Would you move back to Hawaii? [Archive]

fvck3k

September 2nd, 2004, 04:18 AM

yes..no questions..yes..i've spent my life away from there...i'm not rich in $.but, my love of all people is very strong. i don't need much to be happy.just to know that we're all healthy is enough.i miss it daily though.it's like the older i get,i can feel the islands tugging my heart..the biggest reason tho is to meet my ohana.......i know that they say you can't go back in time.but @least being there,i'll know exactly where we came from & see where my ohana were born,where they lived,raised generations of my ancestors,where they died.........i can make money anywhere..can do crafts,can work in any bar & restaraunt........as long as the peace stays within me,i'll be happy anywhere..but,yes,i'd move back in a heartbeat.............mahalo

I know what you mean when you say "I can feel the islands tugging my heart." One day we will go back, I'll be sending my children to school in Hawaii before we actually move back to the islands. I'm not to happy with the schools here. By the way my Husband has 2 cousins living in Georgia. I don't know exactly where though.

Blueridge Telecom

WERUreo

September 2nd, 2004, 09:49 AM

I would love to move back to Hawai'i. I don't get to go home as often as I used to when I was in college, so every time I do go back, I don't want to leave. It would hard for me to move back. My fiance has an 8 year old daughter, so right there, it would be hard on her. Never mind the fact that moving to Hawai'i would be a big step for an 8 year old, but I would be worried about how she, and my fiance even, would be treated.

Growing up in Hawai'i, being part Hawaiian myself, I never had to face any of the prejudices some locals show toward haoles. I never even realized that haoles were picked on in school. I always thought "Kill Haole Day" was an exaggeration. I went to Kamehameha, so we never saw that, because we were all part Hawaiian. But, while here in Florida, I met a haole guy who went to high school in Hawai'i while his dad was stationed at Barber's Point, and he said he used to get beat up all the time.

Anyway, kind of went off the subject for a little bit. Besides the whole moving to Hawai'i being hard for the child, she goes to Michigan every summer to visit her dad. That in itself would be harder to do if we lived in Hawai'i. Also, I just got a new job, a good job, as a software engineer, and my fiance is still working her way through college.

I know, sound like I making a lot of excuses. I would love to move back to Hawai'i. I miss it a lot. Maybe one day, in the not so near future, we can make our way there. Until then, I will have to settle for talking story with my online 'ohana.

Karen

September 2nd, 2004, 10:22 AM

Wow, that is SO SAD that you seriously have to fear moving back for your fiance, that I assume is haole, and her daughter may be treated badly, or most likely they will be, by some!! They call this paradise, but yes, I admit I know many are racist. the ones that are should be FORCED to move to mainland to live a few mos. so maybe they will FEEL what it is like to be treated the way you post about. Of course, they might not be treated badly in some other states, who knows? I had friends of all colors as I grew up. Our daughters do, now.

We moved here more than ten years ago, had already started homeschooling in California, and continued here, but mostly because of curriculum reasons and the reasons we chose to start on the mainland. The more I read and hear from people as yourself, I become more and more thankful we were homeschoolers!

I saw on Olelo Tv once, one of the ladies named Trask, and she was speaking forcefully and seemed hateful, and she said that she only has aloha for "her own people." With public figures like this, no one can blame any locals for being racist, BUT...

she is native hawaiian, I believe, so I can't blame other native hawaiians for being racist, following her public lead, BUT....

what is up with "locals" that are NOT a bit Native hawaiian, being racist and putting down haoles, as if THEY the locals are as big a deal as natives, in this or any land, but their OWN, that they origninated from?!! The nerve of them. I, as a haole, have every right to tell them "oh knock it off! We are in HAWAII and you aren't any more NATIVE Hawaiian, than am I!"

Glen Miyashiro

September 2nd, 2004, 10:46 AM

what is up with "locals" that are NOT a bit Native hawaiian, being racist and putting down haoles, as if THEY the locals are as big a deal as natives, in this or any land, but their OWN, that they origninated from?!! The nerve of them. I, as a haole, have every right to tell them "oh knock it off! We are in HAWAII and you aren't any more NATIVE Hawaiian, than am I!"
Uh huh. Karen, I know you're not from Hawai'i, so you probably don't know the history here, but it wouldn't hurt you to learn a little. Our ancestors who came here as plantation workers from China and Japan and Korea and the Philippines weren't slaves, but they weren't exactly free either. Indentured servitude is what they called it, I think. You sign a contract, get on the boat, and the sugar company owns you for the next five years... unless you can't pay back the money you owe to the company store, in which case you're still on the hook. Back in the early days, the plantations thought of their workers as commodities, like mules or sacks of flour. The (haole) sugar planters didn't treat their (Asian) workers well, and that didn't change until the 1950s.

Sure, we're not native Hawaiians. We will never be native Hawaiians. But we do have roots here, a hundred years deep. That counts for something, compared to you who just got here.

So what, I should go back to Okinawa? Sure, just as soon as you go back to Scotland, or Germany, or whatever part of Europe your distant ancestors came from. (Yes, I know you have said you've got native American blood too. So which part of you gets sent back then, eh?)

It doesn't excuse racism, from anyone. Every group has the unfortunate potential to be racist, and it's always wrong. But I think white people from America really feel the sting when, for the first time in their lives, they realize that they are not necessarily the dominant force in this society.

We're not perfect. We grumble about each other, and poke fun. But at the same time my kids end up marrying your kids, and how can you really be that mad at your in-laws? We have handled our multiracial society better than other places -- Fiji, with its Indian immigrants vs native Fijians, comes to mind -- and for the most part we live in peace.

makepagirl

September 2nd, 2004, 05:55 PM

racism in hawaii?? we were taken as keikis from our home in hawaii to a place completely foreign to us..raised & treated as trash by most. including haole family.all we wanted was to go home.so,my mom took us back as teenagers.we lived on the ala wai canal.and walked to jr. high school&high school...and it was terrifying..we were bullied by all.i know we weren't raised to stand up 4 ourselves.all we knew was that if we finally came back home,all would be well.we were laughed at by other teens because we dressed &spoke different.we fit in til we spoke.very very strong southern accent..but, we looked exactly like them..with all this craziness, my mom had a breakdown.so i was lost along the way.ended up living on the streets &beaches of waikiki @14 yrs old,then back to ga.married &with a baby not too long aftr.it took yrs of therapy.but i came out fine.it seems to be the same everywhere,if the keikis aren't taught @home to respect themselves,then they don't know how to treat others...i know i've mentioned it in other posts,but that baby of mine was raised to believe..in himself,in who he is,to stand up for the good..even with all that.i never wanted him to have to ever wonder if he was loved,to wonder where he was going to sleep or what he had to do for food.it made me who i am,as hard as it was...i know its still home no matter what..forgive me for rambling..this &ohanalanai are the only places i've told my story..much peace guys..

pzarquon

September 2nd, 2004, 08:41 PM

forgive me for rambling..this &ohanalanai are the only places i've told my story..much peace guys..Thanks for sharing so personal a story, Makepagirl. You've gone through a lot, but clearly came out on top. Kudos to you for turning some serious lemons into lemonade. Your son is a lucky soul.

