Tourism, Belonging, and Protecting the Places We Love

Author and journalist Sara Kehaulani Goo talks about her family's legacy on Hawai'i.

Sarah is joined by journalist and author Sara Kehaulani Goo about her new book, Kuleana: A Story of Family, Land, and Legacy in Old Hawai'i. Sara talks about tourism, belonging, and her familial roots in Hawaiian land.

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Episode Resources

Sara Kehaulani Goo is a journalist and senior news executive who has led several news organizations including Axios, NPR and The Washington Post. She is the former editor-in-chief at Axios, where she launched the company’s editorial expansion into national and local newsletters, podcasts and live journalism. Before Axios, she led online audience growth as a managing editor at NPR, overseeing the newsroom's digital news operation. Goo also served as news director at The Washington Post, where she also served as a business editor and reporter. Originally from Dana Point, California, she graduated from the University of Minnesota's journalism school. She lives in Washington, D.C.

• Sara Kehaulani Goo (Website)

• Kuleana: A Story of Family, Land, and Legacy in Old Hawai'i by Sara Kehaulani Goo (MacMillan)

Show Credits

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Episode Transcript

Sarah [00:00:07] This is Sarah Stewart Holland.

Beth [00:00:09] This is Beth Silvers.

Sarah [00:00:10] You're listening to Pantsuit Politics. We are currently on a short two-week summer break, but are delighted to still be bringing you new conversations during this time. Today, we're going to share my conversation with author Sarah Kehaulani Goo about Hawaii, which means we talk about a lot of things. We talk about tourism, we talk the local Hawaiian population, we talk climate change, and I'm really, really excited to share this conversation.

Beth [00:00:38] Sarah is a journalist and senior news executive who's led several news organizations, including Axios, NPR, and the Washington Post. And she's the author of Kuleana, a story of family, land, and legacy in old Hawaii.

Sarah [00:00:51] So up next, Sarah and Sara. Sara, thank you so much for joining us here on Pantsuit Politics.

Sara Kehaulani Goo [00:01:11] Thank you. It's great to be here.

Sarah [00:01:13] Okay. Let's begin at the beginning. What does Kuleana mean?

Sara Kehaulani Goo [00:01:19] Kuleana is a Hawaiian word, and basically it means responsibility, but like a lot of Hawaiian words, it has multiple meanings and it depends on the context, but I really wanted it to be the title because it also represents my journey. In other words, a way I came to really understand it at the end of the book also represents the way I interpret the meaning, which is it really means by the end of the book really a generational responsibility. And that's very different than our American understanding of the word responsibility which often feels like a burden, a chore, a kind of sigh, something I got to do, check off my list. And day to day that's how I feel about responsibility, but this is entirely different frame of understanding. It is like what am I here on this earth to really do? And that is given to me from my grandparents from those who came before me and that I will pass on to those who come after me. So it is about seeing yourself in this line, it is about taking on something that will live beyond your life. And so what do I mean by that?

[00:02:37] In our case for our family that meant caring for this land, this inheritance, if you will, that had been in our family for more than 175 years. But in Hawaii, you'll also hear about people talking about their Kuleana for a cultural practice. Maybe it's feather weaving. Maybe it's learning, keeping the Hawaiian language alive. Maybe it's caring for the ocean, the shoreline, reviving aquaculture or some other practice. Why? Because those kinds of things are what keep a culture alive or feed the people or keep the ecosystem healthy. And so those are the kinds of thing that we need to keep alive for future generations and what help us get to where we are. So that's why I felt like this whole concept was something that I wanted to share with the world and I think Hawaiians can share with the world.

Sarah [00:03:39] Well, but you talk about like that's where you were by the end of the book, but it's something that had to happen to make you want to write the book before you had gone through this whole journey of understanding responsibility and your relationship with the land. You did not grow up in Hawaii. You had a more disconnected experience throughout your childhood. So how did you decide to start writing the book and exploring this more deeply to get to that spot at the end of the book.

Sara Kehaulani Goo [00:04:08] Yeah, so this started for me in 2019 with a bit of a family crisis. So I had always known growing up in Southern California that we had this family land in Hawaii on the island of Maui. We never did anything with it; it's raw, undeveloped land, and we never intended to. It's in a real remote part of Maui off the beaten path. But it was always important to our family. And my grandma always made sure that she wanted us to care for it and keep it in the family. And she had passed away maybe like 10 years before. And my dad sent an email in 2019 to us, kids, saying, we just got this tax assessment out of the blue. The taxes have gone up 500% without any explanation. And so we have a tough decision to make. We have to either decide, can we afford to pay this? And for what? Or do we make this tough decision and sell this land? What are we doing here? We had to stare it in the face. And we knew what would happen if we sold that land. Some other mainland millionaire would buy it up. It's oceanfront property. And so we had to act. And there was no question that we wanted to save it and keep it in the family, but I also felt so disconnected at that time too.

