“I was born and raised on Oahu, lived in Portland off and on for seven years. I decided to go back home to Hawaii with my husband after having our first child. I wanted her to grow up with the same memories and lifestyle I had. But rent was just way too high for the quality we were getting. Groceries were just too much. We could never save, everything was going toward living expenses. My parents and sisters still live in Kailua, but my grandparents, aunties and uncles all left Hawaii for the same reason. The hardest part for me was pulling out our daughter from Kamehameha Schools. Here in Portland, I am sad that our culture won’t be all around us and as easily accessible.”
Courtney Dang
Portland, Oregon
Former resident of Kailua
