(birds cawing) (air whooshing) (waves crashing) (plane roaring) [Flight Attendant] Until we have another opportunity, we do bid you a fond aloha.

(air whooshing) (soft ethereal music) (birds chirping) (ethereal music continues) [Leialoha] What does aloha mean to me?

Well, for me, when I think of aloha, it's your being.

It's who you are.

Aloha is embedded in your breath, in what you do.

Especially if you are Kanaka, if you're Hawai'i.

(ethereal music continues) - Hoo-hoo!

(door creaking) (group laughing) Woo-hoo!

[Leialoha] You have this generational knowledge of aloha.

Aloha sustains Hawaiians by reminding us who we are.

(waves crashing) (majestic music) (car engine whirring) (birds chirping) (rain pattering) (birds cawing) (uplifting ukulele music) ♪ Wake up in the morning ♪ ♪ Skies are blue ♪ ♪ Warmth of the sunrise embraces you ♪ (ukulele music continues) ♪ Locals everywhere love to share ♪ ♪ The feelings of love called aloha ♪ I'm proud to be Hawaiian.

There's no question about that.

When I first moved up here and told people I'm from Hawai'i, they'll say, like, "What did you move up here for?"

The whole reason is the cost of living in Hawai'i was too expensive.

[Cris] How hard was it to make a living in Hawai;i?

Oh, very difficult.

You know, working like, say, two to three jobs and making ends meet was not our way of... surviving and raising a family.

(soft ukulele music) [Cris] What was the first song you played?

[Eric] It's called "Beauty of the Islands."

[Cris] Yeah.

Why did you write them?

Why?

Oh, just thinking about the islands.

[Cris] Yeah.

(Eric clearing throat) How much I miss the islands.

(Eric clearing throat) [Cris] Yeah, I know.

(gentle pensive music) (traffic whooshing) (rain pattering) ♪ Ku'u lei o ka ua noe ♪ - Ka'o.

And here we go, no ike ‘ala.

♪ No ike ‘ala ♪ - Watch your step.

♪ He momi i hilo 'ia ♪ - Hela.

♪ Maulua ke kui ♪ - Okay here we go.

It's slow, so one, two, three.

If there's any sticks you stepped on, you gotta move 'em.

Growing up in Hawai'i was very different for me just because I grew up in a very Hawaiian household.

And when I say Hawaiian household, I mean we spoke ʻŌlelo Hawai'i, I was in Hālau.

So everything that was surrounding my life was Hawaiian.

I left Hawai'i to go to school to pursue higher education, and I haven't returned home yet.

About 2008, I wanted to go home.

When I started to make that trek to go home, I realized it is not affordable.

(birds cawing) (ti-leaves ripping) This is how we make lei, we quiet.

(laughing) 'Cause we gotta make sure we not cut off our hand.

(ti-leaves ripping) Funny story.

I only started learning about the Diaspora like, I don't know, 2017.

And it's funny because the generations above me have no idea when I talk to them about that.

They're like, "Who is this Diaspora?

Who's aunty that?"

I'm like, "That's not an aunty."

Okay, so even my mom, you know, my mom, we were talking about it, she was like, "What is Diaspora?"

I was like, mom, that's us.

We live away from our homeland.

(ti-leaves ripping) No matter where we go, when you make a lei, the story's still there.

'Cause when I make a lei, I don't just think about being here in Oregon.

I can envision where I've made lei before.

Like, this lei can take me home.

I can be back in Hawai'i in that moment of making lei.

(soft string music) (wind rustling) (birds cawing) - Wow.

So these are all the pictures you dug up, huh?

That's a nice picture of Mom.

[Cris] Who's that?

[Eric] That's you.

(Cris laughing) Oh, that's a cute picture of you.

- Oh, my gosh, this photo.

I remember that.

That was in the airport.

[Eric] Oh, I think this was when we're leaving.

[Cris] That's when we're leaving.

That's when we left Hawai'i.

You and I.

Look at you.

[Eric] That's when dad was working out quite a bit.

(Cris laughs) - Just a little bit?

Why did you stop dancing?

Grandpa used to always lecture me that it's not a career, that you can't make money dancing.

(sniffing) - This one.

- Oh, yeah.

Who's that?

[Eric] This is at Paradise Cove.

This is the Hālau.

- Oh, it is?

[Eric] This all the guys that would perform Merrie Monarch.

[Cris] You look so happy.

I did notice that you were sad when we moved up here.

You would just, like, sit in your car and listen to music, Hawaiian music, and play the same songs over and over again.

(Eric chuckle) - Yeah.

- And you were sad.

