I graduated from Dartmouth in 1993. I was a member of the fraternity system, and I was very embarrassed when I read of the "ghetto party."

Xenophobia, racism, etc., are American problems, indeed human problems. We can only hope that we learn to deal with each other in a better way in the future.

I found one problem with Mr. Ito's reporting, where he quoted Dartmouth Review editor Steven Menashi, who called the event a "silly" and "harmless" frat party. The Dartmouth Review should never be represented as the voice of Dartmouth, or for that matter, the voice of reason. It is not the school daily, and it is not an administration newsletter. The Review is a small independent group of students with a very conservative agenda. When I was at Dartmouth, they were very much in agreement with Pat Buchanan's world views, and I doubt much has changed.

-- Alexander Kaplan

I am a senior at Dartmouth College as well as a regular, enthusiastic reader of your publication. I am also a member of Alpha Chi Alpha fraternity. Suffice to say, I was shocked to see your recent article depicting myself and my fellow members of AXA as drunken, ignorant playboys.

Our annual luau party is a decades-old event, unmarred by controversy until the recent surge of scrutiny the fraternity/sorority system at our school has undergone. In comparing it to the detestable "ghetto party," put on by another fraternity, your reporter has done us a great disservice.

The suggestion that racist behavior and attitudes are in any way tolerated by members of Alpha Chi Alpha and the Dartmouth community at large on the basis of our luau party is absurd and ill-founded. The justification of such claims rests solely on the e-mail of one careless student -- -- a sister of Delta Delta Delta sorority who suggested that party-goers dress "Hawaiian Style" and that because Hawaii is a state, that an American flag made of Jell-O shots be an appropriate attraction.

Alpha Chi Alpha responded quickly and sympathetically to all Dartmouth students who were offended by the e-mail -- even though it was not issued by one of our members -- and immediately cancelled the party, breaking a summer tradition that our members have long enjoyed.

Dartmouth College believed us to have acted responsibly and appropriately in our handling of the affair.

Alpha Chi Alpha is an organization of young men of all sorts of ethnicities and backgrounds -- as many as are welcomed by the College of Dartmouth itself. Your inappropriate, biased and slipshod characterization of us as bigoted "frat guys" on the basis of this summer's luau party is insulting and unprofessional. As a fan of Salon, I have come to expect better.

-- Nathan W. Chaney

As someone who has been following the issue, I find it truly valuable to hear from those like Ito who can educate others about the violent colonization of Hawaiians, and the damage that results from upholding cultural stereotypes of Hawaiians. I have heard too many voices of those who, in ignorance, are simply upset about not being able to throw a party, or, worse yet, having their right to insult people of color taken away.

-- Dr. Brenda L. Kwon

We just wanted to let you know that not everyone in Hawaii agrees that Dartmouth student Aaron-Aina Akumu's version of Hawaii's history is accurate.

Contrary to his self-righteous complaints:

The U.S. stole no lands from the Hawaiian people. The lands Hawaii ceded to the U.S. in 1898 upon annexation (except for the portions used for the military, naval and civil purposes of the U.S. and set aside for local government) were held in trust by the U.S. with the income to be used "solely for the benefit of the inhabitants of the Hawaiian Islands for educational and other public purposes." Upon statehood in 1959 the U.S. returned those lands to Hawaii still subject to the public land trust which required them to be held for the benefit of all Hawaii's citizens, not just for those of Hawaiian ancestry.

Native Hawaiians gained U.S. citizenship (and more democratic power than they ever enjoyed under the monarchy) in 1900 immediately upon Hawaii becoming a Territory of the United States. They used their newfound right to vote to dominate the Hawaii Legislature until almost the beginning of World War II.

Today Hawaiians hold formidable political power and influence in Hawaii and in Washington. They are completely assimilated into every level of the political, economic and social life of Hawaii. The adaptive policies followed by the native Hawaiian monarchs and Alii in the 19th century (welcoming and taking advantage of the Western people, language, religion, education, technology and institutions) have served them well. They are today vastly better off economically than the Polynesian inhabitants of any other nation in the Pacific.

In 1959, 94 percent of Hawaii's voters, including by necessity a large majority of voters of Hawaiian ancestry, voted yes to statehood.

Please ask Mr. Akumu to lighten up. He makes no friends for Hawaii or for himself by telling people "they have no right to be ignorant about what a real luau is." Also, it would not hurt him to brush up on his Hawaiian history. A good place to start is our Aloha for All Web site, or this good new Web site.

-- H. William and Sandra Puanani Burgess

I find Robert Ito's statement that "news of the ["ghetto"-themed] party sent Dartmouth undergrads scurrying for Afro wigs, toy handguns and crimping irons" both offensive and untrue. I graduated from Dartmouth in June 1999, was present during the uproar that followed announcement of this party and was involved in many discussions centering around the "luau" party.

Theming any party or function that is not a cultural celebration involving that cultural group "Hawaiian" or "Cuban" or anything similar is disgusting and an example of excessive ignorance. However, those five close-knit students heroicized by Ito are more typical of Dartmouth undergraduate life than their "ghetto"-partying brethren. Apathy is, unfortunately, still rampant, but to characterize Dartmouth as populated primarily by bigots is beyond unfair.

-- Victoria Thatcher

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