September 2023 Newsletter

The American Association of University Women at UH Mānoa (AAUW at UHM) is and will continue to be active for the 2023-24 academic school year.

The mission of our Registered Independent Organization (RIO) is to promote the values of AAUW on the UHM campus and in the community; we are working towards equity in society by providing the tools necessary for women to gain economic security, pursue their education, and advocate for women's rights.

AAUW at UHM's internship program, consisting of eight students from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, is housed in the Office of Civic and Community Engagement, under the supervision of Director Atina Pascua, and sponsored by the AAUW Honolulu Branch.

To become a member, please email [email protected] expressing your interest. We will ask follow up questions at that time. In order to have an active-status in our RIO, we ask that you attend at least two events every semester. We have no membership fees. Our RIO is open to everyone!

Join AAUW at UH Mānoa and the Office of Civic and Community Engagement in making Keiki Kits for our Maui Ohana.

Saturday, September 16th

9:30 am - 11:30 am

UH Mānoa Children's Center

The American Association of University Women at UH Mānoa (AAUW at UHM) and the Office of Civic and Community Engagement (OCCE) is partnering with SPAM and UH Mānoa Children's Center to fill backpacks for the children in Maui. After such a catastrophe, students deserve to feel safe and loved when they go to school.

We are keeping the island of Maui close to our hearts while they recover from the fires.

For more information please fill out this form .

Next AAUW at UH Mānoa Open Meeting

Wednesday, September 13th

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

QLCSS Room #208

Our next open meeting will be on Wednesday, September 13th from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the QLCSS Room #208. Current RIO members and anyone interested in joining are welcome! We will provide light refreshments.

This will be an excellent opportunity to engage with fellow RIO members, hear about our intern team's current affairs, and let us know about what programming you would like to see us put on.

We hope to see you there!

Celebrating Queen Lili'uokalani's Birthday

Lydia Liliʻu Loloku Walania Wehwehi Kamakaʻeha, more commonly known as Queen Liliʻuokalani, was a remarkable figure whose life story is interwoven with the history of Hawaiʻi. She was born on September 2, 1838, and comes from a lineage deeply rooted in the island's culture and heritage. Queen Liliʻu’s multifaceted talents included being an extraordinary musician, writer, and prolific composer. Notably, her brother, King David Kalākaua, was the last king of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Later, after her brother’s passing, she was sworn in as queen on January 29, 1891. 

Liliʻuokalani aimed to strengthen the Hawaiian monarchy, drafting a new constitution with advisors. But a coup, backed by the U.S. military on January 17, 1893, halted her efforts. Despite yielding temporarily, she protested against the U.S. government. In 1894, Hawaiʻi became a Republic, and she was imprisoned on false charges of an attempted counterrevolution. While imprisoned, the community showed support by giving her letters filled with love and thanks. They also gifted her flowers every day and cleverly wrapped the newspaper with them in order to inform her of what was going on outside of her confinement. Released in 1896, she continued her fight in Washington D.C. Despite Hawaiʻi's annexation by the U.S. in 1898, she focused on putting her efforts towards the Hawaiian people's welfare.



Liliʻuokalani passed away on November 11, 1917. Her legacy lives on through the Liliʻuokalani Trust (1909) which was established for orphaned children, especially those of Hawaiian descent. Her dedication, resilience, and cultural contributions have made a lasting impact on Hawaiʻi's history. And she will never be forgotten and continues to live on through her people.

Written by: Shayni Mirafuentes

Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15th - October 15th. It appears like an odd assortment of dates, but the dates are close to a lot of latin american independence days, including Guatemala, Honduras, and Chile. Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates Hispanic heritage and history. In Hawai’i, about 11.1% of the population is hispanic or latino. This means there are about 159,000 people that are hispanic or latino. One in ten people you meet are hispanic, which is more than many would consider in our environment here in Hawai’i. Hispanic heritage month is a great opportunity to learn more about such a sizable portion of the population of Hawai’i, and you can do so easily. 

