Uplifting the Lāhui on the Continent
By Lehua Hawkins and Lono Kollars
“ʻAʻohe ʻulu e loaʻa i ka pōkole o ka lua; No breadfruit can be reached when the picking stick is too short.” – There is no success without preparation.
Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole founded the Hawaiian civic clubs to prepare Kānaka ʻŌiwi to engage in governance, represent our lāhui with dignity and impact, and familiarize our people with Western systems of rule-making to prepare us to have a seat at the table where decisions are made by, and for, our people.
That kūleana continues today among our Southern California Hawaiian community, where we are actively cultivating the next generation of leaders. It is a kuleana born with superlative leadership by civic clubs, hālau hula, social clubs, Native Hawaiian health organizations, and emergency response groups. We hana pū – work together.
In the 1970s, our community came together to form a unifying body: the Hawaiian Inter-Club Council of Southern California (HICCSC). This umbrella organization was born out of the need to preserve and sustain our Hawaiian cultural identity socially, spiritually, and civically here on the continent.
HICCSC has served the Native Hawaiian community in Southern California for nearly 47 years.
It currently includes 19 Hawaiian and Pacific Islander member organizations (there are no individual memberships). Among these are four recognized Hawaiian civic clubs and their Council: ʻĀinahau o Kaleponi; ʻAhahui Kīwila o San Diego; ʻAhahui o Liliʻuokalani; Kaha i ka Panoa Kaleponi; and Nā Lei Makalapua, the Mainland Council of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs.
Unity meets culture each July when HICCSC hosts the annual Alondra Park Hoʻolauleʻa, a beloved cultural festival that also serves as the primary fundraising opportunity for many of its member clubs. HICCSC offers the infrastructure and opportunity for each organization to raise funds to support their respective cultural and educational programs.
The hoʻolauleʻa showcases the best of Hawaiian and Pacific Islander hula, music, food, and most importantly, hana noʻeau (traditional arts and knowledge). This year, featured presenters include Leon Siu of Ke Aupuni o Hawaiʻi on United Nations strategies for Hawaiian sovereignty and Ed Kaʻānehe sharing Kahikolu, an Indigenous learning concept, with lei-making and lau hala weaving workshops.
These experiences are powerful tools for cultural transmission and pride in our community.
Due to limited resources or capacity, most member organizations could not organize an event of this scale, but in the spirit of laulima, they come together and everyone thrives.
Encouragingly, our youth are increasingly involved in the civic club movement as volunteers, observers, and participants, being exposed to the logistics, values, and teamwork that sustain our community events. We uplift each other not for personal gain, but for the good of the lāhui.
The ʻōlelo noʻeau, “ʻAʻohe ʻulu e loaʻa i ka pōkole o ka lua” reminds us that success cannot be reached without preparation. Through HICCSC, our lāhui on the continent continues to prepare. We create space for our people, grow future leaders, and strengthen the bonds that connect us across oceans.
Together, we holo mua with aloha, integrity, and a deep commitment to the generations who will follow.
Lehua Hawkins is pelekikena of Hawaiian Inter Club Council of Southern California and Lono Kollars is pelekikena of Kaha i ka Panoa Kaleponi Hawaiian Civic Club.
