This post is a pretty pro American response to your question.
Isn't the American Empire much larger and much wealthier nowadays(we also have the largest navy by FAR)? Also the British Crown didn't give you the same freedom as Hawaii has. Well the USA gives you the same if not more of the same freedom the original 13 colonies had( including the two I've lived in) depending on your population in the house and 2 votes in the senate, same as any state! Isn't being one of 50 semi independent entities under the US federal government(aka the world wrecking regime),which even has the right to have legal input(albeit small) on the activity's of the other 49 aforementioned entities worth it? You've got 2 senators and 3+ congressman who have a say in everything that the US federal government does. With 4 votes in Congress you have more representation than 5 US states and DIC. Hawaii is the only majority Asian state in our union, but they are still a valuable part of our team, and I don't think I stand alone when I say we love them!
Hawaii post 1959 is as equal shareholder in US hegemony as any other state(again a Hawaian born man once commanded our military and nuclear arsenal, is any more proof needed they are truly one of us?)it's even got one of the fifty US stars(it's on our flag). It's 1.5 million person population native or otherwise is on our team and they are our brothers/sisters(go Hawaii go!). Hawaii is superior to the island of the UK as a US state and one of it's citizens by birth even got to arguably dictate and/or control the UK's actions(if there is proof this isn't the case you're welcome to dispute it, seriously I love having intellectual disagreements) to try to disprove my statement. (but since Suez I see no reason to think the UK is anything but US junior)!
At the end of the day I'm trying to paint Hawaii as one of many willing actors([post 1959 pre 1991 rule) who've helped along US imperialism(for better and worse). They are not a conquered province, they are a shareholder in our incredibly expensive hegemony, they are not a victim(anymore, since 1959 they've been part of our lunatic family). Important to note that every bill the US congress passes Hawaii's representatives has had a say on it. Four states in the US Hawaii has more representation than in the US congress, almost sixty years later it has been fully integrated into the American state.