Mary Therese Perez Hattori
Members are the heart of our Bishop Museum ʻOhana! Meet Mary, a Bishop Museum Member. We’d love to hear your #BishopMusuemStory! If you’re willing to share, please reach out to us through this form.
Why did you decide to become a member of Bishop Museum?
As an educator, community organizer, advocate for Micronesians and other Pacific Islanders in Hawaiʻi, and a native Chamoru of the island of Guahan (Guam), I’m thankful for Bishop Museum’s commitment to providing safe spaces for gathering, celebrating, and learning about the rich histories and cultures of the peoples of Oceania. I am happy to be a member, part of a stewardship circle, so that I can reciprocate the aloha that the leadership and staff of the Museum have shared with members of my communities.
What has been a memorable Bishop Museum visit, exhibit, or event for you and your family?
Bishop Museum has hosted the Celebrate Micronesia Festival for the last two years, providing a much-needed venue, both physical and virtual, for our community members to highlight, elevate, and share the best of our cultures—our life-affirming, value-generating, and positive traditions that can serve as beautiful models for Hawaiʻi and the rest of the U.S.
What is your favorite benefit associated with your Bishop Museum membership?
I value the guest passes which enable me to share the richness of Bishop Museum with others!
How does our mission resonate with you as a resident or visitor to Hawaiʻi?
As a daughter of Oceania, I appreciate the way the Museum’s collections are shared through rich programs and thoughtful exhibits to bring to life the stories of the peoples of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific. In a place of learning, stories that are complex and challenge popular misconceptions of Hawaiʻi are presented with dignity and depth.
What are you looking forward to on your next visit to Bishop Museum?
Someday soon, I hope we can experience another Celebrate Micronesian Festival on the grounds of the Museum. Until then, I will enjoy the expansive landscape and exhibits.
