The Long View on the past 50 years for Hawaiʻi and the U.S.

2026 is quite the year — it’s not only the Semiquincentennial, or the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence, it’s also the 50th anniversary of the first voyage of the Hōkūleʻa, a symbol of the Hawaiian Renaissance.

Here with the Long View on how the state and the nation has evolved racially, culturally, and economically is contributing editor Neal Milner, who offers three recent articles.

Further reading:

• 50 years after Hokuleʻa’s first voyage, the canoe continues to reshape Hawaii — Honolulu Star-Advertiser
• The United States at 250: How the Country Has Changed in the Past 50 Years — Pew Research Center
• Key facts about Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. — Pew Research Center

This story aired on The Conversation on May 7, 2026. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m.