Preserving Hawaiian Culture: Challenges and Triumphs in the 21st Century
In 2024, Hawaiian Bros Island Grill, a chain founded in Oregon with over 60 locations, trademarked the phrase “aloha spirit.” The backlash from Native Hawaiians was swift — and the company surrendered the mark by February 2025. That trademark fight is a single snapshot of a much larger question: Who gets to define, use, and profit from Hawaiian culture in the 21st century? The answer is being contested in courtrooms, newsrooms, art studios, and on the slopes of Mauna Kea. This article traces the challenges — from legal appropriation to media erasure — and the triumphs, including language revitalization,