Democratic Hawaii State Representative Faye Hanonhano is in a little bit of hot water for making racially discriminatory remarks in the course of her duties.

But in reading the reporting on the incidents, it’s actually a little challenging to find out what she actually said as some media does not spell it out.

Here’s a sample:

First, a Hawaii Pacific University student alleged Hanohano berated him at a public hearing.

And then, in a letter to House Speaker Joe Souki, State Land Director William Aila cited several instances where Hanohano allegedly made inappropriate remarks to employees at the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Aila wrote that at one meeting, Hanohano allegedly said an employee was “responsible for genocide.” In another, she allegedly asked the person if he or she “agreed that land was stolen from many Hawaiians.”

Notice you are not told what she said when she berated the student, or what some of the “inappropriate remarks” to the employees were.

I had to go the Hawaii Pacific University newspaper to find out what was said to the student, and even that sounds a bit attenuated.

Aarin Jacobs, 22-year-old HPU environmental studies student, was testifying before Hanohano’s House Ocean, Marine Resources and Hawaiian Affairs Committee on a bill that would have created penalties for harming sharks and rays within state waters.

According to a front-page story in the Feb. 14 “Honolulu Star-Advertiser,” Jacobs said in an email that Hanohano treated him rudely at the Feb. 7 hearing about a bill that would have protected sharks and rays in state waters.

He said Hanohano made comments about Westerners who come to Hawaii and tell locals what to do.

Jacobs, who is from Portland, Ore., wrote in his email to House leaders that: “She very rudely berates me in front of the committee and audience, interrupting my responses to her, and speaking in Hawaiian without the courtesy of translation. She asked questions and made statements that were irrelevant to the situation and discrediting her position as a committee chair.”

He said Hanohano accused him of wanting to take her food and asked him if she would have to eat people if there were a taro famine and she couldn’t eat shark.

In remarks to the staff, Hanonhano also apparently referred to DLNR staff as “malihini”(a bit of a slap, meaning “newcomer” or foreigner) getting to have a say in rules and spoke at them in Hawaiian during their meeting, knowing they would not be able to understand her.

Last year Hanohano was forced to apologize for more racial remarks. Unhappy with the paintings installed in her state Capitol office as part of a public exhibit, she went on a tirade against the exhibit specialists, saying how ‘ugly’ the artwork was and questioning why they were not putting up art by Native Hawaiian artists. She told them “any work by Haoles, Japs, Paranges and Pakes, you can take away right now”. Haole is a reference to white non-Hawaiian generally, Pake is an ethnic slur against Chinese, Parange references Portugese.

She also threatened to cut the funding for the organization putting up the paintings, the State Foundation on Culture And the Arts, for not sufficiently promoting Hawaiian artists.

In response to criticism of her most recent remarks, Hanonhano was hardly contrite (Video of her response here).

“So my first inclination was to request a meeting with her to find out what is going on. Did one of my staffers say something to upset her? Did I say something to upset her? She, for one reason or another, canceled these meetings that we had set up over a period of about two weeks,” Aila said.

“He called for a meeting and I was so busy. This is our crunch time. This is our pa’ahana time. We have to … do whatever we need to move bills forward, and he just went ho’opunipuni and told a lie that I canceled a meeting. I never cancel meetings,” Hanohano said.

Hanohano said if people’s feelings were hurt, “So be it,” adding that the student did not come prepared to her committee hearing and he didn’t know who she was.

“The only reason you call people racist is they’re the ones that are racist,” Hanohano said. “The word ‘racist’ does not exist in my vocabulary.”

House leaders have said they intend to assign a special committee to look into Hanohano’s conduct after receiving several complaints.

“We believe in accountability and stand ready to answer hard questions by lawmakers,” Aila said in his letter. “But DLNR leadership and staff have no level of confidence in testifying before a hearing in which Rep. Hanohano is present that they will be treated fairly or with respect by her.”

Hanohano sits on five committees, and is the chairwoman of the House Committee on Ocean, Marine Resources, and Hawaiian Affairs.

HT: Anonymous