Larry Kimura - UH Alumni Profile
Summary
TLDRLarry Lindsay Kimura, an assistant professor at Ka Haka Ula O Keelikolani College of Hawaiian Language, shares his journey with Hawaiian language and culture. He reflects on his early education, noting the lack of Hawaiian studies at universities in 1964. Despite studying anthropology, he remained passionate about reviving the Hawaiian language. Kimura emphasizes the importance of immersion programs and broader cultural understanding to help learners connect deeply with their Hawaiian identity, aiming to create more fluent speakers and strengthen the language's presence in modern life.
Takeaways
- 🧑🏫 Lindsay Kimura is an assistant professor at Ka Haka Ula O Keelikolani College of Hawaiian Language.
- 🏫 He attended this campus when it was a two-year institution and later transferred to Manoa to complete his degree.
- 🌺 His passion was in Hawaiian language and culture, but back in 1964, no university offered formal programs in this area.
- 🎓 He earned a degree in anthropology, as the closest option to Hawaiian studies at the time.
- 🏠 Kimura is from Waimea, South Kohala, and would visit his native-speaking Hawaiian grandmother on weekends to enhance his language skills.
- 📚 He formally started learning Hawaiian at the University of Manoa because the Hilo campus did not offer Hawaiian language courses at the time.
- 📖 Traditional Hawaiian language instruction involved reading old Hawaiian literary stories and translating them into English.
- 🎓 After helping establish Hawaiian language programs, he became a student of the programs himself.
- 👨🏫 The college supports second-language learners in becoming more fluent, with a growing number of new native speakers from immersion programs.
- 🌍 The focus of the Hawaiian language program is not just on language, but also on connecting deeper meanings to identity and culture, as reflected in the mission statement: 'O ka olelo ke kaao ka mauli.'
Q & A
Who is the speaker in the transcript?
-The speaker is Larry Lindsay Kimura, an assistant professor at Ka Haka Ula O Keelikolani College of Hawaiian Language.
What was the speaker's educational background when they attended university?
-The speaker attended a two-year campus in Hilo, then transferred to Manoa, where they completed a degree in anthropology.
What was the speaker's primary interest in terms of academic focus?
-The speaker's primary interest was Hawaiian language and culture, although they pursued a degree in anthropology because there were no formal programs in Hawaiian language at that time.
Where is the speaker originally from?
-The speaker is originally from Waimea, South Kohala.
How did the speaker enhance their Hawaiian language skills outside of the classroom?
-The speaker honed their Hawaiian language skills through interactions with their grandmother, a native Hawaiian speaker, as well as with other relatives from the same generation.
Did the University of Hilo offer any courses in Hawaiian language when the speaker was a student?
-No, the University of Hilo did not offer any Hawaiian language and culture courses at that time. The speaker began their formal studies in Hawaiian language after transferring to Manoa.
How were Hawaiian language classes traditionally taught according to the speaker?
-Hawaiian language classes were traditionally taught by reading old Hawaiian writings, particularly literary stories, and translating them into English.
How did the speaker describe their academic journey in Hawaiian language programs?
-The speaker described their academic journey as being somewhat 'backward' because they pursued Hawaiian language studies after their initial degree, once Hawaiian programs were formally established.
What role does the speaker believe Hawaiian language programs play in the community?
-The speaker believes that Hawaiian language programs play a major role in supporting more fluent speakers, especially second-language learners, and helping to create new native speakers through immersion programs.
What is the broader mission of Hawaiian language education according to the speaker?
-The broader mission of Hawaiian language education is to make students fluent not only in using the language but also in understanding its deeper meanings and how it connects to identity, as expressed by the mission statement 'O ka 'ōlelo ke ka'ao ka mauli' ('Language binds us to our identity').
Outlines
🎓 Introduction and Personal Background
Larry Lindsay Kimura introduces himself as an assistant professor at Ka Haka Ula O Keelikolani College of Hawaiian Language. He shares his educational journey, noting that when he attended, it was a two-year campus, and students typically transferred to the University of Manoa to complete their degrees. Larry knew early on that he wanted to pursue Hawaiian language and culture, though no university offered programs focused on these subjects at the time. He ended up studying linguistics and anthropology, with a desire to help revive the Hawaiian language.
🏞️ Connection to Hawaiian Roots and Early Education
Larry reflects on his personal connection to his Hawaiian heritage, mentioning his upbringing in Waimea, South Kohala. While attending the Hilo campus, he would go home on weekends to spend time with his Hawaiian-speaking grandmother and other elder family members. This time allowed him to deepen his knowledge of Hawaiian language and culture. Formal education in Hawaiian language, however, didn’t begin until he transferred to the University of Manoa, as the Hilo campus offered no such programs at the time.
