Empowering marginalized communities through data justice
New report explores ways to improve Hawaiʻi data policy to better serve Native Hawaiians.
HONOLULU, Hawaiʻi — In February 2021, Papa Ola Lōkahi and the Hawaiʻi Budget & Policy Center released, “Data Justice: About Us, By Us, For Us,” a report on improving Hawaiʻi’s data policies to better serve Native Hawaiians.
This report is the culmination of a two-year project that began with a goal of assessing the State of Hawaiʻi’s budget and programmatic investments in bettering the lives of Native Hawaiians. Unfortunately, research quickly found that state programs intended to serve Native Hawaiians lacked the adequate data on race and ethnicity that we needed to make our assessment.
The work turned to analyzing the data practices of key agencies and programs. Lead researcher Lilinoe Kauahikaua combed through years of records for state programs of particular interest to Native Hawaiians. These include not only assistance, such as financial support, healthcare and coverage, and youth programs, but also justice and prison systems that disproportionately incarcerate Native Hawaiians. While some agencies disaggregate some data, others do not:
The Judiciary Branch of the state government does not collect and report ethnic or racial data of any kind, even though Native Hawaiians are over-represented in correctional facilities.
The Corrections Division at the Department Public Safety records a wide variety of ethnic information about inmates. However, current data collection only allows people to indicate one race, which may miss data for part-Native Hawaiians.
The Department of Health (DOH) Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division (ADAD) is exemplary for gathering relevant data. The division collects disaggregated ethnicity data for Native Hawaiians and nine other groups, including “mixed—not Hawaiian.” ADAD has identified Native Hawaiians as one of four groups prioritized for treatment services.
The DOH Behavioral Health Division (BHD) acknowledges that Native Hawaiians have elevated risks for poor health status, homelessness and suicide. To address the unique needs and solutions for Native Hawaiians, the division has implemented targeted programs. However, we can’t properly assess these programs’ effectiveness because BHD collects information in such categories as “Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander,” “more than one race,” and “race not available,” any of which may include Native Hawaiians.
The Department of Human Services (DHS) provides a useful ethnic break-down for some, but not all, of the programs included in its databook. Where ethnic data is available, DHS includes a “Hawaiian/Part-Hawaiian’’ category that is disaggregated from “Other Pacific Islander.”
Based on the research, we developed four key recommendations to ensure that our public programs are most effective in addressing the needs of marginalized groups in Hawaiʻi. These recommendations consider historical context and social and economic factors and apply progressive indigenous ideas on data practices to support systemic change:
Data Disaggregation. Collect and release detailed data that differentiates characteristics such as race and ethnicity, especially disaggregation of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders from Asian and “mixed race” categories.
Consultation. Involve Native Hawaiians at every stage of program design and implementation, promoting enhanced communication that emphasizes trust, respect and shared responsibility.
Data Self-Determination. Include Native Hawaiians and other priority populations in decision-making processes to determine what kinds of data should be collected, how programs will collect it, and how the data should be used.
Set Standards. Develop and implement a policy requiring standardized data collection and disaggregation across all branches, departments and programs.
2021 State Legislative Session
The report highlights that legislative changes may be needed to encourage best data practices within the state and county governments. During this session, a few pieces of legislation have been proposed to address the many layers of the issue:
SCR5/HCR3 recognizes the importance of 21st century data governance for fact-based policymaking (summary and white paper).
HR15/HCR15 requests a review of the efficacy of the technology resources of the Department of Health. DOH failed to adequately track data in the beginning of the pandemic, and advocates had to fight for quality ethnic data, especially disaggregated data for Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. This resolution seeks to review the systemic problems.
SB742 requires each county police department to collect data regarding police stops, use of force and arrests, and submit to the legislature annual reports. HBPC supports the intent of this bill, but we recommend amendments that specify all data regarding Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders must be disaggregated.
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Papa Ola Lōkahi is committed to the optimal health and wellbeing of Native Hawaiians and their families, which it accomplishes through public policy and strategic partnerships. Its responsibilities under the federal Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act and Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes include implementing a master plan for Hawaiian health, improving access to healthcare by developing a culturally competent health workforce, and supporting traditional Hawaiian healing practitioners.
The Hawaiʻi Budget & Policy Center, a program of Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice, analyzes and reports on the effects that state budget, tax, and other policy decisions have on wellbeing and opportunity for all Hawaiʻi residents, with an emphasis on increasing social and economic equity.
Report author Lilinoe Kauahikaua is in her final year of the Masters of Social Work program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM). Her research focuses include behavioral/mental health, culturally-grounded interventions, reentry services, incarceration and substance misuse. Lilinoe is also a leader and program coordinator for the Mālama Project, a culturally grounded collegiate recovery program at the UHM for students impacted by substance misuse. She interns with ʻEkolu Mea Nui and Blueprint For Change, serves as the president of Hui Mālama and vice president for Hui Kākoʻo: Department of Social Work Graduate Student Organization, and is an Affordable Hawaii for All (AHA) fellow.