Certainly, your experience is an unusual one. You "looked local," but sounded Georgian. Racism might have been involved, but - speaking as a local kid - there is also the unavoidable and unrelenting base cruelty that is adolescent scorn. 'Cause frankly, being different in any way is excuse enough for some teens to make some kid's life a living hell. The color of his skin, her accent, his height, her teeth... It's a wonder so many kids make it out of puberty and high school alive.

We might be better at mixing cultures than some other communities, but alas it seems human nature that there'll always be conflict, some constructive, some destructive. Hawaii's certainly not immune to raucous race relations - Trask is an excellent exhibit on this point - but I'd still like to think we manage because we have to. No one is the majority here. We either get along, or fall completely apart.

As Glen said, eventually, we'll all be so intermarried and mixed up that there'll be no way to put up artificial walls between us. That day's a long way off, but maybe Hawaii's closer to it than most.

makepagirl

September 3rd, 2004, 02:41 PM

you're right..kids are that way..when i look back tho, it wasn't all bad..i remember all the elderly tutus i met who came to the beach daily to sit on the benches..the stories,local food & love they shared will never be 4gotten.i met people from all over the world ..now i know that if you're secure & at peace with yourself,then it'll all be good...but,i guess that's what growin up is all about huh?mahalo for such a thoughtful response...take care..kimmi :p

memorylane

September 6th, 2004, 08:18 AM

Not unless it was expenses paid, lol
Funny the getting beat up stuff was brought up......I was tormented by a *large* Hawaiian girl named Zina, the only thing i hated about Hawaii, her and her clan. It can happen anyway but I wouldnt deliberately subject my boys to that kind of stuff as *haoles*.
My desire is only to see everything i saw and did and something i didnt do for a week or two, thats about it but darnit if i cant find anyone that will stick with me and be able to get me on Schofield.

NemesisVex

October 1st, 2004, 04:58 AM

Ask me this question in about 20 or 30 years, by which time I'm sure the Mainland crazy will finally get to me.

Right now, the answer would be no. Anytime I check tour dates of bands I like, I see Austin on a lot of them but never Honolulu. Kronos Quartet has performed twice in Honolulu, but I've managed to see them every year for the past three years. There's also the Alamo Drafthouse, a movie theater where you can order food and beer while watching a movie.

Honolulu just doesn't have much going on where culture and arts are concerned, and that's a priority for me personally.

I wish there were a stronger Asian presence in Austin -- there are plenty of Asian Americans here, just scattered throughout the city -- and yeah, I miss some Hawaii cuisine.

But extracting my family's dynamic -- which is part of the reason why I moved to the Mainland in the first place -- my last few visits back to Hawai`i made me miss my own place here in Austin.

I don't picture myself settling down here, but the next place I move to isn't going to be back to Honolulu.

Karen

October 4th, 2004, 10:16 AM

Wow, finally I saw your post! GOD BLESS you a ton, and I will have you in my prayers, because no matter how long ago your childhood was, we are formed in those years and the things that happened then really can hurt us even as adults. I hope you have a very blessed and peaceful life now, and confidence that defies your past, also!!

Karen, sincerely~

Mocha

October 11th, 2004, 02:16 PM

Since I've always lived here I can't envision living anywhere else. Makepagirl sure went thru "hell" but still came out okay. Too bad more people can't end up being that way. Today I see a lot of kids that only think of themselves. They want everything instantly and only for them. We do have racial incidents here and hopefully they're in the minority. What happened to the Japanese tourist, the gay/lesbian tourists certainly don't portray HI in the best of lights. Hawaii is NO KA OI to most of us who live here. I have a daughter living on the mainland. If the pay scale wasn't so low for her type of work here...she'd be home! :)

Pelix

October 22nd, 2004, 08:46 PM

I've lived here all my life and am lucky enough not to have been subject to the racism that can be such a pain in the ass. I've never considered living anywhere else, and I doubt if I ever will.

SRV

May 12th, 2006, 08:50 AM

I lived in Hawaii for 15 years. Big Island, Oahu, Lanai, Maui. When I first moved there I embraced the culture and the people. I was learning the language, history and culture of the Islands. After 15 years of hearing terms like "f***ing haole", "you're acting just like a haole", "lets go kill some haoles" and after years of attitude from "locals" simply because of the color of my skin (white) I came to realize that Hawaii was the most racist state I have ever lived in. The Islands are beautiful but the people are ugly. I would never move back there, not in a million years. Sad too, because I was a more productive, inclusive and spiritual person than most of the locals who lived there. They can have it. By the way, if anyone thinks the Hawaiian Sovereignty movement is a noble and righteous cause that will help the Hawaiian people, think again. The minute they get sovereignty you will see casinos going up all over Hawaii, just like the Native Americans did on the Mainland. It is all about money and greed.

Miulang

May 12th, 2006, 09:24 AM

The minute they get sovereignty you will see casinos going up all over Hawaii, just like the Native Americans did on the Mainland. It is all about money and greed.
What's wrong with Ndn casinos? And why shouldn't the kanaka maoli be able to do the same thing as their brethren on the Mainland? If the kanaka maoli were allowed to have their own casinos (which they can't, thanks to Congress), it would be a revenue stream that might allow them to become self-sufficient and not have to rely on the government as much as they have to now. And nobody is putting a gun to anyone's head forcing them to patronize these casinos. If people want to throw their money away, why not let some enterprising group of people "assist" them in the process? :cool:

Miulang

LocoBoy

May 12th, 2006, 10:23 AM

Whoa SRV, I'm sorry you feel the way you do about the Islands. I'm a local who's born and raised here and guess what, I have white skin and get called haole too but I never have and I'm sure I never will experience ther kinds of things you describe. Hawai'i is quite the opposite of what you've wrote. Your opinion seems to a reflection of some deeply rooted anger and you should consider seeking some spiritial guidance (IMHO).

timkona

May 12th, 2006, 10:47 AM

It's easy to make it in Hawaii. All you have to do is show up on time, and work hard, and be responsible, and you stand miles ahead of the crowd here.

The racism here is just a symptom of the level of ignorance. But you gotta realize that's the magic ingredient that makes it easier to survive and prosper here than, say San Francisco. In SF, half of everybody is a PhD, or a BS, or a some other acronym. Makes it harder to compete for a middle of the road fellow like me. Over here in Hawaii, I'm the shark in the minnow pond.

And sure, casinos might improve the lot of Hawaiians if they could have them like the Indians do. But I don't have a casino, and I seem to be doing all right.

Crutch arguments are so popular by folks who feel disenfranchised by the system. The source of the discontent is more likely found in the overall intelligence level of the complainer.

pzarquon

May 12th, 2006, 10:54 AM

I came to realize that Hawaii was the most racist state I have ever lived in. The Islands are beautiful but the people are ugly.I don't doubt that you had unpleasant experiences, but to paint all of Hawaii's citizens with such a broad brush is pretty ridiculous, and the fact that you can make such pronouncements makes it pretty clear you weren't, or aren't now, the "inclusive and spiritual" person you claim to be.

Hawaii contains humans, and humans are largely the same wherever you go. So you'll find ignorance, and brilliance, and everything in between.

