Two Native Hawaiian men have been sentenced to prison terms for a federal hate crime for brutally beating a white man who attempted to move into their remote Maui village.
In 2014, Kaulana Alo-Kaonohi and Levi Aki Jr. attacked Christopher Kunzelman, punching, kicking, and beating him with a shovel because of his race. Alo-Kaonohi, 33, was sentenced to 78 months, while Aki, 33, was sentenced to 50 months, according to the Justice Department.
Lawyers for the two men deny that the attack was racially fueled, stating that it was due to the victim’s entitlement and disrespectful attitude.
Kunzelman’s wife, Lori, said her husband had purchased a home sight unseen for $175,000 to repair after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
When he began working on the house, he was harassed and threatened by locals who claimed: “This is a Hawaiian village. The only thing coming from the outside is the electricity,” and “You don’t even belong in Hawaii.” Kunzelman’s attackers told him “You have the wrong skin color.
No ‘haole’ is ever going to live in our neighborhood,” according to evidence presented during the trial. “Haole” is a Hawaiian word with a complicated history. Its meanings include foreigner and white person. When someone is “acting haole,” they are acting out of entitlement and as if they “own the place.”
The case has highlighted the struggle between native Hawaiians looking to preserve their culture and newcomers to Hawaii who are unaware of its history and racial dynamics.
Local lawyers believe it is the first time the US has prosecuted native Hawaiians for hate crimes. Kunzelman said, “The hate crime messed me up” in court on Thursday.
Aki referred to Kunzelman to police as a “rich Haole guy,” a “dumb haole,” and a “typical haole thinking he owns everything… trying to change things up in Kahakuola” after the attack.
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