📚 Traditional Hawaiian Language Learning Methods
Larry discusses his experience learning Hawaiian in a classroom setting, focusing on the traditional method of reading and translating old Hawaiian literary works. He emphasizes the importance of this approach in understanding both the language and the culture. Although he initially pursued his degrees in anthropology and linguistics, he eventually became a student in the programs he helped establish for Hawaiian language, describing his academic journey as having started 'backward.'
🌱 Role of Hawaiian Language Programs in Revitalization
Larry highlights the critical role that Hawaiian language programs at universities, like his, play in producing fluent speakers, especially among second language learners. He points out that immersion programs are now contributing to a new generation of native speakers. The broader goal of these programs is not just language learning but fostering a deep understanding of cultural and linguistic meanings, which are essential to preserving Hawaiian identity. The college’s mission statement, 'O ka olelo ke kaao ka mauli,' encapsulates this purpose: language connects people to their identity.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Hawaiian language
💡Hawaiian culture
💡Ka Haka Ula O Keelikolani College
💡Manoa
💡Immersion programs
💡Native speakers
💡Anthropology
💡Literary stories
💡Fluency
💡O ka olelo ke kaao ka mauli
Highlights
Larry Lindsay Kimura, an assistant professor at Ka Haka Ula O Keelikolani College of Hawaiian Language, discusses his background and role in the resurgence of the Hawaiian language.
Kimura reflects on his time as a student at Hilo when it was a two-year campus, before continuing his studies at Manoa.
He was passionate about studying Hawaiian language and culture, but no formal studies were offered in these subjects at universities in 1964.
Kimura initially pursued a degree in anthropology since Hawaiian language programs were unavailable at the time.
He expresses his desire to help revive the Hawaiian language and his lifelong commitment to this goal.
Kimura is originally from Waimea, South Kohala, and recalls weekends spent honing his Hawaiian language skills with his grandmother, a native speaker.
Although Hilo didn’t offer Hawaiian language classes at the time, Kimura began formal Hawaiian language studies at Manoa.
He describes the traditional classroom experience of studying Hawaiian, which involved reading and translating old Hawaiian writings, particularly literary stories.
Kimura mentions that his academic journey felt backward, as formal Hawaiian language degrees didn’t exist until later when they were established by their efforts.
Programs like those at Ka Haka Ula O Keelikolani support the development of more fluent Hawaiian speakers, particularly second-language learners.
With the advent of Hawaiian language immersion programs, a new generation of native speakers has emerged.
Kimura emphasizes the importance of expanding the focus beyond language and culture to address broader life topics in order to help the language thrive.
He explains that the goal is not just fluency in the language but also a deep understanding of how meanings are expressed and interconnected.
Kimura highlights the significance of their mission statement: 'O ka olelo ke kaao ka mauli' (Language binds us to our identity).
He stresses the crucial role that educational programs and colleges play in maintaining and revitalizing the Hawaiian language.
Transcripts
[Music]
My name is Larry
Lindsay Kimura and I'm an assistant
professor here at Ka Haka Ula O
Keelikolani College of Hawaiian
Language. When I attended this campus it
was a two-year campus and I had it was
automatic that you go over to Manoa and
complete your degree so yeah I am of this
campus and I guess Manoa too.
See I knew what I wanted to get into which was
Hawaiian language and culture but back
in 1964 there was no university that
offered any kind of studies in that area
except if you got into linguistics and
anthropology which I got my degree in
anthropology. All I know is I wanted to
be involved with the connection to
bringing our Hawaiian language back to
life. I'm from Waimea, South Kohala so I
came here to Hilo and boarded here but
on weekends I would be able to go home
and meet up with my grandma my Hawaiian
grandmother was still alive a native
speaker of Hawaiian and that way I got
to hone in on my Hawaiian language and
culture further and with my grand aunts
and uncles that generation well I didn't
start Hawaiian language formally at the
University until I went to Manoa because
Hilo didn't have any offerings in
Hawaiian language and culture. How was my
experience learning Hawaiian in the
classroom traditional way as it was
being taught was they need to read old
Hawaiian writings especially literary
stories that we've so fortunately have
documented and then we would translate
that into English so eventually of
course I always say that we kind of I
kind of got involved with my degrees
backward
because we didn't have these degrees and
so after we had established our programs
I became a student. This college and
university programs like this play a
major role in supporting more fluent
speakers mostly second language learners
although now we because of our immersion
programs there are a number of new
native speakers being because we are
focused on making our language thrive we
need to look at broader things outside
of just the subject of language and
culture but everything else that affects
normal life are you just in first
beginning class and then you work your
way up and that's the goal is to make
you more fluent not just in using the
language but in understanding the deeper
meanings and how these things connect
together to express meanings such as our
mission statement O ka olelo ke kaao ka mauli.
That language binds us to our identity
[Music]
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