I would disagree with all the misty-eyed idealists who say Hawaii has no racism. That a "melting pot" means that all the flavors get along together. But I'd also disagree that we're excessively racist. We are race conscious, however, and probably deal with race issues more than some communities given the nature of our mix.

Largely what sets Hawaii apart from Mainland cities in the aggregate (and I'm not making specific pronouncements about any or all Mainland cities, mind you) is the minority status of Caucasians. If you come from a place where 90 percent of the population is "white," arriving in a place where you're not "like everyone else" can be a bit of an adjustment. Since there is racism here, even if it's mild, it can be a shock to be the target of any racist word or act for the first time.

Are some race issues "institutionalized"? Sure. The same way many Floridians make assumptions or hold stereotypes of Cubans, or Texans of Mexicans, people in Hawaii have their ideas about haoles... and Filipinos and Chinese and Vietnamese. You might even hear more of this stuff here than elsewhere. But again, some of what's called "racism" (negative words or acts based on race) is simply being more aware of, up front about, and affected by issues of race and culture and the mixing thereof.

I've always maintained that discrimination is based more on one's attitude than on the color of one's skin. If you have a chip on your shoulder or go looking for transgressions, I guarantee you'll find them. And yes, they do happen. How you manage them is what matters.

My best friend from small kid time is as haole as they come, but he's more "local" than I am. He got a few "f'in haole" remarks (usually as we biked around town), but he'd usually disarm folks pretty quickly with his command of pidgin. (I'm born and raised, and can't do pidgin convincingly.)

Plenty of people come from afar and find a home and a family here. My wife did, and I'm glad for that! I'm sure she's been subject to her share of stink eye and rude gestures and under-breath muttering. But the most persistant annoyance related to her race, I'd say, is getting "forked." That is, going with a group to an Asian restaurant and being the only person automatically given a fork instead of a chopstick. ;) I don't mind, though, because we just trade.

This is what I think, anyway. I love Hawaii's people, and love living here. If you disagree, you're free to... it just means more Hawaii for me. :D

Pongs

May 12th, 2006, 10:58 AM

It's unfortunate that SRV experienced this kind of hostility but almost anywhere you go, racism will appear! If caucasians haven't lived in areas where they are the minority, perhaps this is why they are so taken back when they experience so-called "reverse discrimination".

In Hawaii, it may be whites being discriminated against because they are outnumbered. Growing up, I was always called chink by some ignorant black and white kids in my school. In the south, blacks may be the party discriminated against...

Why is it so surprising that racism is a REAL problem that exists EVERYWHERE no matter the race? No matter where you move to, you can't escape it, although it may be someone else who is being discrimated against in your new home.

abt soveriegnty, Unfortunately many Indian casinos don't even benefit the very people they were designed to. Instead, in many cases most of the money goes to big financial backers, or people who can back up weak claims of Indian ancestry, even creating their own tribes to do so! Talk about money and greed! Native Americans end up working minimum wage jobs while people with barely a drop of native blood are raking in the cash (...i've done research on this , not just pulling this out of my a**)

Kanaka maoli probably could do greatly if they were allowed to establish casinos only if history is not repeated and others are allowed to reap the benefits.

*****
I'm glad Makepagirl was able to overcome her experience to pass on such strength to her child!!!!

Leo Lakio

May 12th, 2006, 11:12 AM

I would disagree with all the misty-eyed idealists who say Hawaii has no racism. That a "melting pot" means that all the flavors get along together. But I'd also disagree that we're excessively racist. We are race conscious, however, and probably deal with race issues more than some communities given the nature of our mix.Well-phrased. From what I can tell (as a Mainland haole with family in and connections to the Islands), Hawai`i is NOT a melting pot, and that pleases me. "Melting pot" has always (to me) implied everyone losing some of their identity and unique nature, eventually blending into the same thing.

Hawai`i seems to be more of a "mixed plate," where the cultures can remain distinct, but shared with each other. Everyone can adopt and adapt something from each other's offerings - which might even lead to more respect for each other than you find in a "melting pot" climate.

That's why Frank De Lima's humor doesn't work on the Mainland - unfortunately, more Mainlanders seem to have gone to Hawai`i and tried to impose their attitudes on Island ways - and they are the ones that have made Frank feel like he has to tone down his comedy, which is a damn shame.

Am I, as a haole, going to experience more race-based anger in Hawai`i than on the Mainland? Probably, because I'm a minority there AND "represent" a race that has a track record for oppressive dominance. In response, I can only get a thicker skin, do my best to understand where the anger comes from, and do my personal best to prove certain haole stereotypes wrong; and even that won't be enough for some people - if I can't live with that, then I will have no business being there.

I don't even have to wait to move there to experience it; I've gotten small doses from some of the folks in the Hawaiian community in the Seattle area, since I am so involved with Hawaiian music and cultural activities here. But the small doses have been far outweighed by the community that has accepted me, based on my behavior, respect and aloha.

lurkah

May 12th, 2006, 12:07 PM

I don't even have to wait to move there to experience it; I've gotten small doses from some of the folks in the Hawaiian community in the Seattle area, since I am so involved with Hawaiian music and cultural activities here.
Don't feel too bad. I'm a born and raised rubbah slippah-wearing blahlah from Hawai'i, and one of the first things I experienced when I met some of the more prominent Hawaiians in the Seattle area was the subtle yet condescending up-and-down look I got from a few of them. After getting over that initial shock, I remember thinking how funny it was that they think that they're so special all of a sudden. Back home in Hawai'i, they'd be nobodies, while up in the PNW some of them have come to enjoy a sort of minor celebrity status, like a legend in their own mind kind of thing. Whatever. :rolleyes: Main thing is I know where I came from and I know what I know, and I sure don't need anybody else qualifying who I am. I won't disrespect anyone who doesn't do it to me first, and that goes for any human being of any color.

Lei K

May 12th, 2006, 12:17 PM

Eh Lurkah! I've ran into a few of those here myself. Those are the kind who would NOT move back home because of exactly what you said, they'd lose the legend in their own mind thing. Because back home you become part of the majority again and lose the novelty I suppose. :rolleyes:

As long as you know who you are, that is all that counts. You certainly do not need someone's nod of approval.

Leo Lakio

May 12th, 2006, 12:21 PM

Main thing is I know where I came from and I know what I know, and I sure don't need anybody else qualifying who I am. I won't disrespect anyone who doesn't do it to me first, and that goes for any human being of any color.The hardest time I had was when I discovered that a musician I had been working with for months was bad-mouthing me behind my back, with talk of "why do they let this f'in haole play our music?" That was tough to face, because I thought we had a good relationship through the music, which took it beyond the racial sphere. Other than that case - no boddah me.

