Hawaii

These seniors are learning Hula to celebrate Hawaiian culture

Published

2 years ago

May 15, 2024

These seniors are learning Hula to celebrate Hawaiian culture

SAN RAMON, Calif. — “Hula is the language of the heart, and therefore the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people,” says Desiree Elder, a Hula instructor with the Polynesian dance revue, Island Spice.

“Many people visit Hawaii,” Elder says, “and they think that Hula is just wiggling around. But Hula is so much more than that.”

Elder teaches Hula to all ages, but her most unique class is probably the 55-and-over instruction for mature adults taught at San Ramon-Alcosta Senior and Community Center.

“The soft, graceful movements are really fun to do,” says Fiona Waterhouse, one of Elders students. “And the beautiful music which evokes everything Hawaiian.”

“This is like a godsend class,” adds another student.

Elder says she particularly enjoys teaching seniors because they’re a very engaging group of people.

“They want to learn,” she says, “they’re not done with life, they want to learn, they want to exercise.”

Many of Elders students agree, Hula dancing gives them an opportunity to move and exercise their bodies and their minds. They often give each other tips on how to learn the dance moves, allowing them to socialize and build friendships as well.

“When we came to this class, we didn’t know each other,” says Haldis Maeda, a student of the 55+ beginners class. “I had to learn all the different movements and what they’re called. And it’s really nice, because you’re all learning together. So it’s kind of like you’re helping one another out.”

Beyond creating friendships, the class immerses students in Hawaiian culture.

“When you teach them about Hula, you just can’t teach them moves and language,” says Elder, “They also learn about basic Hula dance traditions, because there are a lot of traditions that go with dancing Hula. How to stand, how to put your costume on, so there are a lot of different aspects of the Hawaiian culture that get brought into classes.”

Elder says learning about Hawaiian culture and Hula is especially impactful during Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) heritage month.

“People from all over the world go to Hawaii and go there for vacation,” she says. “And then you forget about Hawaii. Hawaii has its own unique culture, you have a place that actually had a kingdom on United States land. It’s the only place that has a palace in the U.S. So it’s a very unique type of culture. And for people to recognize that during this month, AAPI heritage month, it’s very good because get a chance to be more inquisitive about it. Maybe they look into it, maybe take a Hula class, maybe buy a book about Hula, or about Hawaii in general.”

AAPI Heritage Month celebrates the accomplishments of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Through hula, these seniors honor the traditions of the islands.

“Every time we come together and dance hula,” Elder says, “we celebrate the Hawaiian culture.”

To learn more, and to sign up for a hula class, visit here.

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Hawaii

Hawaii Pacific basketball teams split with Menlo | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Published

8 hours ago

January 9, 2026

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Hawaii

Hawaii County accepting applications for Summer Fun employees

Published

20 hours ago

January 8, 2026

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Hawaii County accepting applications for Summer Fun employees

HAWAII ISLAND (HawaiiNewsNow) – The County of Hawaii Department of Parks and Recreation is now accepting applications for temporary positions in its 2026 Summer Fun program.

The two positions available are Activity Aide I ($17.50 per hour) and Activity Aide II ($19 per hour).

To be considered for employment, applicants must possess a valid first-aid certification, attend mandatory training June 2–5, and be available to work June 8–July 17.

Applications are available online on the Parks and Recreation website, and must be submitted to the Recreation Division Office at 799 Pi‘ilani St., Hilo, HI 96720, postmarked by Saturday, Feb. 28.

For more information, call the Recreation Division Office at (808) 961-8740.

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Hawaii

Hawaii’s jobless rate remains second lowest in U.S. – Hawaii Tribune-Herald

Published

1 day ago

January 8, 2026

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Hawaii’s jobless rate remains second lowest in U.S. – Hawaii Tribune-Herald

Hawaii’s labor market
continues to rank among the best
in the country.

