Why is Las Vegas considered the 9th Island for Hawaiians?

Home is where the heart is and for many native Hawaiians and Las Vegas has become their adopted home.

In fact, so many have settled in Southern Nevada that Vegas has earned a reputation as being the "Ninth Island."

IS---AND FOR MANY NATIVEHAWAIIANS LAS VEGAS HAS BECOMETHEIR ADOPTED HOME.SO MANY HAVE SETTLED HEREWHICH HAS EARNED LAS VEGAS THETITLE-- THE 9TH ISLAND.AS WE CONTINUE TO BRIDGETHE DIVIDE--13 ACTION NEWS REPORTERJEREMY CHEN SHOWS YOU WHYHAWAIIANS ARE LEAVING THE 808FOR THE 702.NATS (island music)THE TROPICAL VIBES FROM THISBAND-PLAYING AT A HAWAIIANFESTIVAL WOULD BE VERY MUCH INPLACE ON THE ISLANDS.HOWEVERTHIS IS ALL HAPPENING INTHE LAS VEGAS VALLEY-ALSO KNOWNAS THE 9TH ISLAND TO MANYHAWAIIANS."THE PEOPLE ARE HERE.

THE HAWAIISPIRIT IS HERE.

WE HAVE OURFOOD.

WE HAVE OUR CLOTHING.

WEHAVE EVERYTHING WE COULD THINKOF EXCEPT THE ELEMENTS OF HAWAIINEI."DOREEN HALL IS THE PRESIDENT OFTHE LAS VEGAS HAWAIIAN CIVICCLUB.SHE’S PART OF THE NATIVEHAWAIIAN COMMUNITY WHICH IS THELARGEST PACIFIC ISLANDER GROUPREPRESENTED IN THE VALLEY."WE ARE GROWING AND THEMIGRATION CONTINUES FROM HAWAIINEI TO HERE IN LAS VEGAS."BUT WHY LAS VEGAS---ESPECIALLYWHEN HAWAIIANS ARE TRADING ATROPICAL ISLAND FOR A DESERTCLIMATE.U-N-L-V PROFESSOR MARKPADOONGPATT SAYS YOU HAVE TO GOBACK TO THE 1970’S WHEN THECALIFORNIA HOTEL AND CASINOOPENED UP."IT STARTS TO MARKET TOHAWAIIANS AFTER THE CALIFORNIAHOTEL DOESN’T DO WELL AMONGCALIFORNIANS AND HE TURNS HISATTENTION TO HAWAIIANS AND THATMAKES LAS VEGAS A POPULARDESTINATION."WITH HAWAII NOT ALLOWINGGAMBLING-SAM BOYD SAW ANOPPORTUNITY."SAM BOYD MADE IT SO EASY WHENHE STARTED CHARTERING PLANESTHAT HE WANTED TO BRING PEOPLEFROM HAWAII TO HERE AND IT’SEVIDENT 40 YEARS LATER.

PEOPLEARE STILL COMING TO LAS VEGAS."EVENTUALLY SOME HAWAIIANS BEGANTO SETTLE IN NEVADA-AND BEGANFORMING A COMMUNITY.MANY MOVED DUE TO ECONOMICS-ASCOST OF LIVING ON THE ISLANDBECAME TOO EXPENSIVE."CURRENTLY BACK IN HAWAII, OURAVERAGE HOME PRICES IS $850,000TO $900,000.

THAT’S ALMOST $3500TO $4000 IN MORTGAGE PAYMENTS."PADOONGPATT SAYS LAS VEGASBECAME A PERFECT LANDINGSPOT-DESPITE BEING FARTHER AWAYTHAN CITIES ON THE WEST COAST."LA OR SAN FRANCISCO OR ANYWHEREIN CALIFORNIA IS PROBABLY JUSTAS PROHIBITIVE IN TERMS OF COSTOF LIVING.

BUT LAS VEGAS OFFERSNOT JUST HAWAIIANS BUT A LOT OFCOMMUNITIES OF COLOR ANOPPORTUNITY AND SOME HAVEARGUED, ONE OF THE LASTOPPORTUNITIES TO GET AMIDDLE-CLASS LIFESTYLE."HE ALSO SAYS IN SOME WAYS FORHAWAIIANS-LAS VEGAS STILLRETAINS SOME IDEA OF ANISLAND-REINFORCING ITS 9THISLANDMONIKER."IN SOME WAYS IN ITSELF, LASVEGAS LENDS ITSELF TO BEING THISISOLATED ISLAND IN THE MIDDLE OFTHE DESERT SO I THINK CULTURALLYTHAT MIGHT BE ALSO SOMEWHATFAMILIAR EVEN IF THE WEATHER ISNOT FAMILIAR."HALL SAYS SHE EXPECTS THE BONDSOF HAWAII AND LAS VEGAS TOREMAIN STRONG-ESPECIALLY WITHMANY HAWAIIANS SEARCHING FORBETTER OPPORTUNITIES ON THEMAINLAND."ALOHA IS WHERE WE STAND.

ALOHADOESN’T HAVE TO ONLY MEAN INHAWAII.

IT COMES FROM HAWAII,BUT WHERE WE STAND, WE MAKE ITOUR HOME."HOME MEANING RIGHT HERE INNEVADA.JEREMY CHEN 13 ACTION NEWSAND ALL MONTH LONG WE WILLHAVE COVERAGE OF STORIES ABOUTOUR LOCAL A-A-P-I COMMUNITY.SO MAKE SURE TO STICK WITHUSE HERE ON CHANNEL 13 OR VISIT