 My name is Durei Shin, I am the host of Finding Our Future which is one of the think-tank Hawaii shows. So today I have my really good friend Anna Kamacho on and we're gonna talk about being young people, millennials, and what our future needs to survive and thrive. So Anna, thank you for being here. Thank you for having me. I'm super excited to be on the show with you. Yeah, so we have conversations like this all the time. It's like what we do for fun and so yeah I just wanted to take us through I guess maybe first you can introduce yourself and share a little bit about what you do and what you're passionate about. Yeah for sure. So my name is Anna Kamacho. Together we co-founded the Good Food Movement which is on a mission to make it fun, make food choices that cause the least harm and the most good. We do talk story events, we do movie screenings, we do taste testings, ecstatic dances, so anything fun that builds community and we eat good food pretty much. So aside from that I also bartend at a vegan restaurant. I work as a tour coordinator for a travel company and yeah I have a lot of side hustles which is kind of the story of the people in this generation. Yeah so let's talk more about that. So what do you think like we went to school together at UH Manoa and we are talking about kind of what the struggle financially is as a student and then entering our lives in the real world after that. So talk a little bit more about that and your experience with that. I guess it's the story that we've inherited after high school. We go to college and you invest a good amount of money that we don't actually have into an education but it's okay because we're promised that we're gonna get good jobs and pay it off. This really mortgage-sized loan in the future. So at least for me that wasn't the case. After college I ended up getting a job in this tour company. That wasn't enough to supplement my lifestyle so I got another part-time job and then my passion project is what we do with the good food movement. So it's made me really happy but I also work really hard for money and that's not a unique story you know in today's day and age. So yeah. Yeah so I think we know a lot of people that work three or four jobs like that's normal and I feel like that's crazy and I know that the local labor union here fights for one job should be enough and there is a report that came out that said like half of people in Hawaii are one paycheck away from homelessness or from you know big big economic downfall in their life and with their family and I think that really is amplified like with students and or you know post-grad that enter their careers and say like how do I work for an entry-level job or do I work as a server at a restaurant which is not my passion but that will make you know potentially twice as much as that so I think that's like like what a lot of young people have to go through and make those decisions. So how do you think that that affects people and their way that they move through life and the amount of energy they have to spend on you know other projects that they might be more excited about? Yeah I work with these people we work with these people and often times when we're in the grind of the day-to-day living paycheck to paycheck an emergency comes up we use our savings you know whether it's health or something with our car or a family thing we only have so much resources that we we we accumulate as young people so when these things come up we're often back to where we started we've got to start from square one and when you're in this cycle of just trying to pay rent trying to buy food trying to pay bills whether it's student loans cars anything it's hard to get out of that one-pointed scope of survival when really I I personally believe like we don't have to be in that scarcity mindset of like I have to just get what is good for me and not care about anything else around me when the problems that we face in this world today like we need to be outward focused and we need to realize like it's not all about us and we need to band together in that movement I feel like that's what we're trying to do yeah totally so it's exciting like I think we've achieved some level of balance where you know we have financial we have debt from being students but we also have this ability to have jobs that pay us okay and balance out our passion projects but like for most people that's not really a reality and so and we talk a lot about like the climate crisis that's here and you know going to become worse and with this perspective that we have is young people and millennials that are trying to work on social change what do you feel like a lot of people want you know like out of our government or out of our culture that needs to change for us to start healing ourselves and healing the problems around us at a fundamental human level I think we want to feel connected to each other and something greater than ourselves we need a feeling of purposefulness and meaningfulness in our lives and just the basic need to be happy and have our basic needs met which is totally possible in this time unfortunately you know there are some people that still don't have it in Hawaii we have a really large homeless population you know that's no surprise to anyone you go down to downtown you go to Kakaako I mean Kaimuki any any of these places you'll see them around by them I don't you know yeah I mean houseless people you know so it's just it's just really unfortunate that like in this time of technological prosperity we have so much information coming at us all all angles and we know and have the resources to solve these issues it's just not being focused on by I feel like our government and our leaders today though yeah so we were talking also about what our challenges and frustrations are within you