Keep Samoans & Hawaiians out of Hawai'i Jails & Prisons. HOW ?

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Posted by on July 16, 2003 at 09:59:15:

Keep Samoans & Hawaiians out of Hawai'i Jails & Prisons. HOW ?

Posted by Peter Maleko AhChing Leiataua.

Keeping Samoans & Hawaiians out of Hawaii Jails & Prisons !

It is a minority thing in Hawaii like in the mainland for Hispanics, low income Whites & Blacks. Not all Samoans, but some like most borderline income families of any ethnicity in Hawaii need education & awareness of positive things. They need to let kids stay in school ( public or private ) and emphasize the importance of ' Staying Out of Trouble, No Drugs & NO Teen pregnancy. ' These things are not acceptable - Parent & children education is very critical.

Parents need good parenting skills in new environments - thus community programs need to reach out to parents and assure that all the basic needs are met for the entire family. ( Life in SAMOA - community oriented - is very different from LIfe in Hawaii & in U.S = very individualistic and fast ). Community leaders & Parents need to tell kids to ' STAY out of TROUBLE - NO GANGS, NO DRUGS, and NO LOITERING. ' KIDS need to stay home and study or read or learn to use computers ....etc. If families don't have these due to poverty, then go to public libraries & hang out there & learn to use these things at public places or at schools or family agencies.

There is an Agency in Hawaii - called SAMOAN SERVICE PROVIDERS ASSOCIATION ( SSPA ) in Honolulu, & Kalihi - this is an outreach program for job training, maintenance & family services. Make sure Samoan kids & families are aware & have contact with the SSPA people for other referals based on other necessities ( whatever they need ).

Samoan students also need to know that there are SAMOAN ROLE MODELS in their Communities to emulate & get to know :

Samoan Professionals in HAWAII that we know as SUPER NICE PEOPLE :

(A) LAW, ENFORCEMENT & SERVICES :

(1) High Court Judge: To'oto'o ( last name - nice guy married to a local HAWAII news personality. Super smart - yet retained the SAMOAN kindness & beneficence of a MATAI - ALII ).

(2) Mufi Hanneman - Harvard Graduate & City Council - Foremost Political Leader in Hawaii. He has a Lawyer brother Gus Hanneman,

(3) Gus Hanneman - Lawyer. These brothers are real SAMOANS in heart & in deeds. You will see them on local television...etc...promoting ways to help out HAWAII families. Mufi will be running for HAWAII Honolulu Mayor & Governor.

(4) Police : Erick Tanuvasa ( Former Fresno State Linebacker & Fresno State Coach, High School Counselor & Football Coach at McKinley Tigers ). Awesome guy to hang out with & talk about gang violence & other issues.

(5) Samoan Prison Guards & Officers at HALAWA & OCCC in Hawaii : Silva, Salanoa, Leiataua, Purcell, Danielson....etc. This team of Samoans protect against Violence & prison outbeaks ! These SAMOANS secure Hostile Prisons in HAWAII.

(B) Medicine : Samoans in Internal Medicine, Psychiatry, Plastic Surgery, General Surgery, General Practice in Private, Hawaii State Hospitals & in Military Hospitals.

(1) Dr. Ernie Alaimalo, M.D ( Medical Doctor in Honolulu, Hawaii ) in Medicince Psychiatry - for community services & referrals - good parenting skills & education & medical questions & support.

(2) Dr. Jed Alaimalo, M.D ( Internal Medicine docotor in Maui, Hawaii ). A great person to hangout with while in Maui - still regular Samoans with traditional values & good morals.

(3) Dr. Lisa Smith, MD. ( medical doctor & military officer at Tripler Hospital )

(4) Dr. William Fruean, MD - Samoan medical doctor in Kalihi & Schofield in Mililani, Hawaii.

(5) Dr. Patrick Pedro, MD from American SAMOA, a medical SURGEON at Queens Hospital in Hawaii & St. Francis Hospital. SURGERY.

(6) Dr. Paopao in Surgery on Hilo, Hawaii. Plastic SURGERY.

(7) Dr. Soliai ( Medical doctor at Tripler Hospital ) Internal MEDICINE.


(C) These are our Personal friends in LAW & MEDICINE with SAMOAN heritage. Other peoples of Japanese, Chinese, Hawaiian, Philipino, Hispanics, Blacks & Whites ...etc...are more than willing to assist ( wonderful friends ) but it is sometimes hard for them to understand some Samoan inclinations & idiosyncrasies ( Samoan customs and culture ).

So contact or get to know these Samoan Professionals in Hawaii. There are many others - but those are our friends for the KIDS to know about and emulate and to learn from. YEAH, if other SAMOANS can do it - then SO CAN YOU. YOU CAN DO IT KIDS ! ! ! Power of Positive Thinking ! The Mind is a Powerful thing - it can make a Heaven or Hell on Earth. Heaven with positive thinking and Hell with negative thoughts.

Other than the HIGH POWERED professional Samoans, well, there are TONS of SAMOAN athletes to emulate from ( thats another article ) like : David Tua, Dwayne Johnson, Junior Seau, Jesse Sapolu, Pisa TinoiSamoa, Chris Fu-Ma'afala, Marques Tuiasosopo, Joe Salave'a, Joe Onosa'i, Falaniko ' NIKO ' Vitale and many other proud Sons of Samoa.

SAMOAN kids need to be TAUGHT about these SAMOAN role models. They need to learn to go into these good areas of LIFE ( Professional fields & Sports ) and not into DRUGS, VIOLENCE & GANGS because that's how Samoans end up in PRISON !

Samoans need to maintain POSITIVE ATTITUDES. Examples: YOU CAN DO IT Tama ! This is how TAMA ! GOOD try TAMA, try again ! Its ok, Tama we can do it later ! WE WILL CONTINUE to WORK on it Tama ! Don't get MAD or FRUSTRATED Tama, we can try it another way ! Well Tama, lets see if this one works for us !

All these positive reinforcement statements will keep TAMA out of prison & help him be anything he wants to be. It take guidance, patience and committment to help Tama become a GREAT Lawyer, Doctor or Court Judge.

Note: Some Prisoners in Prison claim they are Samoan for peace, protection & safety - Most of them are not Samoan - don't speak Samoan. It is fashionable for them in prison to claim SAMOAN when indeed they are not - for safety & peace. This we know from Prison GUARD friends.

We know this is BAD because it brings the public perception of SAMOANS down - I guess they claim it for SAFETY in PRISON - good for them, but bad for ALL TRUE SAMOANS. However in Hawaii, there are some Samoans who don't speak Samoan fluently - hence the confusion & dilemma. SAMOANS need a better public image - but being a Samoan in prison in HAWAII must be a safe thing for the inmates - though they are not, they claim SAMOAN for security. Oh well. What would you do if you were a new inmate in a Hawaii prison ? Things to think about.

Thats how you keep Samoans & Hawaiians out of Hawaii jails & prisons ! Peter Maleko AhChing Leiataua in HAWAII.


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