Chapter 5: Educating Socially Responsible Citizens: A View from Hawai’i

Hawai’i represents a unique iteration of American educational practice. Like other states, Hawai’i is subject to federal mandates and uses standardized tests and curriculum developed in the mainland U.S. So in some respects civic and moral education in Hawai’i reflect ideals of morality and citizenship that can be identified as “American.” However, the state has a unique geographic, historical, and cultural context that informs local notions of what it means to be a socially responsible citizen. Native Hawaiian host culture values and the blend of Asian and Pacific island cultures that influence local identity infuse the concept of citizenship with a flavor that is not present elsewhere in the United States.