Welcome the Healthy Hawaiian Homepage

Welcome the Healthy Hawaiian homepage, the Hawaiian Activists Project is part of a series of studies on Healthy Hawaiian elders. This project multiyear, multi-generational, and interdisciplinary research project aims to understand the health of Hawaiian elders (60+). Our research team is built on over 5 years of collaborative work between Dr. Ngoc Phan (Political Science, PhD) and Dr. Lynette Cruz (kupuna and Cultural Anthropology, PhD). We aim to understand how Hawaiian elders serve as role models of health and resilience. We strive to uphold the values of Indigenous Data Soverignty and build up future generations of Hawaiian scholars and activists. This project is funded by the Center for Pacific Innovations, Knowledge, and Opportunities (PIKO)  Pilot award program (funded NIH) helded at the John Burns School of Medicine at the University of  Hawaiʻi at Manoa. 

Looking for Kupuna Now: Hawaiian Activist Project 2023 

Study Details 

What is the Hawaiian Activists Project?
This study is interested in the following question: what is connection between political activism and health? Drawing on Dr. Kekuni Blaisdell’s work https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11567247/, we expect that activism impacts how elders feel and sense of wellbeing. We are conducting one-on-on interviews with individuals who (1) self-identify as Hawaiian, (2) are 60 years or older, (3) reside in Hawaiʻi, and (4) are politically engaged (10 years + of activism).  The study will take 1 hours and 15 minutes to complete. All participants will be paid $100.00 (Foodland or Long Drugs) gift card. 
 
Who will be leading this research?
The principal investigator of this project is Dr. Ngoc Phan. She is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Hawaiʻi Pacific University and expert in collective action, discrimination, political behavior, and interested in how communities stay healthy when facing systemic discrimination and health inequalities. Dr. Lynette Cruz is life long activist and the community partner in this project. She is a kupuna herself and documenting the legacy of kanaka activists and elders. 
 
What does participation in this project look like?
This study involves one-on-one interviews with 36 Native Hawaiian activists aged 60 or older across the Hawaiian Islands. The goal is to recruit 36 Native Hawaiian activists for one-on-one 1-hour interviews and have participants complete a 15-minute survey questionnaire. Participant recruitment will start from Dr. Lynette Cruz’s (community partner) network. After that, we will obtain a snowball sample from study participants. The live interviews will have two modes: in-person or on-line. In-person interviews will be recorded using an audio recorder; on-line interviews will be conducted and recorded via e-meeting software (Zoom). After each interview, the PI will download and remove participant names from the files to maintain confidentiality, unless the participants requests to share their interview publicly. 
 
Part I. Participants will be asked to take part in one-on-one interviews. In these semi-structured interviews participants will be asked as series of open-ended questions. These include: 
  1. Please introduce yourself, please state your age.
  2. Describe what you do as an activist. How long have you been involved in political activism?
  3. Discuss what motivated you and how you got involved in political activism.
  4. Looking back, what is the impact of your activism on the community or issue you care about?
  5. How has political activism impacted your health and wellbeing?
  6. How do you feel when working with other political activists?
  7. Is there any political event or activity that you are especially proud of engaging in?
  8. Has engaging in any political event or activity caused you anger and/or stress?
  9. How does political activism impact your overall wellbeing?
  10. Is there anything else you would like to tell me? 
 
Part II. Post-interview, participant will be asked to fill out a 15-minute survey. This survey will ask questions about political activism, stress, social connectedness, and wellbeing. 
 
​Interview Schedule and Timeline
  • September - Oʻahu
  • October  - Hawaiʻi Island + Kauaʻi 
  • November - Maui (not in Lahaina) + Oʻahu 
  • December - Zoom Interviews Continue (Dec 1-Dec 15, 2023)

Research Team and Photo Gallery

Research Project Results and History

Please return here in August 2023 for the community report. All research artifacts will be linked here. Please contact Dr. Ngoc Phan (ntphan@hpu.edu) if you have any questions about the study. 
Grant: The study was funded by a $50,000 grant from UH Manoa's https://piko.jabsom.hawaii.edu/ (funded by NIH). All community partners, research assistants, and study participants are paid for their participation. Budget is avaliable on request. 

History Timeline of projects our team members have worked on. 
2019 Native Hawaiian Survey
2020 Guahan Survey
2021 Kekuni Blaisdel Hawaiian National Archives
2022 Healthy Hawaiian Study-  Preliminary study on civic engagement and Kūpuna health.
2023 Hawaiian Activists Project - PIKO Pilot Study on activtism and Kūpuna health.
2024 Apply for R15 NIH Grant to build a larger project on activism and health.