Sharing Our Aloha: Learning How To Make Beliefs Real

At the home of Collette Kamaunu Andersen, the reading of scripture and the lifting up of prayers was in the Native Hawaiian language. But, that was the only acceptable time to speak in that language, as everything else was spoken and read in English.

“It did not seem out of the ordinary at all for me,” says Collette. “As a child, my Native Hawaiian identity was to be seen, but not to be heard from outside of prayer and scripture. That was just the way that it was.”

Her earliest years were with her maternal grandparents. But, when her grandmother died, Collette moved in with her mother and was raised Catholic. 

“What I was taught was that God created us and gave us the land, water, and the air to enjoy God’s gifts,” says Collette.

So, enjoying life was exactly what she did.

It was relatively simple. When it rained, water was collected to drink. When it was mealtime, sometimes food was prepared on a grill on the ground. Some people had electricity in their homes and some did not.

But, when the United States entered World War II, life was not the same. The differences among people became more emphasized. 

“I became more aware of our differences in our faces, in our colors, and in the sizes of our bodies,” says Collette. “And, I was guilty of being one of those who looked down on that difference.” 

Of course, she believed as her pastors taught that all people were God’s children and should be loved the same. 

“But, that does not mean that I actually practiced what I believed,” says Collette. “Everyone believes things. But, beliefs need to become real.” 

Things got real when Collette signed up for the military and was sent to the East Coast for training. There, she met someone who would become a dear friend and who showed her what life was like for a Black person in the United States of America.  

“She would tell me things like that she could not sit with me because she would have to go to the back of the bus,” says Collette. 

Collette, herself, experienced something similar. One day, she went into a restaurant to eat. But, they saw the color of her skin and they refused to serve her. 

“I had not experienced this before,” says Collette. “And, I started to learn about things enough to do something about them.” 

Today, she sees that some things are different. Her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren today are more exposed to Native Hawaiian culture than she herself was as a child. 

“It's kind of out there,” says Collette. “People can learn about the culture today, even if they do not learn it from family.” 

Collette is a mother of 2, grandmother of 5, and great grandmother of 13. She met her husband in the military and they committed to serving Waianae United Methodist Church. Today, she is also a vital member of the Hawai’i District Acts of Repentance Task Force. 

“But, you know what,” she says, “some things are still the same, even today. People still look down on others who are different. That is why I am still learning today, just as I learned about others before. That is the way my beliefs will become real.” 

She learned about how the Christian faith is related to social justice. And, she credits a lot of that to her experience with the United Women in Faith. 

“It’s about sharing our aloha,” says Collette. “That’s how I see the Wesleyan way of following Christ.”