[00:05:41] Like here I was 5,000 miles away. And so I had to sit with some pretty uncomfortable questions with myself. Even if we did save it, what did it mean to me? What would it mean for my children? Why was it important? If it was important to my grandmother why should it be important to me? So that set me off on this journey to really confront that for myself. And once you peel back the onion you realize that there's a whole lot more to explore in terms of not just land but identity connection and all those things. And I think that what I hope is universal here is that we all are given some breadcrumbs of our family history. And I think the question is how curious are we about that? What do we choose to embrace? What do we choose to really find out about and hold onto and also share with our children? How much of that do we carry forward? And at the end of the day that's really what this book is about.

Sarah [00:06:45] Well, I think you blend so seamlessly the past, present, and future as you're going through this journey with the land with really a journey with your family and the connection between the two. Because your grandmother's passed away, but you're in conversation with her and you're learning more about your ancestors and your understanding better their journey. You're in a conversation with your extended family. There's a lot of people involved in this decision with aunts and uncles and cousins and siblings and with very different perspectives on and very different connections with this land. And then you're in conversation with your own kids. What does it mean? What am I passing on to them? So how did you weave all that together? How did you think about that conversation happening across generations, across sibling sets, across continents? How did you think about all that?

Sara Kehaulani Goo [00:07:38] It wasn't easy, but I think that first I realized that I needed to find some answers for myself and I was pretty far away. So how do I explore that in Washington DC when Hawaii is where it is? So I sought some answers where I could in my own backyard. I was lucky to find that there was a way in my own community, like in Hawaii, there's a community is called halau, which basically it means a hula school, but it's more than a hula school. It's almost like a cultural school. And so you learn hula, you learn Hawaiian history, you learn ʻōlelo, which is Hawaiian language. Because in order to learn hula, you have to learn the language. It's a storytelling and so I decided I would do that with my kids. So we would learn it together and it became a special way for us to not just have time together, but mom was going to try something new too. And I was going to put myself out there, we were all going to put ourselves out there with a bunch of strangers and try this. And it came our weekly thing. Once I did that, I felt like it was so special for us. But it was also once we began learning each week together, I felt more confident in myself.

[00:09:02] I felt like then I could go to my siblings. I could then reach out to my cousins. And this crisis in our family really brought us together. It happened also during COVID when a lot of us had some extra time. We're all stuck at home. And so in a way it allowed us time to do outreach and schedule time together. And I realized that even if you grow up together, even brothers and sisters and cousins, you don't all necessarily share that same understanding. You may assume that you do, but even if we start talking, you actually realize, oh, not everybody had the same relationship with grandma or maybe not everyone understood the same stories or the same set of facts. So it allowed us to get on the same page. Not everybody in my family had been to Hawaii. So I realized I was surprised to understand not that we weren't all there, but we got there, which was nice to see. So it brought us together in surprising ways and ways that probably we wouldn't have been able to do or find the time to do in our busy lives, if we weren't in that strange COVID bubble.

Sarah [00:10:21] You could see your different roles as a granddaughter, as a mother, as a daughter, but you definitely also saw your professional shops as a reporter because there is just some basic Hawaiian history that one has to understand, which I did not. Of course, as you started talking about the 1893 overthrow and the understanding of land, I was like, oh, of course, there was not private land ownership and then they had to transition to private land ownership. You know what it reminded me of? It reminded me of the USSR. Like that's how we got all these oligarchs, right? Nothing was really privately owned. They had to decide how it got privately owned. Well, who came in and exploited that process? They handed it out sort of "equally" and then these oligarchs were like, well, you need money right now, and I have lots of it. You want me to pay you for your share of that oil and gas whatever company? It really reminded me of that process. So tell people how that went down and how that played out in your family history, this transition from basically no private land to private land as a result of the overthrow.

Sara Kehaulani Goo [00:11:23] Yeah. Well, actually, it even started before the overthrow. So Hawaii, of course, was its own independent nation. And it had a sovereign monarchy system. And before the overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom, one of its last kings, King Kamehameha III, had decided in 1846 to allow private ownership for the first time. There was a lot of pressure at that. There was a lot of foreign use of land, of crops being used and developed for export. So there was a lot of pressure from foreigners to say, hey, we want to be able to own land and grow crops and sell them. So he finally allowed land to be divided. He decided to allow that for the first time. And then with the overthrow, fast forward 40, 50 years later, most of that land, essentially all of that land became federal land, state land.

