humanities, which is an integral part of living and learning in a thriving, multicultural global society.

Katsu Goto is represented in anime form on the cover of the graphic novel. Courtesy of Bess Press.

A humanities program was created for Honokaʻa, the Hāmākua Coast and Hawaʻi island communities to encourage academic success, understand Hawaiʻi history and practice resilience.

In collaboration with the Honoka‘a Hongwanji Mission, this program is made possible in part by funding from the Hawai’i Council for the Humanities through the Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan (SHARP) with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act. 

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this project, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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