Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, 1 October 1988 Edition 02 — Minority Business To Benefit From City Council Measure [ARTICLE]

Minority Business To Benefit From City Council Measure

Measures adopted by the Honolulu City Council in August may well help stimulate opportunities for businesses owned by minority or disadvantaged groups in Hawai'i. Amendments to one measure were introduced by Councilmember Leigh-Wai Doo, whieh provide that at least 10 percent of City transportation contracts be awarded to minority-owned firms in the State, whieh include Hawaiians and part-Hawaiians, Filipino-Americans, Pacific Islanders and women. The Council also passed resolutions sponsored by Doo, urging the City and State to provide that at least 10 percent of all City and State Contracts be awarded to minority-owned firms. Doo called it "significant" that all six eouneil members signed the measures. He said the resolutions allow the City and State to form a policy on the awarding of

— r government contracts to groups that are truly minority or disadvantaged groups in Hawaii. He added such a policy acknowledges Hawaii's unique blend of-iethnic heritages. Similar affirmative action guidelines were introduced by Doo at the State Democratic Convention this year. A minority hire resolution was adopted there. Because Hawaii's ethnic populahon differs from the mainland U.S., minorities here tend to be from different groups. Recognizing this, the University of Hawaii John A. Burns Medical School and William S. Richardson Law School have identified, for the purpose of minority admittance, Hawaiians, part-Hawaiians, Filipinos, Samoans y. and women as socially and economically disadvantaged in Hawaii.