U.S. Independence Day can be a complicated holiday here in Hawaiʻi — some love it, others don't, and most are just happy to have the day off.
To get a better sense of how locals are preparing for the Fourth of July, HPR took to the sunny streets of Honolulu to hear from real residents about the upcoming holiday and the state of our nation.
Some, like Tim from Salt Lake, get into the holiday spirit with a feeling of national pride around America's anniversary.
“I personally feel very patriotic about it. I feel like, as an American, it's very much believing the ideals of what our country was founded on, and what it can be,” Tim told HPR.
"And it doesn't necessarily have to reflect being a patriot, doesn't necessarily mean that you agree with what's going on with the administration.”
Others, like Doug, who has lived in Honolulu for 35 years, have more mixed feelings around the holiday and the history behind it.
“I didn't know about our country till I came here and realized what we had done, you know, outside the country, and the experience Hawaiʻi had,” Doug said. “So it kind of changed it, but I learned a lot more having lived here.”
For others like Katie, the mixed feelings behind the holiday are put aside to focus on what matters most: spending quality time with loved ones.
“I'm trying not to pay too much attention to what's going on in Washington. I'm gonna focus on spending time with family,” she told HPR. “We're gonna grill and focus more on that than being patriotic, really.”
Ultimately, some Hawaiʻi residents are taking the holiday as a reason to enjoy the simple pleasures in life — like Garrett from Salt Lake, who had this to say about Independence Day:
“I think it's awesome. So, holiday. We can drink beer and pop fireworks.”
If you have a reflection to share as America’s 250th anniversary approaches, you can leave a voicemail for HPR at 808-792-8217 or email us at talkback@hawaiipublicradio.org.
This story aired on The Conversation on July 2, 2026. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. Jinwook Lee adapted this story for the web.
