Hawaiian Residents Want Independence from the U.S.: What's the Reason?

This past August, devastating wildfires caused extensive damage to the Hawaiian Islands, fueling the resident population's desire for independence from the United States. This was reported by the British newspaper The Guardian.

“The residents' fight for sovereignty gained new urgency following the August wildfires, which ravaged Western Maui,” writes journalist Claire Wang.

According to her, local residents are facing a severe housing crisis. Their homes have been destroyed by the fires, forcing them to leave their communities. Meanwhile, housing prices in the Hawaiian Islands exceed one million dollars.

The current population of the Hawaiian Islands are descendants of the subjects of the formerly independent Kingdom of Hawaii. The annexation by the United States ended their sovereignty, and today, according to Wang, the Native Hawaiian people are the only group in U.S. territory without rights to self-governance.