Local Quotes

“Clumsiness is a result of the mind detached from the body. Shame is the mind preoccupied with trauma. Trauma has an effect on the immune system, particularly inflammation, worsening disease.”
― Jessica Machado, Local

“Only once all the fish and birds and mammals were in sync were we, their human descendants, born—each creature and plant and ancestor dependent on one another, intrinsically linked. The Kumulipo is not only a map of our genealogy but our core agreement to the world we were brought into: it’s the Kānaka’s kuleana, or duty, to respect nature’s harmony. This union is our life force.”
― Jessica Machado, Local

“I wasn’t interested in regurgitating the colonialist savior stories of my high school history book. There has been enough of that.”
― Jessica Machado, Local

“I met a college friend at Borders,”
― Jessica Machado, Local

“I wasn’t sure I liked him in that way; he was a little too in my face, too into me. Even though being adored was all I thought I ever wanted,”
― Jessica Machado, Local

“You can’t bullshit a bullshitter, Jessica!”
― Jessica Machado, Local

“The choices feel selfish. Loving your home but wanting more feels like a betrayal. The tension of holding both your own ambitions and your parents’ expectations is incredibly isolating.”
― Jessica Machado, Local

“darkness will come, but to endure, you have to hold on to whatever light you can.”
― Jessica Machado, Local