Our History · Our Way

The Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa focuses on comparative analyses of racial and ethnic groups and inequalities among them through the lens of social justice. We take an ʻāina (land) and ocean-based approach to our four focal areas—migration, social justice, oceanic connections, and engagement. Our research and teaching are interdisciplinary and transnational. As ethnic studies scholars, we specialize in race and ethnicity as they intersect with indigeneity, class, gender, and sexuality in Hawaiʻi, the United States, and Oceania.

Our department offers a major (BA) and a certificate in ethnic studies as well as a combined Bachelor’s & Master’s Degree (BAM) in ethnic studies and education. Our undergraduate program foregrounds civic engagement and service learning to foster thoughtful and compassionate leaders and stewards of the ʻāina. We train our students to imagine and craft responsible and sustainable alternatives to local, regional, national, and global problems.