The state’s seasonally adjusted rate plunged three-tenths of a point to 2.2% in November from September and now has fallen by a half-percentage point over the last three reporting periods, according to data released Tuesday from the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

There was no unemployment data for October due to the federal government shutdown.

The 2.2% rate maintained Hawaii’s ranking as the second lowest in the country, according to state data released Wednesday — a day later — by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Only South Dakota was lower in November at 2.1%.

The last time Hawaii’s rate dropped below 2.2% was in March 2020 when it hit 2.1% just before the pandemic started.

Hawaii’s low number caught Eugene Tian, DBEDT’s former state chief economist, by surprise.

“I was surprised to see the unemployment rate dropped to 2.2% in November,” said Tian, who retired at the end of May. “It is close to the historical low of 2.0% Hawaii experienced during the last four months of 2017. Hawaii ranks as one of the best labor markets in the nation.”

Hawaii’s rate has dropped from 2.7% in August to 2.5% in September to 2.2% in November.

Nationally, the U.S. unemployment rate was 4.6% in November, up by two-tenths of a point from September.

Tian said Hawaii’s unemployment rate fell sharply mainly due to a large increase in the number of people employed. Between September and November, the state’s labor force jumped by 1,000, or 0.15%, but the number of people employed increased by 2,800, or 0.42%.

“The faster increase in employment, with a slower increase in the labor force, made the unemployment rate low,” Tian said. “The increase in employment was due to the increase in payroll jobs (1,700 between September and November) and self-employment at 1,100.”

The state’s labor force, which is compiled from a telephone survey of households, edged up in November to 688,000 from 687,000 in September. The labor force includes those who are employed, those who are unemployed but actively seeking work and those who are self-employed. The number of people employed rose to 672,650 from 669,850 while those unemployed fell to 15,350 from 17,200.

In a separate survey, an increase in nonfarm payroll jobs in November from September was mainly driven by a 1,000 increase in construction jobs and a 1,000 gain in professional and business services.

Nonfarm payroll jobs are calculated from a mail survey of employers and are considered a better indicator of job growth due to a larger sample size than the labor force data, which is compiled from a telephone survey of households. In the payroll count, one person might be counted multiple times if that person has multiple jobs.

Tian said construction jobs continued their ascent in 2025 with the November number at a historical high of 42,000, while the values of completed construction, as measured by the contracting tax base, decreased every month between May and September 2025 (the latest data available is September), and the value of private building permits issued decreased every month between August and November 2025 (latest data available is November).

Tian said Hawaii’s unemployment numbers could rise in March when the Bureau of Labor Statistics benchmarks data of the previous year based on complete survey data. He noted that monthly data is based on sample data.

“Due to sampling errors for the monthly data, it is possible that the labor statistics may overstate the current conditions and the corrections will be released in March this year,” he said. “The lagging effect of new hires and activities may also contribute to the distortion of the labor statistics. I expect the unemployment rates will be adjusted toward higher levels when the numbers are benchmarked in March.”

Tian said if more people join the labor force, the state’s unemployment rate will rise when the number of employed people stabilizes.

“In the last few months, the labor force participation rate was stable at 60.4% (August-November),” he said. “Hawaii’s current labor force participation rate is lower than the U.S. at 62.5% (November 2025) and lower than the Hawaii monthly average of 61.1% in 2019. If labor force participation goes higher, the unemployment rate is likely to rise.”

While the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell, all of the state’s four major counties saw increases. State and national labor force data are adjusted for seasonal factors, but the county jobs data are not seasonally adjusted and thus do not take into account variations such as the winter holiday and summer vacation seasons.

Honolulu County’s rate rose to 2.3% from 2.2%. Hawaii County’s rate increased to 2.7% from 2.5%. Kauai County’s rate rose to 2.3% from 2.2%. And Maui County’s rate increased to 2.6% from 2.5%. Within Maui County, Maui island’s rate rose to 2.6% from 2.3%, Molokai’s rate fell to 4.0% from 5.9% and Lanai’s rate dropped to 1.1% from 2.2%.

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