How do we know what we know?

Who gets state cash welfare assistance (General Assistance) in Hawaiʻi? Many assume that Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders access assistance most, but the data tell a different story than the one that circulates most widely.

Stories are powerful. And they get shaped by the powerful. The stories themselves, in turn, shape what questions we ask and what solutions we seek, whether or not they are grounded in what is actually happening.

Data can be difficult to access, to understand, and digest. People sometimes skip over the charts and graphs. Others see data tables as the only way to present factual information. But data exist in a social ecosystem and we need to contextualize the assumptions that lead us to overlook how systems do in fact function.

The reality is, even in Hawaiʻi, middle-aged white men are the people most likely to be receiving cash welfare funds*. This is a direct contradiction to the narratives that we hear and what we assume about the situation. Overwhelmingly, stories about welfare feature Brown men and women, or Micronesian immigrants.

Stories are portable. They are easy to remember, they reconfirm our biases, they tell us what we already expect, and as a consequence they are shared more often than any numbers in a table, even when the stories are not accurate.

The data table above is important, however, because it is an entry point into telling a different story of how public assistance operates for people in a society structured around inequality.

But what is that story?

Do these data mean that white men on average are more needy than other groups of people? Likely not.

Or, do the data show that it is often easier for white men to jump through the hoops necessary to get into assistance programs? Why could that be the case? Could it be that white men, even when they fall on hard times, have been socialized to have the determination to access resources while others get derailed in a system riddled with obstacles?

Do those who need them most even know that assistance programs exist or are available to them? Do they have easy access to the documents required to get assistance? This data is only information on the cash assistance program and doesn’t include food stamp benefits that can be only used to purchase groceries not prepared food. Older adults are likely to be receiving social security not cash welfare.

So, how do we know what we know?

Real stories from people navigating these systems combine with data analysis to fill in the knowledge gaps we have about how systems function. Together, those stories and numbers become data and are important tools for improving processes.

Do you have stories about the frustration of trying to get benefits? Share with us

*Even this statement while statistically most likely, could be different than we think. While statistically not likely, it could be possible that every single man receiving assistance is someone who is not white. More data could help assist.