As I look back now, my years as governor has provided me an opportunity to participate with so many citizens in trying to make our community better. And I am very grateful that opportunity.
I think also, that during that period, I started to think a lot about international arena and how the world was becoming smaller—shrinking—and how more nations are coming and doing things together, and the importance of that international aspects. And Hawaii being located where we are--the part of the United States, one of the United States. But we are separated from there by the ocean, and we are closer to Asia than the rest of the United States is. We’re in the middle of the Pacific, where the ocean surrounds us. And so we had a chance to really look at how important the rest of Asia can be not only to Hawaii, but to America. And for us to participate in bringing Asia and the United States closer together.
[we] Had the opportunity to look at, because of that too, looking at the kind of oceans that we have. [Hawaii is the] Only island state surrounded by the ocean. And the chance from that to look at our own resource and feeling that a state, a region, a place cannot be anything more than what they are. That in order to be really good, you have to understand the region that you live in. And, after you do that, you can build on those strengths of feeling that Hawaii can be the premier renewable energy state.
Date: December 15, 2003
Location: Hawai''i, US
Interviewer: Art Hansen
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum.
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