[00:12:26] So that allowed the US government, the state government which later became territorial government of Hawaii to become owned by a lot of businessmen who were able to get control of land for their purposes, mostly growing pineapple, growing sugar cane. So Hawaii quickly became that land that was once native land used to help the Hawaiian people just survive and live and which they were sustaining themselves then became land that was used for capitalism. So enter that whole different dynamic. And then Hawaiians quickly found themselves not in that game at all. A few families, Hawaiian families did get parcels of land and my family was one of them. So it's kind of a crazy miracle to think that any of that land is still in Hawaiian hands, but some pieces are. So I think that's part of the legacy of keeping it in our family, was that this has survived and this is a testament to that era that we should honor that legacy and we should steward this land.

Sarah [00:13:43] One of my favorite things you write, as you say, "I couldn't reclaim it with paper, but I could walk it with story." So do you think of the storytelling, this reporting, this journey with your family, this book as a type of land stewardship? That this is how you are taking care of the land as much as plowing it or running a utility line or whatever?

Sara Kehaulani Goo [00:14:07] That's a beautiful way to put it. I hadn't thought about it that way, but I absolutely do. I feel like what I wanted to do as a journalist is really tell the real story of Hawaii. I just feel like it hasn't had its due. I feel its story has been by Hollywood in incorrect ways or manufactured ways or its story has been created by tourist’s booklets. And, yes, it has a wonderful culture and it is the most beautiful place on earth and I'm biased in saying that, but I think it's true. But it also has a history that we have to confront and have to tell the truth about. And it has to be known. And I just don't think that most people know it and 9 million people go each year. And the truth is its people, not just native Hawaiians, are being displaced every year because they can't compete in this untenable situation where it's difficult if not impossible to make ends meet. Housing is incredibly unaffordable. And the reasons why are quite obvious. You just have to look behind into history to how we got here. So I wanted to tell the truth about Hawaii and I thought that my family story, one family story, could tell the truth of what's happening for many families.

Sarah [00:15:43] Well, what do you hope someone who doesn't have direct ties to Hawaii, but has mainly traveled there-- that's what's so difficult, I think, with travel is it's such a paradox because you go to a place and you, of course, experience it in a way that will connect you to it way beyond any movie or photo. Anybody that goes to Hawaii loves Hawaii. I went several years ago under the guidance of your sister. So I got to see all kinds of beautiful things and it blew my mind. I thought it was beaches and it's so much more than that. And so, you want people to have that experience where they see it and they love it and they have some ongoing connection. Anyone that traveled to Hawaii was heartbroken by the fires in Maui. You have that sense, but it's such a double-edged sword because the tourism and the consumerism also drives up those prices and displaces native Hawaiians. So someone reading this book who's not native Hawaiian but has been to Hawaii and loved it, what do hope they take from this?

Sara Kehaulani Goo [00:16:52] I wrote this book for those people who are traveling. And I'm not an anti-tourist person. I really think it's great. And Hawaii needs tourists.

Sarah [00:17:05] I mean, that's its industry. We don't want them building semiconductor factories in Maui either, you know what I'm saying?

Sara Kehaulani Goo [00:17:11] Yeah. It needs to diversify its economy for sure, but it does need tourists and my relatives and many others depend on it. But look, here's my advice. I think my goal is that people would read this and understand it in a different way. When I travel, I've always liked to pick up books and read about a place before I go. Why? Because I want to understand a place and its context and its history and that makes my visit a whole lot. It enriches it. It makes it a whole lot more interesting and valuable when I'm there. I understand it a whole lot more. But I do think that I wouldn't go to Hawaii just because you want to go to the beach. You can go to many beautiful beaches. I think that you go to why because you want to experience something you can't experience anywhere else in the world. I think the Hawaii is not just beautiful, but it has plants and marine life that you can't see anywhere else in the world.

Sarah [00:18:09] Even in Maui, it was so wild. I was like, okay, I'm in Southern California. I get it. And then you drive and I'll be like, okay, now I'm confused because I'm in a bamboo forest and it was very, very different from Southern California. And then you'd go up and you're like, well, now I just feel like I'm on the surface of the moon. I don't even recognize these plants. I don't know how they grow up here. I literally drove past the clouds to get up to this point.

Sara Kehaulani Goo [00:18:30] Or the volcano. Right.

Sarah [00:18:30] Everywhere is so different and Maui is not that big of an island.

Sara Kehaulani Goo [00:18:36] No. And the culture is I think what also makes it so special. And so I think, like you said, there are tons of plants that are endemic, meaning you can see them anywhere else in the world, but on that rock in the island.

Sarah [00:18:55] Or Dr. Seuss book, that's what they reminded me of. They look like they belong in Dr. Seuss books.