Qualifying yourself for yourself is wise advice, lurkah.

lurkah

May 12th, 2006, 12:24 PM

lurkah

May 12th, 2006, 12:49 PM

The hardest time I had was when I discovered that a musician I had been working with for months was bad-mouthing me behind my back, with talk of "why do they let this f'in haole play our music?" That was tough to face, because I thought we had a good relationship through the music, which took it beyond the racial sphere.
Two-faced back-stabbers like that exist no matter where you go. What goes around, comes around and he'll get his own *ss bitten down the road, I'm sure of it. Hopefully you were able to gain some musical knowledge during that time before that musician eventually showed his true colors so that you were able to move on and can now, "just press". ;) Sharing the same stage with Dennis and David Kamakahi, Patrick Landeza, John Keawe, Cyril Pahinui et al the way you've done ain't too shabby in my book.

haole_pupule

May 12th, 2006, 12:56 PM

Since we are bitching about racism, I thought that I would weigh in. I currently live in Hawaii, and I have to agree that Hawaii is the most ignorant racist place I have ever lived. I surf and race canoes, which I did before I moved here, and I think that it is the only thing that really keeps me here. I don't know why anyone that is not into ocean sports would ever put themselves through this. I couldn't even imagine trying to raise a family here. It would cost you about 12K a year just to send your kids to a school where they would be treated fairly and not get beat up every day.

The aloha only lasts as long as your standard two week vacation package. In every club that I have paddled with since I moved here, the only people that ever call me to go do stuff outside of the standard race or paddling function are other haoles. I surf at Makaha all the time, and the last time I was out there Bruce gave me a bunch of crap about not introducing myself and asking if I could surf there before I paddled out just because I was white. Shortly after our encounter, an unknown Hawaiian guy paddled out and Bruce paddled over to him and said "Hi" and asked him his name all friendly like. I was a little pissed. I am sick of the judgemental looks that I get from everyone just because I am white.

Oh...by the way, just becasue you are part Korean or Japanese and might have a shade of skin a little closer to that of a Hawaiian does not make you a native.

One more thing...I am white and I have short hair...but for the love of God...I AM NOT IN THE MILITARY SO STOP ASKING!!!!!!!!!!

On a positive note, every Samoan I have met since I moved here has always greated me with a smile and treated me with nothing but respect. Samoan's are an awesome people.

lurkah

May 12th, 2006, 01:11 PM

On a positive note, every Samoan I have met since I moved here has always greated me with a smile and treated me with nothing but respect. Samoan's are an awesome people.
What they really want is to meet your sister. :D Just kidding, dude.

haole_pupule

May 12th, 2006, 01:34 PM

thats funny.

LocoBoy

May 12th, 2006, 07:47 PM

by haole pupule

I have to agree that Hawaii is the most ignorant racist place I have ever lived.

Geez man where in the world are u coming from?? Where else have you lived and do you think they'll take you back, I sure hope so. You must be living in some secluded pocket in another dimension cause your views on Hawaii, its people and the aloha spirit are warped, big time.

anapuni808

May 12th, 2006, 07:56 PM

ah - I so enjoy reading about the miserable time some folks have when living here, how bad the racism is, how unhappy they are/were. If you don't like it here - LEAVE! It's really easy - just buy a plane ticket and say "Bye, Bye".

It's tough living on an island - it takes endurance. It takes courtesy, respect for others cultures and it takes some humility when you come from another place & culture to simply step back, back off & learn how to behave.

to "Haole Pupule" - Bruce was correct in telling you it would have been polite to introduce yourself & ask permission of the folks already there to surf. What would it have cost you to behave in a respectful way? What would it cost any of you whiners to simply step back, observe and learn how to behave? It is our obligation when coming to someone else's home, their "place", to learn how to fit in and how to behave. To learn the customs and the local life style. Life is really enjoyable if you can do that.

I would never want to live anywhere else. Oh, and I am white but please god, I'm not "haole". and many of you reading this will know exactly what I mean :)

tutusue

May 12th, 2006, 08:44 PM

[...]It takes courtesy, respect[...]
Bingo! The "R" word...Respect.

I've lived in Hawaii since 1978. I moved back to my home town in California in 1991 to be closer to family. I lasted one day shy of a year. During the course of that year I spent 4 months in Hawaii. I was *that* homesick! Hawaii isn't for everyone. And, you're right, Anapuni. If someone doesn't like living here then they should make every effort to move to a locale where they think they might be happier. I live in Makaha. My experience is that the locals just want respect. Nuthin' wrong with that. I'm a guest on their land...not vice versa.

Wild Child

May 13th, 2006, 03:23 PM

I am part Hawaiian but look like a "haole".
accepted to Kamehameha schools (didn't go)
studied hula and Hawaiian language since 4 yrs old (begining w/ the late & great Aunty Maiki.
I speak pidgin.
But, I am so tired of the racism all around us. Tired of it directed at me cause I don't look "local enough"...
In fact, most fellow native Hawaiians are not racist towards me.
Usually, it is the non-Hawaiian races that do the bashing, and "what you stupid haole" remarks.
I am tired of people saying "if you think it's so terrible, then get out-- move away".
I'd like to say to them: No, YOU get out, it's MY land... I can trace my roots way, way back. It is MY right to be here and be left alone in peace.
It is almost worse to be a haole looking part Hawaiian because you don't belong to EITHER side of the issue.
I gave up defending my racial make-up years ago-- it's too exhausting having to convince people "no, really, I am part-Hawaiian, please accept me".
I wish people stopped focusing on what race a person is, and focused more on the person. Embrace and learn from all cultures. This "get off my land if you don't like it" attitude frankly perpetuates the racism.
Everybody just needs to relax and get along.
And yes, I am moving away to the mainland-- and I can honestly say I will not miss the racism I have been subjected to my whole life growing up here.

tutusue

May 13th, 2006, 03:54 PM

[...]I wish people stopped focusing on what race a person is, and focused more on the person. Embrace and learn from all cultures. This "get off my land if you don't like it" attitude frankly perpetuates the racism.
Everybody just needs to relax and get along.
And yes, I am moving away to the mainland-- and I can honestly say I will not miss the racism I have been subjected to my whole life growing up here.
Wild Child...I can't speak for anyone but myself and I'm sorry I wasn't clearer. I thought I was but, obviously, I wasn't. My reply was a follow-up agreeing with the notion that those who move TO Hawaii and, for whatever reason, don't like it should attempt to move on, hopefully to a locale that's more suited to them. I do realize that this isn't always financially possible. As mentioned in a previous post, I'm not kama`aina. But, after living in Hawaii for 13 years, I moved back to my hometown, the one where I was born and raised, on the mainland. I was miserable. I feel no need to bash that beautiful little town or it's people because of it. I just knew that I didn't belong there anymore. I returned to Hawaii, a place of great joy and peace for me.

I'm sorry to hear of your situation. What's happened to you just plain isn't right. Only you can look inward to help determine why this has been your experience and what you need to do about it. The bottom line is you deserve to be happy.

Yes, everyone does just need to relax and get along. But the fact is the world is still full of racism. Hawaii is no different. Racism sucks. :mad:

anapuni808

May 13th, 2006, 07:08 PM

to Wild Child - I should also apologize for not making myself clear. What I said was meant for those who move here from another place.

If they don't like how they are treated or the culture or anything else about living here - stop whining. Take some responsibility for your life - either take the time to learn how to live here or save your $$$ & just go back "home". Stop taking up space here, using resources and WHINING! Do you have any idea how many people would love to be in your shoes for just a little while? I'm so tired of listening to the complainers. Sure, it's not easy here - everything is different, perhaps "foreign" and of course expensive. But look around you at the beauty and the kindness of island people. Try to learn to live as island people do - not as you did in your other place. Open your mind & your heart - I guarantee it will make a difference.

