Abstract
Tana Aisek, a student at Pūlama High, painted a bold political statement on school property: “NO ADMISSION, PASIFIKA RECOGNITION.” Tana’s artwork critiqued U.S. “admission” of Hawai‘i into the U.S. empire and invoked solidarities among island nations throughout the Pacific. Pūlama High Principal, Kealohi Palmer, sympathized with Tana’s critically conscious artwork. Yet existing school policies mandated that school leaders categorize his actions as vandalism—an offense that carried a punishment of automatic suspension. How might Principal Kealohi navigate carceral and colonial school contexts in Hawai‘i and (re)prioritize people over property, outcomes over intentions, accountability over punishment?
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