Food is often seen as the most bonding and easily understandable part of learning about someone’s culture. My Mexican roommate suggests Surf and Salsa on the north shore. I, being half Peruvian, am biased and recommend Mimi’s on Ke’eaumoku. Their ceviche de mahi mahi definitely reminds me of my mom’s cooking. A friend tells me the portion size for the food at Serg’s is pretty good for the price, and taco Tuesdays are definitely worth it! You can also learn more about Hispanic heritage through entertainment. I’ve added a list of books that focus on women of hispanic descent and their perseverance. I am starting Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L Sánchez. If you’re not into reading, two movies I recommend are Selena and Encanto, and I’ve just started Ugly Betty on Netflix, a TV show that is similar to “The Devil Wears Prada” with a little extra drama. 

The most important thing to take away from all this, is that it’s crucial to educate yourself and be open. Remove any biases you may have, and just be open to learning about new cultures. It can be by reading, eating, or even talking to people within the community. Whatever way works for you. Months like this matter because it allows all of us to celebrate unique parts of people and we can be motivated to learn. Even I, from the culture, still have so much to learn, and when people are receptive, it’s easier. This Hispanic Heritage Month, I hope you spend some time learning about how good our food is, how fun our language is, and how incredible our stories are, fictional and real.

Some more books include: Sabrina and Corina, Forever Frida, The Soul of a Woman, and Good Maya Woman

Written By: Ryan Lashlee

This Hawaiian history Month and Hispanic Heritage Month, I want to talk about this song and its significance,“Paniolo country, my home on the range”. Paniolos have a rich history of swimming through shark infested waters to transport their cattle, creating slack key music, and becoming champions. None of this would be possible without the help of vaqueros, Mexican cowboys. 

George Vancourver, a British royal navy captain, gifted King Kamehameha I a small herd of cattle in the late 18th century. The cattle multiplied quickly, and shortly before the king passed, he lifted a ban on farming and hunting cattle. Unfortunately, many were not used to managing cattle, and struggled to lower the population due to how many there were. The cattle greatly harmed the ecosystem, impeding on many people’s lives, and there did not seem to be a solution readily available. King Kamehameha III heard of people who could easily round up hundreds of cattle and maintain ranches. Impressed, he encouraged the people, called Vaqueros, from California to help and teach Hawaiians. The Vaqueros taught many proper horsemanship, how to make saddles, and most importantly, how to handle the cattle. Thus became the Paniolo, a new word created by Hawaiians mispronouncing “Español”. 



Paniolos adopted wide-brimmed hats, ponchos, and braided lariats from Vaqueros. However, paniolos eventually started their own traditions and adaptations to the Vaqueros’ teachings, making them fit the surroundings of the islands better. Paniolos were inspired by the large spurs the Vaqueros used, but shifted to smaller ones to better navigate the lava rock. Paniolos even developed their own music, called slack key, from the guitars Vaqueros brought with them. Paniolos became an extremely important part of Hawaii’s economy and culture. There are women paniolos , and a notable one is Anna Lindsey Perry-Fiske, aka Aunty Ann, the first lady of Waimea. She became one of Hawaii’s first jockeys, was one of the first women to get her butcher’s license, restored Lindsey Ranch to Anna Ranch, and introduced pā‘ū riding to the world. Paniolos remain culturally significant, and without the Vaqueros, we would have as many cows as coqui frogs.

Written by: Ryan Lashlee

We will be at campus center almost every week!

Stop by our table at the UHM campus center (by Starbucks) to meet some of our interns and hear about our team's current affairs, and let us know about what programming you would like to see us put on. To make it easy, here is a calendar to keep track of all the times we're on campus.

September 5th - 8:30 am - 9:30 am

September 13th - 9:00 am - 10:00 am

September 18th - 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm

September 29th - 9:00 am - 10:00 am

AAUW national is now accepting applications for fellowships and grants for the 2024-2025 academic year! A new record of $6.8 million to 285 individuals for the 2023-2024 academic year!

Since 1888, AAUW has been one of the largest funders of women’s graduate education, investing in women who go on to change the world. Fellowships, career development grants, community action grants, and research grants are available.

The University of Hawai'i recipients include:

• Valentina Alvarez, PhD student at UH Manoa
• Hannah El-Silimy, PhD student at UH Manoa
• Sasha Nealand (Kovacs), PhD student at UH Hilo