But also, keep in mind - this was an independent nation not too long ago. and it was much more civilized that many other large nations. `Iolani Palace had electricity before the White House in Washington DC!!!! Honolulu had the only private school west of the Mississippi & children from California were sent here to learn as far back as the 1850's. This was a functioning nation state, recognized around the world. Hawai`i had a constitution & code of laws before gold was discovered in California. This group of islands is not just someplace where there are big hotels & the weather is nice. We are surrounded by a very rich history and a strong host culture. The folks who do well when moving here are the ones who can learn to adapt and understand that "white" isn't always right. You can't demand respect & acceptance - they have to be earned.

There is such richness all around us to learn & touch & smell & taste. That's why I can't stand the whiners.

Wild Child

May 13th, 2006, 11:44 PM

Anapuni & Tutusue--
thank you so much for your kind and clarifying responses.
I had worried that I had come across sounding too harsh and that wasn't my intent-- it's the email-tone issue that can be tricky to navigate.
I just wanted to make the point that as a "child of Hawaii", I come from a family of many mixtures married to one another: Hawaiian, Tahitian, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Caucasian, etc... and what I like best about my family is that we are not defined by our various races. I also feel that growing up, racism was not quite as rampant as it seems to be now-- people a decade ago and earlier seemed to be more accepting and less judgemental.
And any true native Hawaiian will tell you-- it is the "Hawaiian way" to be accepting, open and tolerant. And while many terrible things have been done to Hawaiians--my ancestors-- I feel we need to move forward in a positive way-- less blaming and victim-role-playing. Take care our kupuna and keiki-- and the rest of us need to work on the healing. I don't mean to sound so preachy and I apologize.... again, racism is such an exhausting state of mind. ANd believe me, in my family we have the whole spectrum: the Hawaiian activists, the public and private schooled, the successful and not so successful, the Wahiawa, Kahala and Kaaawa raised, the leaders and freeloaders. What is sad is that the majority of my family's generation has chosen the path of the mainland-heading "brain drain"... while the older generations can't imagine leaving the islands even if they had to live on a tent on the beach.
For me, while it is difficult to leave, there are some things that make it a little bit easier: too crowded, too much traffic, sky rocketing real estate and cost of living, and yes.. the (whisper) racism...ironically, life for me on the mainland will be more "laid back" and carefree... never thought I'd say that in a million years... never thought I'd leave.

MadAzza

May 14th, 2006, 12:17 AM

Palama Kid

May 14th, 2006, 02:06 AM

I've lived in and around San Jose, CA for over 30 years.

After initially missing the Hawaiian lifestyle, I got to like living on the mainland. Although I came home quite often, I made no bones about not wanting to move back to Hawaii.

But I'm not so sure anymore. My extended stay (been stuck here since early March . . . awww, don't write - I don't mean "stuck" in a bad way) has opened my eyes to the natural beauty and the friendly people and the good food.

Maybe I'd not given Hawaii its due. My hurried short visits didn't allow me the time to savor Hawaii; I'd forgotten what Hawaiian time meant. Honolulu will always be "home," so I took Hawaii for granted.

Honestly, I'll probably not move back here, but at least now, I've not dropped that option out of hand.

Island2Island

May 14th, 2006, 07:56 AM

IN A SECOND........I miss da 'aina, no doubt about it. I'll try not to butt in too much, but here's my $0.02...

No matter where you go, THINGS will be different. It will take time to adjust, and NOT EVERYONE will adjust to their new surroundings.

I myself moved to Guam just recently, and it's a different place altogether. Although small, there are two different sides to Guam i've seen(so far).

About Hawai'i being a racist place.....lets face it, RACISM IS EVERYWHERE, you cannot avoid it. There will always be pre-concieved notions(haole's are arrogant, popolo's want attention, pake's are tight, filipina's(f.o.b.'s) only want their citizenship, etc.), that's human nature to judge on past experiences of other people. Not to mention, for every time i've heard "f****** haole", i've also heard "damn f.o.b.'s", damn micro's, etc.

Hawai'i IS a melting pot, most local customs are derived from other ethinic groups, pidgin itself is a product of immigrant's communicating with one another.

Alot of people from(but not limited to) the mainland frown on the fact that some in Hawai'i dont have native blood, but yet call themselves HAWAI'IAN. Correct me if I'm wrong, but arent ALL Americans descended from other bloods(German, Irish, Italian, Polish, Mexican, Cuban, etc.) Only tribes like the Sioux, Cherrokee, Lakota, etc. can claim to be native, but yet all these immigrants call themselves AMERICAN. Do I see some Hypocracy here?
Like my Daddy told me, if you feel HAWAI'IAN, you ARE HAWAI'IAN.

Hawai'i is a unique place, often imitated, but NEVER duplicated. I love it with all my heart, and long to return one day. I've been to quite a few different places, and although there "way" was different, I always respected their land and their way. I caught racist remarks in many places(PINEAPPLE, COCONUT,HULA BOY,etc), but took it with a grain of salt and went on.

If i offended anybody with my comments, I apologize.
and yes, I SUPPORT JUSTICE for HAWAI'IAN's(isnt that what we're suppost to be giving IRAQ and AFGANISTAN?)

I2I

Lei K

May 14th, 2006, 08:34 AM

ANd believe me, in my family we have the whole spectrum: the Hawaiian activists, the public and private schooled, the successful and not so successful, the Wahiawa, Kahala and Kaaawa raised, the leaders and freeloaders.

Wow, sounds A LOT like my own family.

But I'm opposite as I live on the mainland and want to go home. I find the islands to be way less stressful than life in Southern California. But then again, it's not too cheap to live in the area I'm in, which only adds to the ahhhh! feeling.

Where abouts are you moving to on the mainland? Just curious. :) And good luck with whatever road you choose to follow.

timkona

May 14th, 2006, 10:00 AM

Nalu

May 14th, 2006, 01:10 PM

Haunani Trask is to Hawaiian Culture what Rap Music is to Black Culture.
The bitter anger inherent in the message is the root of the problem.

Racism is pretty blatant in Hawaii. Racism is the favorite card to play in the game called "Poor Me".

When you hear racism, in it's various forms, there is one thing you can be certain of - Overall Low Level of Intelligence.

When you let go of color & culture as a judgement criteria, you will suddenly see people.

Actually as it pertains to Haunani trask, it is the arrogance of our Island guests (those like yourself) that is the real root of the problem. Having said that, I think most locals would expect it impossible for you people (yes, you people) to understand.

I would think that a person like yourself, who likes to boast about his intelligence at every oppurtunity, would at the very least, know the difference between "it's" and "its". :rolleyes:

timkona

May 14th, 2006, 03:28 PM

Very good Nalu.

