Hawaii
Foreign-born residents make up 70% of Hawaii hotel housekeepers. Some have college degrees
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – As unionized hotel employees in Waikiki and Wailea call for better staffing and work conditions — a reminder of where many of them come from.
Nely Reinante is among thousands who do the dirty work of Waikiki. A hotel housekeeper since 2010, Reinante calls it backbreaking.
“We sacrifice a lot with our sweat and blood, but we just adapt. We just accept it to ourselves that it is our job. We need to love our job in order to provide the service that our guests need. And in exchange we can provide for our family,” she said.
Foreign-born residents make up nearly 70% of housekeeping cleaners in Hawaii and about half of kitchen staff.
In fact, a third of the state’s tourism and hospitality workers were born outside of the United States.
Some have college degrees and have had to give up their dreams and fields of study to survive in America.
“Many of us are graduates in the Philippines. But then we cannot carry the credentials coming here. Unless you’re gonna take the class again, or some do trainings. Because of housekeeping there’s no training, you’re only trained to clean,” she explained. “It’s really hard. It’s like fighting your own, your inner battles.”
For newly arrived immigrants who speak little English, cleaning is an easy way to make money quickly, and sometimes earn more than white collar jobs.
Employer-subsidized healthcare is a huge draw for mothers like Nerissa Acdel. She moved to Hawaii when she was 19.
“Working in the hotel, it’s like, good for me because I have a three kids like, you know, I have the benefits that they have the medicals, because living here with medical is so important, so I move in the hotel, like to work there to give a better future for my kids,” Acdel said.
Kids like Dania — whose parents moved to Lahaina from Mexico 20 years ago.
Though undocumented, they found work cleaning vacation rentals and restaurants. But there are downsides.
“They’re working these long hours, but they don’t get medical insurance, so don’t get any benefits. Through them, sometimes they get hurt, and they don’t get workers comp, they do have those jobs under the table being able to work,” she said. “But they are definitely sometimes taken advantage of.”
Those who do have a voice are using it.
And no matter how dirty or difficult the work, immigrants say they’re willing to sacrifice for their families.
Watch more episodes of HNN’s series “Immigration in Hawaii.”
Copyright 2024 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
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Signed Franchise Agreement Signals New Nontraditional Sector Development Exploration
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Multi-Unit, Multi-Brand Operator Specializing in Travel Plazas Adds Exceptional Coffee Concept to Growing Portfolio
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19,000-square-foot Travel Plaza Set to Open in Q2 2025
KENOSHA, Wis., Nov. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii, a leading coffee franchise renowned for its premium sourcing of Hawaiian coffees and unforgettable cafés, announces a new signed agreement that will bring a nontraditional location to the greater Kenosha market in Q2 2025. Bad Ass Coffee is set to become the flagship concept in a 19,000-square-foot travel plaza at County Highway E, I-94 Exit 339. This exciting development marks a major step in the brand’s expansion into nontraditional locations, highlighting significant growth opportunities on the horizon.
At the helm of this agreement is Paul Bhardwaj, CEO and founder of Golden Oil, which operates 12 travel centers and employs over 400 team members. In addition to building a multi-million-gallon fuel company, Bhardwaj is well-versed in the QSR space, owning franchises of top brands like Subway, Dairy Queen, and Cinnabon, among others. With over 30 years of industry experience, he’s witnessed shifting consumer preferences and evolving amenities. Driven by the demand for speed and quality, Bhardwaj sought a standout coffee concept to anchor the all-new travel plaza.
“Coffee is an untapped market for us with massive potential,” said Bhardwaj. “For a travel plaza, it’s a natural fit, and being near three college campuses positions us perfectly to become a go-to coffee destination. When we set out to find the right brand, we were looking for something truly distinctive and premium. Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii stood out – not only for its exceptional product, but also for its proven business model and impressive financials, making it a smart and seamless investment.”
Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii leadership share Bhardwaj’s enthusiasm for tapping into nontraditional expansion opportunities as a complement to the brand’s overall franchise development strategy.
“As we continue to grow, it’s crucial in this competitive market to identify nontraditional opportunities that will build awareness for our brand, while presenting an attractive business opportunity for our franchisees,” said Gregg Koffler Chief Development Officer of Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii. “With consumer accessibility and convenience top-of-mind, we’re committed to bringing our quality product to consumers through a wide variety of nontraditional locations, including travel plazas, airports, convenience stores, colleges, and other high-trafficked venues.”
The family of a 30-year-old Hawaii resident is searching for her in Los Angeles after she missed a connecting flight, sent unusual text messages and then went silent, the relatives said.
Hannah Kobayashi arrived in Los Angeles on Nov. 8 en route to New York City but missed a connecting flight because a 30- to 45-minute window to get to its departure terminal may not have been enough, aunt Larie Pidgeon said in an interview.
Kobayashi, of Maui, stayed in Los Angeles as she awaited an opening for a last-minute flight to New York and used the time for sightseeing, family members said. She went to The Grove shopping center in the Beverly Grove neighborhood, about 12 miles north of Los Angeles International Airport, to see a Nike marketing event on Nov. 10, they said.