know being not only young people but also activists in some form or another so yeah how would you articulate some of the challenges and frustrations you're feeling around our movements and you know this deeper desire we have for for more change yeah I feel like coming from the service industry been working in it for like maybe a decade or so I work with people like I said that our living paycheck paycheck and then when they're so tired we're so tired when we come home that maybe we just zone out on Netflix or we scroll through our feed and it's this kind of we're feeding ourselves information and becoming aware of things that really don't matter you know so I feel like if there's any thing we need is to feed ourselves you know it's not it's not the screen or the technology that's the problem it's maybe the way we're using it because it's just a tool so like today I was on YouTube and I was on AOC Alexandria Ocasio Cortez's channel and she was spitting some real stuff that you know I needed to hear as a as a citizen and as a leader she's very inspiring for me and it makes me want to know more makes me want to get more involved with these issues because as we know these issues are very urgent to deal with I think it's about 12 years they gave us to tackle climate change before really the earth is unlivable which is really 10 years before it gets unbearable which is really you know just say eight years before we we can see some real change but really there's a stalemate going on in government with this green new deal that's been introduced and it's mostly politic you know because the this environmental crisis that's happening it's not political it's a human issue it's a very human issue and we need to take care of ourselves because the earth has been okay for billions of years it's been through like five mass extinctions that we know of we're 99% of the species that have been alive are no longer here and so now we have humanity us right now here in time facing our own demise of our own creation yeah and it's very human created and if it's human created then it must be solved by humans you know so yeah my piece on it yeah yeah I think like our political system is like so out of touch with humans and that's why politicians like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are so necessary and important because what politicians forget is that you know young people it's like we grew up with a lot of entertainment you know so it's like we we can see right through politicians who are lying or acting or scripted and when a politician like AOC comes out and she's being really honest and straightforward and fearless and real and real and she's she's energizing crowds and she's relatable because she's been a bartender and she's our age you know I think that's what's really needed in politics so you know not only has changed too slow in terms of like what we're doing as individuals but really like our political system gets in the way of the rapid change we need and that's because a lot of our leaders aren't us and they've never been in this position they don't have mountains of student or other debt and most of them are benefitting from the way the system is set up and that system is destroying our environment so you really need to think deeply like how do we solve these big problems and recognize where the flaws exist and what can we do as individuals and communities to dismantle or repair or feel it whatever that is but being willing to accept that it's going to be a big change well what can we do to heal dismantle and repair and really heal this broken system I don't know get involved get educated about the issues yeah I think I mean I think as a starting point like people need to register to vote you know like that's like the basic thing you can do and the turnout has been really really bad for young people because they do they feel like the things we're feeling like what's the point and like it's all rigged and influenced and that's part of the reason my Trump won as well because there was a sentiment that it's rigged and getting if somebody knew even if it's Trump was like better than having somebody who's been around for a long time so and then you know people people need to like get involved in an organization or in a cause that they care about so like in the case of good food movement that like came from frustration like doesn't feel like people are doing enough or you know this is my passion and nobody's addressing it I was like oh well we'll just address it you know together and it'll be beautiful and fun and inspiring for not just us but for a lot of other people and have a really positive impact I think there is some level of empowerment that there's an opportunity to cultivate in people where it's like you can address your frustration directly and channel it somewhere positive and healthy yeah I think frustration is totally necessary but it's not necessary to stay there like you said channel it into creating something whether that's art or like a song or a piece of music or a video or in our case like organizing events making content on social media these are all avenues and we have all the tools to reach a mass level of cool right at our fingertips and I think it's so cool yeah but it's just a tool and it's how we use a tool that really matters so yeah I was I think there's about like 50 to 80 million millennials here in our country and that's a big number you know and there's a stigma around young people that were like entitled that's the number one thing we're entitled and that makes us lazy and we're always on our phones and we're always not present we don't know how to work but I think throughout all generations like that's been the story of young people ever whether it was the hippies in the 70s or it was the Gen X in the you know 2000s it's