(ethereal music) (waves crashing) (ethereal music continues) (birds chirping) (Shereen chanting in Hawaiian) I don't want my kids to have to not be able to live in this land, and have to go move into the mainland.

Or move to the continent.

This is the mainland.

- Hawai'i is beautiful, yes.

But people come to Hawai'i because of the people, and they feel at home here because of the people.

So if we continue on this track that we've been, then our people will no longer be here.

(waves crashing) (soft string music) [Reporter] The Native Hawaiian population continues moving away from ancestral homeland according to the U.S. Census Bureau's release Thursday.

Some of the top reasons for leaving include: high cost of living, employment opportunities, and lack of affordable housing.

[Legislator] We have a crisis right now.

[Reporter] A very real crisis for the many local families unable to make ends meet in Hawai'i.

[Leialoha] I say I made a choice to live here, I decided to move to Oregon.

But if we're looking at the generational trauma that has, no.

This choice for me to be here was made for me many, many decades ago.

[Hawaiians] Shame!

Shame!

Shame!

(people yelling) This is our land!

This is our way of life!

We no can live on the streets!

We got no more house!

- Yeah!

At least give us one piece of land for live on, yeah?

[Kid] Yeah!

(children yelling) (pensive music) (car whooshing) [Leialoha] When you're in that position that you're about to lose your home, and tomorrow your kids don't have a place to sleep, where can you go?

And that's that's the "priced out of paradise" part.

That's the fear.

Money is power.

- Like animals!

- Keep Hawaiian lands in Hawaiian hands!

[Officer] inside, get inside.

(door thuds) (wind rustling) (birds cawing) (soft ukulele music) [Leialoha] Those who live in the Diaspora now, and why they're so hurt, especially for the Kanaka on the Continent, is because, they're reminded constantly that they don't give back to Hawai'i.

They're reminded constantly that they had to move away, and maybe they made a better life for themselves.

But you were never there for Hawai'i.

(soft ukulele music continues) Aloha for the Diaspora is a reminder to them that they belong.

I think that's what aloha is for them.

(soft ukulele music continues) (rain pattering) Hi.

[Cris] Was it hard to make the decision to move?

[Maria] It was, and it was my idea.

And Eric was very supportive of it.

I know he didn't want to move.

You know, we tried to get housing.

It's that sacrifice I think that parents make, you know, a better life for your children.

Door bell’s ringing!

It's Halloween, 1997!

Oh!

Two trick-or-treaters!

(music swells) Wow!

Fun, fun, fun!

(child screaming) There's the girls!

Smile for the camera.

Hi.

Yeah, what a beautiful little smile.

Okay.

(soft string music) (door creaking) - Hey!

- Hey!

How's it, Eric?

- What's up, girl?

- Yeah.

Great to see you.

- Long time no see.

- Hey!

Oh, what' sup?

- Oh.

What was your name?

(laughing) (meat sizzling) (soft music) [Maria] Hawai'i is in Eric's heart.

Isn't that true?

You always have Hawai'i in your heart?

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

He's always thinking about home.

I have it in my blood, too.

I know you do.

(both laughing) Let's show them how the Hawaiians make poi.

(group chatting and laughing) We ask your blessings upon each and every one of us here.

[Eric] We are going to begin to serve food, and we're going to do it accordingly, age before beauty.

Remember that.

So if you ugly, don't go first.

(all laughing) - Well uncle, then you're up- - I'm gonna go first!

(upbeat ukulele music) (family chattering) ♪ Wake up in the morning ♪ - Woo, woo!

♪ Skies are blue ♪ ♪ Warmth of the sunrise embraces you ♪ ♪ Locals everywhere love to share ♪ ♪ The feelings of love called aloha ♪ ♪ They sing and dance, even romance ♪ ♪ That's the spirit of aloha ♪ ♪ Fragrance of flowers in the air ♪ [Leialoha] Today, our new generation is growing up unapologetically Hawaiian.

I think aloha for our people in the Diaspora, that's their connection that they're holding on to.

I think aloha is what keeps them Hawaiian.

[Eric] It's not about what you show on the outside.

It's what you feel on the inside.

Exactly.

Yeah.

Oh, wow, we're talking the same language now.

We sure are!

(both laughing) ♪ Grab my uke and radio, gonna groove to my island tune ♪ ♪ Island country ♪ (upbeat ukulele music continues) ♪ Hawaiian songs ♪ ♪ Of old and new ♪ ♪ So sit back, relax ♪ ♪ And just hang loose groovin' to my island tune ♪ ♪ So sit back, relax and just hang loose ♪ ♪ Groovin' to my island tune ♪ (upbeat ukulele music continues)