Puakea Domingo
Aloha 🌺
Welcome to my Capstone page! Below you will find information about my research project, as well the plans I have post-grad.
This work is dedicated to my family and my home island community of Moloka'i, but most importantly, the individuals that were willing to share their hānai experiences with me for this project. Through their stories, I've grown in my understanding and appreciation for those involved in informal adoption within Hawaiian families and culture.
An ‘Ōlelo No‘eau (proverb)
‘Ike aku, ‘ike mai. Kōkua aku, kōkua mai. Pēlā ka nohona ‘ohana.
(Watch, observe. Help others and accept help. That is the family way.)
lā.hui
- noun
a nation, race, tribe, people, nationality; great company of people
The Hānai Experience: Exploring Informal Adoption Within Hawaiian Families
Abstract
Families function and are structured in various ways, making the experiences of those involved within each family very unique and worthy of conversation and exploration. Using this research opportunity to combine two subjects of personal interest, sociology and Hawaiian culture, I sought to explore the experiences of individuals within Hawaiian families that identified as being participants of the hānai (informal adoption) community. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 10 individuals who identified as having been informally adopted or having informally adopted someone into their family. My findings suggest that the definitions of family and hānai are closely related and even interconnected at times, that support within the hānai relationship is expressed in various yet equally significant ways, and that as the relationship has changed overtime, it’s been maintained through various obstacles such as distance, time, and personal growth. Further research should explore more about informal adoption in general and the ways in which family structures shift and may be shaped by this dynamic within families of various other minority cultures.
Interested in the full text?
Please contact me directly through email at domingpm@plu.edu. I will gladly send you a copy!
Major/Minor
Major in Sociology
Minor in Studio Arts
Connect With Me!
Future Plans
After graduating I will be returning home to Hawai'i, and once this COVID-craziness is over, I will begin working full-time at Easterseals Hawai'i as a Case Coordinator. I will be doing similar work to what I did last summer during my internship with the organization: supporting individuals with a range of various disabilities through individualized support planning in order to aid in the achievement of their personal goals. I'm really passionate about working with minority communities, as they are as equally deserving of positivity and uplifting opportunities to be able to live life to their full potential. Eventually, I intend to seek a career as a speech therapist.
Mahalo
There are so many people that are deserving of a "Thank You" and big hug. This journey has been a long and, at times, arduous one. My success is due to the communities that have always surrounded and uplifted me.
To my mom, siblings, and the friends and family that I've created and grown with while in Washington attending Pacific Lutheran University: thank you for believing in my ability to succeed and never forgetting to remind me about my potential. To my Sociology professors, Anna Leon-Guerrero, Kate Luther, Laura McCloud and Laura Fitzwater Gonzales: thank you for your never-ending support and encouragement during the past 3 years.
Lastly, to my best friend and classmate, Katya Cervantes: thank you for making these past 4 years so memorable! The late nights at Mortvedt Library finishing papers (last minute as per MY usual), weekends watching “Pick A Card Tarot” while eating 5-meat pizzas, and your knack for making me laugh any time I’m feeling stressed or defeated, have been essential to my success in surviving college. I sincerely appreciate you and know youʻll succeed and THRIVE in anything you set your mind to!
E hahai i ke ala o ka hana pa‘akikī.
(Pursue the path of challenging work.)