Always better to be a smart-ass than a dumbshit.

kaneohegirl

May 14th, 2006, 07:02 PM

Instead, in many cases most of the money goes to big financial backers, or people who can back up weak claims of Indian ancestry, even creating their own tribes to do so! Talk about money and greed! Native Americans end up working minimum wage jobs while people with barely a drop of native blood are raking in the cash

wen the indian casino first started up there were some tribes that got screeeewed big time

but there are success stories out there! a friend of mine her tribe recently built their casino.... for the first 10 yrs nearly 90% of the profits went to paying the backers for loaning the money to build the casino/resort as well as any improvements needed.
after the first ten years those of the tribe that actually worked for the casino recieve a quarterly stipend based on how many in your family, as well as a paycheck (certain percentage of tribal members must be hired; tribal = prefered hiring)
those not working for the casino had to wait longer to get the stipend but will still receive it (and Im not talking about $200.00...they were saying 1500-5000 dependent on family size)with it incresing over time.... barring upgrades ect which then go to tribal negotiating for approval
those working for casino recieved NEW housing built on tribal land first paid for by casino
health center w/ docs provided was built
babysitting provided
there are things, wen done right that can be gained by having casinos.... you just have to be smart enough to figure them out

timkona

May 14th, 2006, 07:35 PM

there are things, wen done right that can be gained by having casinos.... you just have to be smart enough to figure them out

And brave enough to say that a few sick gambling addicts are NOT more important that the overall good of the community.

Whoever said Hawaii does not want gambling has never been to a cockfight or a poker club or Las Vegas. Hawaii LOVES gambling. Anybody who thinks gambling would be bad for Hawaii is jaded by utopian dogma. And dogma is ALWAYS more important than truth or facts.

Tiger Beer

May 15th, 2006, 01:13 AM

This is really interesting.

I'm not sure what to think on all of this. I've lived quite a bit abroad in various places now.. mostly South Korea (and I'm white).. but also Brazil.. and just travelled a lot. Also lived in New York City which is about as non-white and multicultural and mixed as you can imagine - and lots of weird dynamics just being the white guy and going different places around the city.

But, moreso living in Seoul (as I've been here a good 5-6 years and living here now).. the mass majority of non-Koreans living here talk almost incessently about racism against them in every manner and way impossible. Some of it valid, but a lot of it so incredibly out there. Sometimes I get irritated with how the 'minorities' speak of the 'majorities' as if they can't do anything right and inherently evil (not just Korea.. but could be mainland America or anywhere really).

I also think back when I was living on the mainland.. and if you are just some white guy doing your thing.. everyone is accusing the majority person of being inherently 'evil' and 'racist' and whatever else.

Anyways.. its quite interesting reading the Hawaii threads.. the 'haoles' (and I'm one too).. complain most about racism and the locals and everything else (which reminds me of black/white or mexican/white back on the mainland in the opposite way). Not all the time of course - but its not below the surface to arise from time to time.

On the mainland.. usually as a white person there.. you just sympathize with your non-white friends who speak of it.. even though you don't really see it yourself.. and Hawaii seems to have that same element in the opposite way.

The toughest thing about 'racism-oriented discussions' in some way or another someone is going to say something that will piss someone off someway or another. Here in Korea, if I say something good about Koreans.. other non-korean foreigners could label me an 'apologist' meaning I'm one of those who make excuses for Korean's supposed racist behaviors.. you just can't win if you are Korean here in the racist-oriented dicussions, and on and on (as they are the majority). Same with the mainland.. same with Hawaii so it seems as well.

Maybe all of what I say is invalid.. as I don't have a long-term Hawaii experience yet as a haole.. but thats how I feel about being one in Korea, NYC, Brazil, etc. - and others of the same skin color would have a very different experience than mine in every place as well.

Island2Island

May 15th, 2006, 02:49 AM

^Always good to hear perspectives from other lands, Mahalo!!

yes, my friends who went to Korea also told me about the racism there, particularly against Japanese and Filipino's.

as I said in my previous post, racism is EVERYWHERE.

kaneohegirl

May 15th, 2006, 03:25 AM

go back to live......

with current market values for homes
the state of the school system
job market
cost of living
and personal lung problems
no .... as much as I love and miss family, food, and the beach.
I cant...

homes cost too much
schools are some of the worst in the nation ranked (http://www.morganquitno.com/edrank.htm) 42nd out of 50
for the jobs me and the hubby have it would = much less pay
groceries for a week for 3 kids would kill me not to mention the cost of gas.
as a child I had bronchitis/pneumonia repeatedly. (which went away after I moved to CA.) Even when I visit I cant stay more than 10 days otherwise I get very sick.

so while there are many things that I miss and would love to have at the corner market or ppl at family gatherings or swimming in water you can see threw. the good dont outweigh the bad....

sinjin

May 15th, 2006, 06:37 AM

Haunani Trask is to Hawaiian Culture what Rap Music is to Black Culture.
I think a better analogy would be: Haunani Trask is to Hawaiian culture what Huey Newton was to black American culture. Have you read any of her writing?

SusieMisajon

May 15th, 2006, 09:43 AM

I remember this kid, Ricky De La Cruz, 6th grade, Waialua Elementary School, circa 1968. Hissing, "Frickin' Haole!", at me, alla time. The teacher was one of those mainland Haoles, and she didn't have a clue.

Yeah, okay...I was one Haole girl. My Mom was a German girl, who had married into the Waialua Filipino family. No sweat...I had a brother and a sister who looked alot more local than me, and, at that point, I didn't know that Mr. Misajon wasn't my biological Dad...I thought that I just had taken after my Mom's side of the family. It REALLY bugged me that this Ricky kid didn't understand....after all, Misajon was a well known Waialua Plantation family.

What finally happened, was that my Mom (Dad was in Vietnam, at the time) went and talked to Nito Lavarias, who worked at the plantation, who went to talk to Ricky's Dad...and I guess that Ricky got his ass whupped, cause he came to school one day, and said, "Sorry, eh!", and never hissed at me, again.

I had to admire Ricky, for apologizing like that. I might not have done the same. And I had to chuckle, years later, when I found out that I actually WAS Haole. In the end, it taught me alot about being a minority, which I hadn't been, up to then, as we'd been travelling the US and Europe, and mostly living on post, or with my German Oma.

The incident with Ricky De La Cruz has stood me well in my life now, too, as I am a minority in a xenophobic small French town. I can see where it comes from, no matter who or where you are. And I have to thank Ricky, for helping me to see that it's not a personal thing, just a human, cultural thing.

Having said all that...Hawaii is the only place that does integration as fully as possible. The differences are nothing, compared to some places I've seen...sure, there's jokes, and some cultural differences, but mostly locals know how to laugh at themselves, and get down to the job of living in a workable society. That's not the case, in many places.

I'd move back home to Hawaii, in a heartbeat, if I could.

I don't know whatever happened to Ricky De La Cruz. He's about 50, now, and who knows...maybe still living in the Waialua/Haleiwa area. I wonder, sometimes, about who he married, or who his children married, and if he ever thinks about what happened. If he ever regrets his actions, or not.

Pomai

May 15th, 2006, 10:18 AM

Susie, your story sort of reminds me of the movie FLATLINERS (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0800177789/102-4897167-3156957?v=glance&n=130) with Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Bacon and Julia Roberts. Especially Kevin Bacon's role in it.

