Hanalei Somar

Bio

Hanalei is the New York City coordinator for BAYAN USA, a founder of Filipinas for Rights and Empowerment (FiRE NYC, a GABRIELA USA organization), and a Steering Committee member of the May 1st Coalition for Immigrant Rights. She is a community organizer, writer, performer, and multi-media artist. Hanalei is also a member of the artist collectives everydayarmada and k-k, and has been awarded residencies and opportunities with Project Rowhouses, The Laundromat Project, and the Asian Womens Giving Circle.

New KONY 2012 Video Answers Doubts Surrounding Finances, but Not Questions We Had in the First Place
By Hanalei Somar
This is life one week after the release of Invisible Children’s (IC) STOP KONY viral video. To be fair, IC has set the precedent for successful marketing and branding campaigns for human interest organizations, raised awareness for the atrocities…
Kony 2012 Supporters Have Been Duped
By Hanalei Somar
Congratulations on the recent purchase of your $30.00 KONY 2012 action kit. While there is absolutely no doubt that Joseph Kony is a heinous human being, responsible for traumatizing a generation of young Ugandans, I want to let you know that this…
Rush Limbaugh Apology Toward Sandra Fluke Means Nothing, He's Insanely Sexist
By Hanalei Somar
With close to 30 sponsors pulling funding from his show, a rare apology from Rush Limbaugh regarding his “choice of words” surfaced on his website Sunday afternoon. This was a useless response after calling Sandra Fluke, a law student who testified…
Millennials Take a Stand Against Poor Education Policies and Standards in the U.S.
By Hanalei Somar
On March 1, thousands of students in the U.S. rallied for the National Day of Action for Education in response to the harsh conditions today’s students face amidst economic crisis, tuition hikes, and racial disparity. Ninty-four percent of polled…
Why Michigan Women Will Vote for Barack Obama, Not Mitt Romney
By Hanalei Somar
The GOP carnival arrived in Michigan on Tuesday, and now prepares for the final stretch toward Super Tuesday. Romney won the Michigan primary by focusing on jobs and the economy, but there are a number of Michigan-specific issues that clearly affect…
Poorly Made Satire Will Always Pit Men and Women Against Each Other
By Hanalei Somar
Editor's note: We asked two of our pundits, one male and one female, to respond to the popular video "THE FLIP SIDE (BAR)," in which in an alternate reality, the gender roles of a night out are reversed. Men drink raspberry kamikazes and women dance…
The 5 Malcolm X Speeches You Must Know
By Hanalei Somar
Occupy Valentine's Day? February 14 Turns Into a Global Day of Protest, From Pakistan to Hawaii
By Hanalei Somar
While you were spending an average of $116.21 on a Valentine's Day gift, others celebrated love by participating in mass demonstrations across the world. Of course, many of these groups capitalized on the most obvious of themes. Same-sex couples…
Why PETA Should Use Food Justice, Not Sexy Sexual Innuendo, to Attract More to Their Cause
By Hanalei Somar
SPOILER ALERT: This PETA ad shows an injured young woman, without pants, carrying home groceries.  The narrator then introduces the young woman as Jessica and says, "She suffers from 'BWVAKTBOOM,' 'Boyfriend Went Vegan and Knocked the Bottom Out of…