I’ve been reflecting on the word “unfair” ever since a Virginia-based organization said it’s unfair that non-Hawaiians can’t enroll at Kamehameha Schools, a school dedicated to educating Hawaiian children.
When a private trust is created, it has one obligation: to carry out the wishes of the person who established it. Its resources aren’t for everyone—they are for the specific people the founder intended. Anyone outside that circle cannot rightly claim exclusion as “unfair,” because the trust was never theirs to begin with.
That’s how I understand the trust created by Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop in 1883. As the last direct descendant of the Kamehameha line, she saw her people losing land, health, and opportunity. With foresight and compassion, she placed her vast estate into trust with a singular purpose: to educate Native Hawaiian children.
Her intent was clear, purposeful, and protective. She gave not to everyone, but to those she feared would be left behind without intervention. And that clarity of mission has allowed Kamehameha Schools to serve generations of Native Hawaiian students for more than 140 years.
To me, that isn’t unfair—it’s faithful. Just as a scholarship for women in STEM isn’t “unfair” to men, or a foundation for veterans isn’t “unfair” to civilians, Pauahi’s trust is not “unfair” to those outside it. It is simply staying true to her intent.
And that’s why it must remain free from outside interests. Its strength lies in its focus. Its fairness lies in honoring Pauahi’s kuleana and her gift to her people.
By protecting the integrity of her trust, we don’t just honor her legacy—we help secure the future she envisioned: Native Hawaiian children, equipped with education, opportunity, and hope.
I stand with Kamehameha Schools.
It’s only fair.
Alan Tang is the chairman, CEO and president of Olomana Loomis ISC, an award-winning integrated business consulting, brand and marketing firm based in Honolulu, Hawai‘i.
For more information, contact: alan@olomanaloomisisc.com