If you can find that movie in France, check it out. Great flick.

haole_pupule

May 15th, 2006, 10:25 AM

To answer your questions, I have lived in 5 different states and three different countries. I have travelled all over the world, none of which had anything to do with the military. This is truly the hardest place to fit in. I also come from a family that was poorer than most of you. My Great grandparents were poor WW I immigrants, but no one seems to care about any of that. The only thing you are interested in is telling me to get of your island because I don't like being racially profiled into one of your gross generalizations about white people.

I truly loved your responses to the white looking hawaiian: "Oh, sorry you can stay. We didn't realize you were Hawaiian. We just want all the other white people to leave." I love how people have to justify there reasons for being here just so you will leave them alone.

I give as much respect as I receive to everyone I meet. I shouldn't have to feel like I have to kiss someones rearend just because I am not the same color. No one should. When ever I surf, I always have respect for everyone around me. If anything I have more respect and etiquette because I know someone will try to pick the smallest thing I might do wrong as justification for them trying to make me leave.

Ignorance and racism is a bad thing no matter where you are.

By the way, you should take a look at some of the other threads in here. I am definitely not the only one that has this problem. You just somehow assume that because I have had a problem fitting in that I am just this ugly jerk that treats everyone like crap. I am nice to everybody I meet, and I always go out of my way to help people. But, for people like you none of that seems to matter the only thing you care about is the color of my skin.

I have every right to upset that you can't look past color into the individual.

Lalalinder

May 15th, 2006, 06:47 PM

Fighting racism = whining.

Got it.

good point.

as a native of Seattle, I heard constant whining about the rain, so, naturally, I would invite the whiners to "leave if you don't like it", but somehow I think that racism is just a wee bit more sinister than a little weather.

SusieMisajon

May 15th, 2006, 08:57 PM

Menehune Man

May 15th, 2006, 09:21 PM

Prelude: I didn't read this whole thread, just the title and...

Yes since long ago I moved away and then came home.

LocoBoy

May 16th, 2006, 07:35 AM

by pupule haole

I also come from a family that was poorer than most of you.My Great grandparents were poor WW I immigrants, but no one seems to care about any of that.

I am nice to everybody I meet

Uh, define "poorer" & I'm not sure how you know what kind of financial/living situation anyone here is in. In regards to your grandparents, seems off subject and again you assume that we dont care? Reading your responces here, you dont strike me as being that nice.

SusieMisajon

May 16th, 2006, 09:29 AM

Anybody want poor? Try living where I do. You guys is spoiled for choice. Poor means that you are NON CONSUMERS.

haole_pupule

May 16th, 2006, 09:44 AM

Loco,

All living things absorb energy and retransmit to some extent at the same frequency of that which the received the energy. Don't be nice to me and I won't be nice to you.

There seems to be a lot of built up animosity that white people came and stole Hawaii, so now, all white people are classified into this group. Hawaii was annexed by the US in 1898. My people didn't arrive here until around 1915. Therefore, my story about my grandparents has some relevance. Or you could be one of these people that says, "Stop coming here and taking our jobs and our land. This land belongs to Hawaiians. I got here first!" Which would then make you no better than all those stupid patriot idiots that sit in lawn chairs at the border in Arizona looking for latinos.

Either way this thread is getting really negative, and as you can tell it is a sensative subject for me. I would like to say though that there are good people here and that not everyone is racist. I have just experienced a lot of it since I have been here.

Like I said in the other thread. No matter who it is or where it is, racism sucks.

"Can't we all just get a long." - Rodney King

This is my last post to this thread.

makani mcleod

May 17th, 2006, 06:30 AM

Hey Rodney
Those are some wise words, I am a Metis, part north american indian and white from Canada......I look white but my cultural roots are not. My soul is different tho, and I feel it...perhaps that is why when I am in Hawaii I feel like I fit in; I feel as tho I innately understand the Hawaiians. There lies the irony because to them perhaps I am just another white person........

We are all part of the planet, and thru love and caring we can make a difference......when I lived in Hawaii last year for 6 months I did alot of kokua with the homeless, personally I prefer to call them houseless.....I cannot tell you how much I learned from this.

Aloha Makani

LocoBoy

May 17th, 2006, 06:43 AM

by pupule Haole

This is my last post to this thread.

Mahalo Nui Loa

SusieMisajon

May 17th, 2006, 07:12 AM

What happened to this thread? It got nasty, or what?!

Play nice, you guys!

Leo Lakio

May 17th, 2006, 07:20 AM

I am a Metis, part north american indian and white from Canada.Folks, if you want to learn about racism in yet another part of the world, read about the Metis in Canada, descended primarily from families of French fur traders and First Nations people of the Canadian prairies. Learn about Louis Riel, and go deeper from there. An amazing history of yet another group of people with feet in two different worlds, long-rejected by members of each, yet surviving and becoming a stronger culture today.

MadAzza

May 17th, 2006, 10:50 AM

This is my last post to this thread.

I know what you mean. I get frustrated often in Hawaii Threads. Sometimes I swear I'm through with it ... then I get lured back again. I've heard that happens a lot! :rolleyes:

Dunno if this helps much, as I have received the same kind of response you have, but I think you've made a lot of good points. Too bad some don't want to listen, but they might not represent the majority.

Keep on keeping on!

Aloha,
Maddie

Leo Lakio

May 17th, 2006, 11:29 AM

they might not represent the majorityAnd even if they DO represent the majority, that doesn't mean the minority is not permitted to speak.

Jojosdad

May 18th, 2006, 07:40 AM

Most certainly!

TropicalTrumpet

May 20th, 2006, 01:07 PM

I am white and not from Hawaii. However, I did teach elementary school in the Honolulu area for one year. I am attempting to secure employment as a teacher in Hawaii again, but I'm not absolutely sure if it is the right move for me. Of course, Hawaii has always been extremely expensive, but now housing costs have become beyond ridiculous, as I understand it. I don't know where everyone is getting their money to keep realtors busy.

The subject of racism has leaked into the thread. I guess I was just lucky, but I really didn't sense a great deal of it myself. Maybe people were calling me names behind my back, I don't know. But I had a reasonably good experience wherever I went. As a mainlander, my desire to live in Hawaii is not motivated in any way to attempt to impose my values or customs on anyone. Moreover, I never really sensed that such things were the intentions of other haoles I've worked with. I guess what I'm saying is that I don't understand why locals have a dislike and even hatred for any haole they meet, grouping them all together as if all haoles are alike, if in fact, they do. I can understand that perhaps many feel haoles have ruined the natural beauty of the islands with hotels, but my interest in Hawaii is BECAUSE of the culture and people, not a desire to change anything.

i-hungry

May 22nd, 2006, 03:01 AM

Well-phrased. From what I can tell (as a Mainland haole with family in and connections to the Islands), Hawai`i is NOT a melting pot, and that pleases me. "Melting pot" has always (to me) implied everyone losing some of their identity and unique nature, eventually blending into the same thing.

i kind of disagree on that point.

the ethnic groups in hawaii do lose their identity to some degree. not entirely of course but it does change quite a bit. i compare the chinese folks living here and those from the areas they come from. even if you don't count the lost of the "mother tongue", there are lots of differences. it may not be obvious to non-chinese but its there.

also notice some similar differences in portugese folks too.

american culture kind of melts some of those things. my opinion of course.

i'm not going to say its a bad thing. i think it just happens. but it happens all over the u.s. and more so over the longer periods of time. also more evident in the past than now.

idvfilms

May 23rd, 2006, 09:11 AM

In a heartbeat!

