‘This is not a race issue’: Hawaii Republican Party leaders denounce Oahu resident’s lawsuit against DHHL

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Leaders of the Hawaii Republican Party are denouncing a lawsuit filed by Oahu resident Eric Ryan about the constitutionality of Hawaiian homes leases.

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The GOP generally opposes ancestry or race-based preferential treatment, and the Trump administration took it a step further by dismantling Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs.

But Hawaiian GOP leaders say those values don’t apply to this lawsuit and this is not about party politics.

“We don’t believe that this department or this establishment is DEI,” said state Rep. Diamond Garcia. “We don’t believe this is a racial issue. We believe this is a trust obligation. Congress obligated this to the Hawaiian people after what happened over 100 years ago.”

Hawaiian leaders and homesteaders are reminding the public about the origins of DHHL and eligibility requirements set under the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act in 1921.

“Prince Kuhio was a Republican. It was Prince Kuhio who got this passed in a Republican Congress signed into law by a Republican president. So there isn’t a partisan divide here,” Garcia said.

“This is the outsiders who continue to impose themselves on our legacy and our trust,” said state Senator Samantha DeCorte, who represents residents on the Waianae Coast.

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“This is a very, very sad time that native Hawaiians and beneficiaries have to continue to stand up and fight. Fight for our land. This has not stopped,” said Patty Kahanamoku-Teruya, former Oahu DHHL commissioner.

“You cannot erase the remedy while pretending that the history that created it never happened,” said Native Hawaiian Wayne Kaiwi.

Hawaii Republican Party officials say they plan to share their message with colleagues in Congress, to ensure the lawsuit has no support on the federal level should it reach the Supreme Court.

Meantime, Gov. Josh Green directed the Attorney General to vigorously defend the Hawaiian Homes program.

“As a KS student, Hawaiian lands is very important to me, and I like to hopefully keep Hawaiian, students to keep going to Kamehameha, and I like to keep Hawaiian lands in Hawaiian hands,” said Rhylan Gracie-Abreu, 14, a student at Kamehameha Schools.

The attorney for the plaintiff has said his client’s goal is to ensure equal access to Hawaii lands.

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