Bella H.’s Necklace

My ni’ihau shell necklace keeps me connected to home. 

Growing up multi-ethnic in Hawai’i always made me feel like an "insider-outsider." Being half middle-eastern, my background is often an anomaly across our beautiful islands. And since I looked different, I was constantly asked, "where are you from?"

I sought friends that could relate to my experience of feeling like an outsider. When I came back to Hawai’i as a young adult, these friends gave me peace. They validated that this is a land and community I belonged to as much as anyone else. 

I wear this necklace because, like me, these shells might be rare on the island, but that makes them all the more special and beautiful.