Congress Formally Designates February 2026 as Hawaiian Language Month

Hawaiian had fewer than 50 speakers under age 18 by the early 1980s — down from being the dominant language of the Hawaiian Islands just a century earlier

Approximately 18,600 people reported speaking Hawaiian at home as of 2016, according to Hawaii state census data

UNESCO classifies Hawaiian as "Severely Endangered" — the second-highest risk category before extinction

Hawaii's public Hawaiian-language immersion program (Kaiapuni) enrolled 2,602 students across 26 schools as of late 2025 — a roughly 67% increase over the past decade

Hawaii designated February as Hawaiian Language Month in 2013 — the federal resolutions before Congress would extend that existing state designation to the national level