AQ McElrath

Comment

Comment by Orban Nees on February 13, 2009 at 5:13pm

For Immediate Release: October 10, 2008

50 VOICES OF STATEHOOD

Advocate for Labor Rights and Social Justice
Shares Perspective on Statehood

HONOLULU – The eighth in a series of 50 Voices of Statehood television and radio vignettes will feature Ah Quon McElrath, a key figure in Hawai‘i’s early labor movement and a tireless advocate for social justice and political change over the past seven decades. Born to Chinese immigrants in 1915, McElrath grew up in Iwilei and started working at the nearby pineapple cannery when she was 13. After graduating from the University of Hawai‘i in 1938, she became a key player in the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, helping to organize the union and uniting sugar and dockworkers of different ethnicities to fight for higher wages. She served as the union’s first social worker and assisted members with various social problems, including advocating for improved social services and better working conditions. McElrath’s 50 Voices of Statehood vignette will air during the week of Oct. 13 – 19.

The 50 Voices of Statehood vignettes, which are being recorded by the award-winning Searider Productions of Wai‘anae High School, feature personal perspectives on statehood and Hawai‘i’s history from 50 residents representing the state’s diverse ethnic, cultural, religious, political, social and economic backgrounds. Each week over the next year, a different vignette will air on six television stations and 60 radio stations statewide. An interactive online forum (www.seariderproductions.com/50voices) will allow teachers and students to incorporate the vignettes into their classroom discussions.

The 50th Anniversary of Statehood Commission has planned a comprehensive year-long series of events and activities, with a special focus on education, to honor the 50th anniversary of Hawai‘i’s admission to the United States. The 50 Voices of Statehood series, as well as information on the Commission, its members and the commemorative plans may be found at www.hawaii.gov/statehood.