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.
Hawaii
Healthier Hawaii: How to protect your hearing; head and neck warning signs you shouldn’t ignore
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – You may have received new earbuds or headphones during the holidays. But there are a few things you keep in mind when it comes to protecting your hearing.
Dr. Ross Shockley, an otolaryngologist with Wilcox Medical Center and Kaua‘i Medical Clinic, offers the following tips for hearing, as well as head and neck health.
Head and neck cancers
Many people are not familiar with head or neck cancers. What causes it and when should someone see a doctor?
- Traditionally, head and neck cancers were mostly associated with longtime smokers and drinkers. Now, more cases are tied to human papillomavirus (HPV), even in nonsmokers and drinkers. HPV is the same virus that can lead to cervical cancer in women. It is common and can have no symptoms.
- If you have throat pain, pain when swallowing that doesn’t go away, or a mass in your neck that feels firm and isn’t moving, don’t wait. See your doctor.
- Head and neck cancers can be treated, no matter the cause, if caught early.
How to prevent hearing loss
More young adults, in their early 20s, are experiencing hearing loss. Can hearing loss be reversed?
- Hearing loss can’t be reversed. Once ringing in ears starts, that can be permanent.
- Wear appropriate hearing protection when using power tools or firing weapons.
- You can find ear protection that blocks out sound for about $15. Protection that covers the whole ear are better than earplugs.
How do you know if music or movies are too loud?
- Don’t turn anything up to the maximum.
- You want the volume to be at the lowest level where you can still hear and understand.
- If there is background noise, don’t crank up the volume all the way to fight it. Use noise-cancelling headphones or go somewhere quieter.
Dangers of cleaning your ears
You may feel the urge to clean your ears. Shockley says do less, or even nothing at all.
- Our ears clean themselves. As new skin grows, it takes wax with it out of your ear.
- When you clean your ears, you’re interrupting that natural cleaning process.
- You can also put yourself at risk for external ear infections – or make your ears itch more.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
Hawaii
Hawaii Grown: Few isle players in College Football Playoff final four | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaii Island police are renewing their request for the public’s assistance in locating 82-year-old Jacquelyn Glenn of Kailua-Kona, who was reported missing by her family.
Police said she is considered endangered due to her age.
Glenn was last seen on Friday, Dec. 5, around 6:37 a.m., on the 75-200 block of Nani Kailua Dr. in Kailua-Kona.
She was wearing a peach-colored shirt, blue denim jeans, and black tennis shoes. She reportedly mentioned going to Hilo with friends, but did not say when she planned to return.
She is described as 5′6″, 125 Ibs, with curly grey hair and brown eyes.
Police ask anyone with information on the whereabouts of Jacquelyn Glenn to call the Hawaii Police Department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
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