the community newspaper for east oahu since 1987

Miss East Oahu Kawena Chun

by PAULA BENDER
Sun Correspondent
Archived January 2007 article

Culture plays a big part in the quest of Kawena Chun, Miss East Oahu, as she pursues the state title of Miss Hawaii.

"I want people to remember their culture, no matter where they are from," Chun said. "It's important that they maintain a link to their families and their heritage."

A senior at the University of Hawaii-Manoa majoring in Hawaiian Language, Chun is an example of what happens when a Chinese Hawaiian man falls in love with a French Iroquois woman from Louisiana. They marry; they raise a child in the Islands. The result is a young lady with a broad sense of cultural pride. It's also what triggers her innate talent for hula and her penchant for life as an entertainer, something she has been doing since she was three years old. At 23, Chun is both principal dancer and entrepreneur of her own company, Kawena Productions. She dances with the Magic of Polynesia at the Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel, and has worked with Tihati Productions.

"As a child, I danced at shows all over Waikiki and I'm proud to say that I'm still doing shows at the same hotels I danced at in my younger years," Chun said.

If Chun looks familiar, it might be because you watch television or read newspapers and magazines. She's been a featured model in Seventeen magazine. She's had speaking parts in four Subway commercials and has appeared in the Opihi Pickers' and Kawika Regidor's music videos. She's also done print and radio work. Maui Jim Sunglasses recruited Chun to promote its products in Singapore, she's appeared as a hula dancer in Japanese Sony commercials, and even promoted Campbell's Soup as a Tahitian dancer in a recent commercial. She stars in local television shows such as Da Braddah's, Ha'upu Aloha, and on Good Morning Hawaii. Through her company, she recruits and performs with other dancers for meetings, weddings, parties and conventions around the state.

That would probably be considered a full and satisfying life for any other 23 year old. It's a big part of life for Chun, but she's also a senior in college and has her focus set on her degree in Hawaiian language. Academically, Chun was recognized as a student at Maryknoll High School for being most excelled in Hawaiian Language, which eventually garnered an award there. Her goal as a college student has been to incorporate her appreciation for the Hawaiian language into her work. She's on her way. Hula has a lock on her heart.

"Hula will always be one of my biggest passions," she said. "And it's also my goal to one day become a successful actress and entertainer. In the future, I'd like to write a movie or two that shows the life of Pacific Islanders to people across the world."

Until she reaches her pinnacle as an entertainer, Chun sees to it that she also reaches out to those who are at risk and to seniors living in care homes. The venues are small, and if the dance troupe is at a juvenile detention center, they might encounter some initial resistance. But because she cannot help but incorporate love and acceptance throughout the hula, the walls of resistance come tumbling down. And in the senior homes, she ignites in several elders the spark of memories.

"I see life come back to their faces when the songs bring back a memory," Chun said. "The seniors will share with us their feelings and experiences. If it weren't for our visits, some of them would just sit there day after day, being quiet, without a chance to relive those feelings. It is the best feeling in the world to talk with them."

With so much experience at such a young age, Chun gives every indication that she's got the determination and the will to achieve her goals. Eventually, she'd like to write a couple of screenplays about life in the Pacific Islands. And she says she'd like to see more of the Hawaiian language incorporated into daily life. That could mean launching a Hawaiian-language radio station. Chun would also like to see the broadcast of the daily news in Hawaiian.

"This would help our community and it would keep our language alive," she said.

One of her strongest dreams is to tour Oceania with a Polynesian show that she helped choreograph and create.

"Hula is a way of life that I strive to live by everyday," Chun said. "I always try to remember that we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."

Watch for Chun as she competes with other contestants for the Miss Hawaii 2007 title in June. And in the fall, we may see Chun vying for the Miss America title.