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 being a racial minority in a culturally diverse place. When I came back to Hawai’i as a young adult, these friends gave me peace. They validated that this is a land I belonged to as much as anyone else.

I wear this necklace when I'm out working as an advocate for Hawai’i. Like me, these shells might be rare on the island, but that makes them all the more special and beautiful.