Arabic version: دعوى قضائية تتحدى برنامج المنح الدراسية للسكان الأصليين في هاواي الذي استمر طويلاً

A federal program has helped Native Hawaiian medical students for 35 years. It’s now being sued for discrimination. The Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program, which has provided financial aid to hundreds of students, is under scrutiny from the conservative group Do No Harm. According to The Guardian, the group argues that the program discriminates against non-Hawaiian applicants.

The lawsuit, filed in March, claims that the scholarships are unfairly restricted to individuals with even a distant connection to Hawaiian ancestry. Do No Harm contends that this practice violates equal access principles, as it excludes qualified applicants who do not identify as Native Hawaiian. The group asserts that three of its members were denied scholarships based on their non-Hawaiian status.

Sheri-Ann Daniels, CEO of Papa Ola Lōkahi, which administers the scholarship program, criticized the lawsuit, stating it disregards the historical context and ongoing healthcare disparities faced by Native Hawaiians. Daniels emphasized the program’s importance in addressing healthcare needs in underserved communities across the islands.

Established by Congress in 1988, the Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program was created in response to a significant report highlighting the lack of accessible healthcare for Native Hawaiians. Over the years, the program has supported 324 individuals, including 108 nurses, 71 doctors, 49 social workers, and many others in fields spanning psychology, dentistry, pharmacy, and therapy, who have subsequently served in medically underserved areas. The scholarship is modeled after the National Health Service Corps, which aims to bolster primary care in rural and underserved communities.

The lawsuit reflects a broader trend among conservative advocacy groups targeting programs designed to support minority populations. This comes in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in 2023 to end race-conscious admissions in higher education. Critics of the lawsuit argue that dismantling such programs could exacerbate existing healthcare inequalities in Hawaii, where Native Hawaiians experience significantly lower life expectancy and higher rates of uninsurance compared to other groups.