like that's 90s whatever they were yeah yeah we're just young and we have to remember like I feel like older people have to remember like where they were when they were our age 21 to 24 that's a really weird age between being so young and your values are shifting exponentially and now at 27 we can say like we are not that person anymore and we're ready to move forward and take action and be more outward focused and yeah be activist in our own way and evolve and actually like benefit the world outside of us so we're growing into that yeah yeah this is that time for it I work with a lot of teenagers international teenagers with my job and I have the same like stigma around them a lot of the time I'm like they're always on their phones yeah they're not listening to me there but they're doing what teenagers have always done which is ignoring authority being there you know being awkward and hormonal and trying to find their way in this life and expecting too much of them to be where I am or where we are right now yeah totally so yeah I feel like young people do hold the key to the solutions because we inherited these problems we inherited this world like this was passed down to us we have no choice like we must rise above our ourselves and realize how connected we actually are and how our impacts how our actions yeah totally yeah okay well well I think that we need to move to a break so I think we're gonna talk more about how millennials can positively impact our culture and talk more about kind of our lifestyle and the things we're learning and sharing with our greater community hi I'm Rusty Kamori host of beyond the lines I was the head coach for the Punahoe Boys varsity tennis team for 22 years and we're fortunate to win 22 consecutive state championship this show is based on my book which is also titled beyond the lines and it's about leadership creating a superior culture of excellence achieving and sustaining success and finding greatness if you're a student parent sports or business person and want to improve your life and the lives of people around you tune in and join me on Mondays at 11 a.m. as we go beyond the lines on think Hawaii Aloha Aloha I'm Winston Welch host of out and about it's a show that we have every other Monday on think back live here we explore a variety of topics that are really interesting organizations events and the people who fuel them in our city state country and world we've got some amazing guests on here like all the shows at think tech so if you want to catch up on stuff tune into my show every other Monday and other shows here on think back live it's a great place to learn about stuff to be informed and if you have some ideas come on my show let's talk about it see you later Aloha Aloha my name is Duretian you are watching think tech Hawaii finding our future so the show will be about millennials young people and how we you know make the changes we need to see in our future so that everyone can thrive so I'm here with my best friend Anna Kamacho we are both the co-founders of good food movement and it's our passion project to align our food choices with our values and use food as a way to talk about bigger systemic issues in our society so we didn't really talk too much about good food movement but why don't you share some of like the major work that we've done and then how that relates to your lifestyle our lifestyle yeah for sure I think in anything that we do we aim to build community and we aim to empower anybody that wants to join that community and so it's very inclusive we feed people good food whether it's from down to earth or some local catering or restaurants in the area but we try to keep it as local as possible sustainable and fun as possible so we've done the last event that we just did was a film screening of a documentary called from the ground up it was about plant-based athletes we had some vegan well-known vegan activist James Aspie and Carly Taylor there to do the Q&A we had about a hundred something people show up so it was and it was at ViVi Collective which is a really cool spot a co-working spot and they're all about sustainability and being the Hawaiian culture alive so yeah it's it's been two years I believe we've done screenings of conspiracy what the hell what else have we done oh island earth and what we aim to do is really collaborate and partner with other organizations and businesses to make all of this possible because it's not just us it's not about us at all it's about the movement and yeah I love it I love it so much it's really a passion and it's my favorite hat I wear out of many goals I play yeah we get to create you know what we feel is needed and fun in our community so one of the things that inspired us to you know work on this project is that we went vegan at some point in our young adult life and we felt like there was a space in our community to really empower and educate people and show that this lifestyle it's not one of scarcity but it's one of abundance and that it's fun and that there's same young people who are vegan and that we do it for a lot of really important reasons that could potentially save our future so what do you how would you describe like your personal you know journey into veganism and and how that affected your life yeah I started studying health in college holistic health so I started learning about the food system I started learning about our bodies anatomy and what it really needed to survive food science and I just was realizing that most of the things we put in our body was not food at all so I came in it through the health perspective I went vegetarian and we actually lived together for a little bit where you inspired me well you planted the seed of veganism I wouldn't say that I went vegan right away but I did the thing that really propelled me into