Kobayashi’s Instagram account, verified by NBC News, includes a photo she posted that depicts a Nike notice of filming, apparently at or near The Grove.
The next day, she sent concerning text messages to loved ones, family members said.
“Hannah’s last message to us was alarming — she mentioned feeling scared, and that someone might be trying to steal her money and identity,” Pidgeon said on Facebook.
“She hasn’t been heard from since, and we are gravely concerned for her safety,” she wrote.
Pidgeon confirmed her Facebook account name, Larie Ingrum, by text. She was one of three relatives who recently sat for an interview about Kobayashi.
The three were part of a larger group of family members and loved ones who gathered in Los Angeles in recent days to launch a search effort.
Pidgeon said Kobayashi, an art fan and aspiring photographer, saved for the trip to New York City and was excited before she left Honolulu on Nov. 8.
She planned to visit the Museum of Modern Art and absorb Manhattan’s art scene as part of her effort to establish a career, Pidgeon said.
“She was really trying to school herself on how to become ‘it’ in New York,” she said.
Relatives have said they reported Kobayashi missing to the Los Angeles International Airport Police Department and the FBI, but the Los Angeles Police Department said it is the primary investigating agency on the case. Officer Tony Im, an LAPD spokesman, said Kobayashi was reported missing to the department Friday.
Pidgeon said texts sent Nov. 11 were alarming and at times didn’t sound like they were written in Kobayashi’s voice.
Family members quoted one of the texts, according to a video report from NBC affiliate KHNL of Honolulu: “I got tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds for someone I thought I loved.”
Pidgeon said the texts describe what amounts to identity theft.
“She said that someone was stealing her identity, that she felt scared,” Pidgeon said.
It appeared Kobayashi was at Los Angeles International Airport at the time, she said. Another aunt, Geordan Montalvo, whom Kobayashi was to visit in New York, tried to reach her, Pidgeon said.
“Her phone pinged at LAX at 4 p.m. and then after that, Geordan kept trying to talk to her, and then it went dark. Her phone went dead, and her communication cut off completely,” Pidgeon said.
The Nov. 11 texts were the last family members heard from her.
On a Facebook group called Help Us Find Hanna, which includes the participation of family members, a post by the RAD Movement — a San Diego County, California, missing persons nonprofit group — says security video in the area of Pico Boulevard and Hill Street in downtown Los Angeles shows Kobayashi with someone and has sparked concern.
Family members said they couldn’t speak about it in detail because they don’t want to hinder investigators. It’s not clear when the video was recorded. Pidgeon said that based on the video, there’s reason to believe Kobayashi “is not OK.”
Relatives say Kobayashi booked her trip to New York with a boyfriend with whom she has since broken up. They said the unidentified man was on the same flight to Los Angeles but didn’t have contact with Kobayashi and made the connection to New York City. They described him as very cooperative.
The group gathered in Los Angeles is focusing its own search on the intersection of Pico Boulevard and Hill Street, near the Convention Center, LA Live and Crypto Arena, family members said.
Father Ryan Kobayashi is among them.
“Everything is just a blur it seems, because I haven’t slept well since I’ve heard the news, and I really don’t know … it’s just really concerning,” he told KHNL earlier.
In 2013, the story of missing Canadian tourist Elsa Lam, 21, sparked international headlines when her body was found in a water tank on the roof of a run-down hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Security video of Lam pacing inside a hotel elevator and pressing multiple buttons before her death helped inspire conspiracy theories, but the Los Angeles County medical examiner determined she drowned accidentally in an event influenced by her bipolar disorder.
On Monday, citing speculation that Kobayashi needed a “break,” Pidgeon sought to reassure the public that she didn’t suffer from mental illness.
“Hannah has never once suffered from a mental illness,” she said. “She has no record on that. She is not on medication. Hannah’s someone that we can call and she’s going to call us back within an hour.”
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Local artists will help tell the stories of Oahu’s historical and cultural landmarks through a new public art initiative launching next year.
“Wahi Pana: Storied Places” will explore the layered and profound histories of Oahu’s aina, or land, to inspire respect and provide educational experiences for residents and visitors alike.
The initiative will feature 12 artists and 11 sites across the island, such as Waimea Valley, Haleiwa Beach Park and Hanauma Bay.
“The art will be expressed through various forms of storytelling, including sculpture, video, photography, poetry, painting, and mele,” said Kaʻili Trask O’Connell, executive director, Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts. “By deepening historical and cultural awareness with residents and visitors, the initiative encourages more meaningful engagement with Hawaii’s aina and its people.”
Cory Kamehanaokalā Holt Taum will create vinyl bus wraps for selected city buses that will depict the journey of Hiiaka, Pele’s youngest sister.
“This project is a chance for us as artists to connect with our communities and to bring the spirit of each wahi pana, each storied place to life,” he said.
Carl F.K. Pao will create tiled murals at Fort Street Mall that transform Hawaiian into a visual language.
Brandy Nālani McDougall, 2023–2025 Hawaii State Poet Laureate, will compose poetry relating to the presence and perception of Leahi, or Diamond Head.
The project, supported by a $1 million grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge, will begin installations in February 2025 and will run through March 2028.
Copyright 2024 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
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