Sara Kehaulani Goo [00:18:59] Yes. That's very true. So just be respectful and come knowing that you're entering a space that is very, very different from the rest of the world. Slow down a bit. Come with Aloha and that's the culture and you hear that. And it really is a real thing. But also that means you reciprocate that, so give that back when you go. So it is kind of a mindset you have to enter when you come to Hawaii. And I think also understand that the people who are there working there are people who are not there to just serve you, they're there to help enrich the whole experience and they are there to share their culture with you. I think where you'll hear some pushback or resentment even is if visitors come and feel like you're here to serve me. That's not the vibe they're going for. They'll open their arms and welcome you, but they want to feel like that is something that you're open and want to receive the culture as well, not just to be served. I think that if you go with that attitude, Hawaii is absolutely the place for you. And I think you'll have an amazing time. But it's also a very fragile place. You know? If you go, you're going to see turtles swimming in the ocean with you. That's pretty much guaranteed. Don't go up and try to pet them. That's just my advice in a nutshell. The symbol of like all of that is just like what I mean by the Aloha.

Sarah [00:20:53] Let's end where we started. So beyond your ever evolving relationship with the land and Hawaii and what you hope people take about Hawaii itself, how have you evolved with your understanding of Kuleana and responsibility? So we talked at the beginning, you think that can seem like a like a bummer. But now when you think about duty and responsibility, this is a conversation we've been having in lots of areas on Pantsuit Politics. How has that involved through the course of writing this book?

Sara Kehaulani Goo [00:21:25] It's something that I feel like I try to build that intention into my life. I think that for a long time, especially my kids were little, your life can be just so busy with your own day to day tasks. And you can sometimes like not even look up and realize time is passing. You can fill your whole life with tasks. But I think that I try to make sure that my life is filled with the intention of what really matters. That's what this book is about and making space for that. And for me, that was my culture, my family, passing that onto them, making sure that it's instilled in them. And that's one of those things that you don't get the time back for. That's a value that I don't feel like we talk enough about in our culture. We talk a lot about all the right things we're supposed to do in raising our kids. But what are we doing to make sure that we're passing down this value? And so that's one thing that I think is universal, and I hope people read this book and take away from it.

Sarah [00:22:41] Well, I think it's leaving behind the maximization, the productivity that can drive so much of our existences, especially in our careers. And I think with parenting and the responsibility and fulfilling your duty to yourself and your children and to past generations, that is not an efficient task at all that you just check off and go, I did it. I completed it today. And I think the intersection of that understanding aloha and that culture in Hawaii, Hawaii is not a place where you get to and you want to maximize. That's the best advice I got from Haley, your sister, when I went to Maui and we went to Hana. She said, "Do not try to drive the road to Hana and then turn around and drive back. Go there and stay. It's a long drive; it's a tough drive. And so get there and stay." And it was excellent advice to actually not try to maximize, but enjoy Hana and all it had to offer. And so, I think that that's a metaphor that Hawaii is very good at teaching us. It's not all about mass maximalization, that sometimes there's a greater purpose and responsibility to be fulfilled by slowing down and being present.

Sara Kehaulani Goo [00:23:56] Yeah. There's an honor in that responsibility. How can we think of that responsibility as something that actually means some interpretations is privilege? What is the privilege? We have the privilege of this responsibility. Wow. Isn't that quite the opposite of how we typically think of it?

Sarah [00:24:14] That would even be beautiful in tourism. What if we thought about tourism instead of consumption, but as a privilege and a responsibility and an honor that you get to go see these places. I was telling my kids we were in Italy and we were seeing this giant cave system. And I was like think about this, guys, for thousands of years, someone stumbling upon this and being able to see this within a couple miles of their house was like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Once in a lifetime to have seen this cave system. And we got bored by the end and we'll probably forget it even this aspect of our trip in a year or two and so we need to remember that. Like this is an honor. This is a privilege that most of human history did not experience, being able to go to a place like Hawaii. And to honor that again I guess it's a type of sacred responsibility that you get to do it.

Sara Kehaulani Goo [00:25:13] Yeah, 100%. I love that. I think that's exactly the concept that the people of Hawaii would appreciate and they're going for. In fact, there's a whole movement now to really change the story of tourism in Hawaii. The local people want to be-- they call it regenerative tourism, which is how can tourism give back to them? How can it help support them, not just take? How can tourism support local business? How can tourism support the environment? It takes all kinds of interpretation. So what that looks like? But that's the concept rather than taking, how does it come back.

Sarah [00:25:56] I love that. I think that is so incredible. I love the idea of regenerative tourism. Well, thank you so much for writing this book and for sharing your journey as a granddaughter and a daughter and a mother and a journalist and a Hawaiian. So thank you so much.

Sara Kehaulani Goo [00:26:12] Thank you for your interest. I hope your listeners read it, love it, go to Hawaii and have a great time.

Sarah [00:26:24] Thank you so much to Sara for sharing her story and experience, and thank you to all of you for joining us today. We will be back in your ears on Friday with our 2023 Flashback episode. Until then, keep it nuanced y'all.