Emmanuel Manny Borromeo & Kaliko Storer of Lahaina

This recording is part of Hui Mo‘olelo: Lahaina, our 2025–2026 gathering of richly detailed talk-story recordings created to inform future public artwork, support collective healing, and provide trusted, community-informed guidance for the Lahaina Memorial Project. Here, Emmanuel Borromeo reflects on his transformative years as a student border at Lahainaluna High School during the mid-1990s. He describes a rigorous, military-like routine defined by manual labor on the school farm, where he developed a lifelong work ethic and deep sense of discipline while tending to the swine and crops. Beyond the chores and sports, Borromeo emphasizes the protective bubble of aloha provided by the Lahaina community, recounting fond memories of surfing with local families and the unique sensory details of the town before its recent tragedy. He advocates for a recovery led by local voices, warning that the future of Lahaina must be shaped by those who truly understand its culture rather than by external economic interests.