Norwalk woman shares island culture with Iowans
Teri Underhill spent her childhood summers in Hawaii learning about her ancestry.
Teri Underhill spent her childhood summers in Hawaii learning about her ancestry.
Teri Underhill spent her childhood summers in Hawaii learning about her ancestry.
Teri Underhill has a unique background. She is what's known as hapa, meaning someone of multiracial ancestry in Hawaiian.
"I'm just very proud to be Hawaiian. So I'm always going to bring it," Underhill said.
Underhill grew up in Norwalk, but her childhood summers were spent in Hawaii soaking up the sunshine and learning about her ancestry.
"It definitely inspires me when it comes to like expression and like learning the language and trying to put some language or slang into like my music," Underhill said.
United States census data from 2022 shows Iowa only has 0.2 percent of Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders. Because of the small population, Underhill hopes she can inspire others through lyric and dance beyond Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
"It's very important that people understand in AAPI, there is the Pacific Islander of it, and we're very different," Underhill said.
With her art, she also hopes to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community.
"It's very important to me to be myself through everything I do and to be super open and honest in my music and my writing and everything," Underhill said.
So as Underhill plans her next routine or pens another song, the goal is to share her way of life with a dash of Aloha and live life her way.