it was watching a documentary which is what a lot of people say their reasoning is but for me this documentary was called earthlings it was really hard to watch I'm not gonna I'm not gonna suggest it to anybody that has a weak stomach but it's free on YouTube to watch if anybody is interested but it's about human exploitation of animals on all levels so not just food but entertainment closing head trade yeah testing all these things I was so unaware about right and it broke my heart and I think that signal that change needs right and you had talked about you know making the changes that we need to make as millennials and young people but I I really think it's being the change yeah and that's the way we make it that's the first step that's the foundation yeah for sure yeah and that's I think for people who think that veganism is some kind of like friend or extreme lifestyle it's like you know some people won't do it and it's totally fine but I think it's really important and part of you know our goal is to say we're not like judging people who aren't vegan or anything like that it's really just like let's recognize at least for me like I would I used to say like I would never do this like this is way too much and like I love cheese and just like say all the things that a lot of people still say but to say like you know even from that perspective with an open mind I was able to listen to the facts watch these videos with an open heart and say this is not an alignment with my values whether it's from the cruelty perspective or the environmental perspective or the health perspective and just say this is because this is not an alignment my values I'm willing to make these changes or at the very least say I understand this lifestyle and to no longer make it a fringe thing something to be made fun of or something to criticize but to really you know acknowledge the value that this that the people who are choosing this lifestyle have on society because it means that they've had an open mind and that they've they've learned these facts and figures and said you know let's do something better and I think that all connects to where we are now and where we want to be in our future is we really need that open heart and mind whether it's from the food perspective or you know any other factor of our lifestyle and our culture and politics say we are going to be open enough to embrace change if changes what is what our values direct us to yeah absolutely and speaking of values I think it's just important to know what they are for you I think a lot of people myself included didn't reflect on that and so it's important to know oneself and speak from that real place and so yeah I it's been a I think it's just that was the first step in in the journey you know like when when when I decided to go vegan like I had no idea I was gonna open all these other doors of information right you know like you start reading labels and you're like what's that and why is this cheaper why is like a burger cheaper than a salad and it's because you know the government subsidizes like beef you know so and like dairy and these all these products so it's it just it all connects you know and it sends you into the spiral of wanting to know more right and wanting to be better and you feel better well I felt better and it's also hard at times because as social creatures like we want to be accepted we want to belong like I don't want to be teased by you for being different you know so it I think it's really important what you said it not make it a fringe thing which it's becoming very trendy now yeah Beyonce and Miley Cyrus Tim Kardashian many other famous people I don't follow but I heard that they've switched or they're advocating for the lifestyle that's really exciting and one thing that I really like to remind myself is that every huge social movement justice movement in the past whether it's women's rights or black rights or abolishment of slavery like any of these things were really fringe you know it was like you're gonna kill our economy you know like just like listing all these like paranoid facts and statistics that were benefiting companies almost all the time it was related to money and power and so I think it's really important to be aware of when we or other people are defending something cultural or something that status quo that benefits a large industry because then that's what we really need a self-reflection say well maybe they have a stake in this or maybe you know I've been influenced by my upbringing or by my lack of being open to research to make changes or to be open to hearing what somebody has to share with me about what they've learned and why they've made lifestyle changes that might be uncomfortable for me or for the rest of culture yeah and I think veganism is just one example of that zero waste is also another example so you know it's definitely a journey and you go from like plastic bags you know like oh my god maybe I should like bike instead of driving like just all these things and it's really powerful to be to be say like I'm I'm going to commit to at least being open-minded about these things it is it's one healthy sustainable habit at a time and you build this upon brick upon brick and then soon enough you have a whole different lifestyle yeah I know when we first met like the first time we ever hung out it was totally different from what we do now but it was you know but it's been amazing to see each other grow and to support each other on that journey totally like reminding ourselves in each other that we're not alone in it yeah and teaching each other things so well that's actually the end of our show but it was really fun talking and we will be I will be here every other week with a new guest to talk about our future so thank you for tuning in to think tech Hawaii