Latino organizations support Akaka bill

By Vicki Viotti
Advertiser Staff Writer

Three Latin American civil rights organizations sent letters to U.S. senators last week urging support of federal recognition of Native Hawaiians.

Federal recognition has been proposed in a bill, S. 344, that is stalled in the Senate. The measure — more widely known as the Akaka bill, because one of its sponsors is Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawai'i — would recognize Hawaiians as a "nation within a nation" political class with some self-governance powers.

The National Council of La Raza, the League of United Latin American Citizens and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund are urging support of the Akaka bill.

"Enacting S. 344 would acknowledge the Native Hawaiians as a political body — a nation, giving Native Hawaiians much-needed and much deserved federal recognition similar to that given to Native Americans and Alaska natives," wrote Raul Yzaguirre, La Raza council president.

Antonia Hernandez, president of the Mexican American group, wrote in their letter that in the apology resolution, passed by Congress 10 years ago, the United States admitted its role in overthrowing the Hawaiian monarchy but never recognized Hawaiians having a status similar to that accorded to other native peoples.

And the Latin American league's letter, signed by national president Hector Flores, cited more than 150 statutes passed by Congress supporting Hawaiians.

The letters have drawn praise from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, which has been lobbying for the bill. Clyde Namu'o, OHA administrator, said staff and trustees have met with these and other groups in those lobbying efforts.

Reach Vicki Viotti at vviotti@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8053.