Urban Aloha

Lani Cupchoy, PhD, is a public historian, storyteller, poet, artivista, and filmmaker of Chicana, Afro-indigena, Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian), and Chinese heritage. Currently an assistant professor in the Department of Chicana(o) Latina(o) Studies at California State University, Los Angeles, she specializes in public history, ethnic studies, Indigenous knowledge, and decolonial storytelling as transformative tools for cultural empowerment and social justice. Founder of Pinkjade Creations, she uses film, music, and digital media to amplify intergenerational narratives and cultural resilience.

"Cupchoy is a compelling storyteller, and her book is a significant contribution to work on Los Angeles, Asian American studies, racial and ethnic identities, and Hawaiians. She skillfully combines interviews, academic scholarship, letters, newspaper articles, and an analysis of commercials, making this an innovative book that adds to the conversation on communities and community formation in Los Angeles" --Gilda L. Ochoa, professor of Chicana/o and Latina/o studies, Pomona College; author of Academic Profiling: Latinos, Asian Americans, and the Achievement Gap "Urban Aloha is a dynamic and complex story about diasporic identity making and community formation that emphasizes cultural preservation and transmission as resistance. Ultimately, this is a book about the way mainland Hawaiians navigate and negotiate the legacy of dominant representations of Hawaii and 'Hawaiian.'" --Mark Padoongpatt, associate professor, director of Asian and Asian American Studies, University of Nevada, Las Vegas; author of Flavors of Empire: Food and the Making of Thai America