It's funny hearing all this chatter about ism's and skizm's.
I grew up in Detroit AND Flint, Michigan. Someone there don't like you, you get shot.

Glen Miyashiro

May 23rd, 2006, 12:16 PM

i kind of disagree on that point.

the ethnic groups in hawaii do lose their identity to some degree. not entirely of course but it does change quite a bit. i compare the chinese folks living here and those from the areas they come from. even if you don't count the lost of the "mother tongue", there are lots of differences. it may not be obvious to non-chinese but its there.

also notice some similar differences in portugese folks too.It's not a melting pot. It's more like beef stew. The potatos are still potatos, the carrots are still carrots, and the beef is still beef, but everything also tastes like the broth. And if you leave all the ingredients cooking in the pot long enough, they will disintegrate into a uniform, but still tasty, mush.

haole_pupule

May 23rd, 2006, 01:37 PM

Glen,

Nice metaphore. That is pretty accurate. I just wish all the beef and carrots would realize the potatoes tatse the same.

Thanks,

Mike

haole_pupule

May 23rd, 2006, 01:39 PM

please disregard bottom two lines of previous message...trying to talk on the phone and type at the same time. should have said thanks, glen.

florence nunes

May 27th, 2006, 04:53 AM

Been raising my family in florida since 84', the answer is yes!
Been trying to find my dream job that takes me back home at least three times a year, even once would be nice! Still dreaming...
only problem, the husband is haole 100% Polish (looks like a long hair hippy surfer dude) anyway , asked him to come back home with me, (we've been together almost 16 years) together we have a son and daughter, they choose not to leave what they know to go somewhere they have never been. I said, pack up the truck, load the boat. drive the car, you can do there what you do here. And have fun! The cost of living here is not as high as there, but its not like w e have alot of money, we have all that we need .
They don't seem to understand my connection to the islands or traditions, I am the only hawaiian they know,how did that happen?

champ18

June 10th, 2006, 05:02 PM

i would move back to hawaii in a heartbeat....my dad is in the navy and i move from place to place...it gets kinda nerveracking...at the time i am in pennsylvania.its so boring,.no beaches and all everyone talks about is how much they hate bush but they still voted for him.its unbelievable.anyways i was in hawaii for the longest time....atleast 2 years but i never went to school down there i was homeschooled because i never really got that social confidence because i was always leaving new friends.i lived in MAUI..I MISS IT SO MUCH if there is anyone who is living in maui or has recently been there and had to leave and can relate to me please messaage me back..
thanks

Miulang

June 10th, 2006, 06:04 PM

champ18

June 14th, 2006, 07:05 PM

ok, the reason this one is up here is because its very true,right now my dad works at a hospital and my stepmom is an evil whore who thinks she can act how ever she wants to to an yone and i think she is freakin crazy. i am going throughy a big problem wiht my parents they dont even want to talk to me about any of my problems.i cant wait till i move out.for christ sake they dont even know whether or not i am still a virgin...for christ sake they could know if im a freakin prostitute or not,.its a shame that a friend of my that i never met in canada knos more about me then my own parentts any advice what should i do should i ignore them or should i just give them a taste of there own medicine i need to know what to do....please answer me back.
ASAP///

HomesickHoneyGirl

June 24th, 2006, 11:45 AM

Heck yeah, if I have to live barefoot on the beach in a shack like how I grew up! I want to go HOME!! :(

Vanguard

June 24th, 2006, 05:47 PM

Years ago, when I lived on Oahu, I used to get island fever and yearn for things I could find on the mainland that I couldn't find in Hawai'i. However, now I feel all I need is a decent place to live, a place to continue my education, eat healthy food, good recreational venues for exercise that are year round, and have a happy social life. Now I'm pretty sure I could do that in Hawaii. I really miss all the good things Hawai'i has to offer, and if I had a good, auspicious opportunity to come back, I would take it.

galvestonsteve

July 21st, 2006, 07:05 AM

Miulang

July 21st, 2006, 07:20 AM

hahahahaha! As far as those "lolos" go, "it takes one to know one". :D

I'm glad you're happier on the Mainland than you were in Hawai'i. Maybe the attitude that you exuded while you lived in Hawai'i (if it's anything like what you posted here) had something to do with the way you were treated. Why did you move to Hawai'i in the first place? What kinds of expectations did you have before you got there? What did you do to try to understand the culture?

Miulang

1stwahine

July 21st, 2006, 07:28 AM

This is a question that the wife and I have looked at quite often, and the answer is always the same. No. We would not ever move back to Hawaii.

Great. Too bad, I neva give you some Whack Whacks first! :mad: Our islands is Paradise to us. We are blessed with weather, beauty and her richness. Yeah, we have our problems but her many wonders outweigh them all. :rolleyes:

Do us a favor. Don't come back. You'll only dirty our image and land! :eek:

Auwe

Auntie pUpule

Mahi Waina

July 21st, 2006, 07:37 AM

No, I would not move back to Hawaii to live and work; I might get a retirement house on the Big Island to visit during the winter (If I win the lottery!)

I did not like the racist atmosphere; I made the effort to change it where I worked, but I was mistreated the worst by the haole owners. I had Hawaiian friends who taught me surfing and slackkey and they encouraged me to speak pidgin (were not offended at all.)

What I miss most is the outdoors. I hiked all over the Big Island, mauka and makai and rarely saw anybody, local or tourist. Despite what you read in this forum, I am not convinced that the locals really appreciate the aina to the extent someone who grew up in a big city would; otherwise, why are the trails empty and the waterfront parks uncrowded on the weekends? I know some have to work several jobs, but not all.

Miulang

July 21st, 2006, 08:19 AM

What I miss most is the outdoors. I hiked all over the Big Island, mauka and makai and rarely saw anybody, local or tourist. Despite what you read in this forum, I am not convinced that the locals really appreciate the aina to the extent someone who grew up in a big city would; otherwise, why are the trails empty and the waterfront parks uncrowded on the weekends? I know some have to work several jobs, but not all.
I think you're right. It's the old saying, "you don't know what you're missing until you don't have it anymore". Besides, most of the time, it's way too danged HOT and humid to be walking outdoors in Hawai'i! :D

Miulang

pzarquon

July 21st, 2006, 08:29 AM

Hawaii is no paradise, and the people who live here know that quite well. It's the HVCB, primarily, that lives neccessarily in a warped reality! Is there fierce competition for resources, lots of nepotism, and the usual array of government corruption and incompetence? Sure. Have we got racists and bigots and ignorant trolls? Sure. I guess another way to phrase the question is, which set of problems trolls would you like to live among? Hawaii's, or Houston's? :D Some folks choose one, others the other.

Honestly, if someone is happier where they are than they were in Hawaii, I think we should be happy for them. And if they hated Hawaii and its people, I think we should be doubly happy that they've found a happier place somewhere else. Sure beats having them in the neighborhood!

And... uncrowded trails? Maybe on the Big Island, where there's space to spare, but hiking is pretty popular for locals and tourists on Oahu, and you'll hear more than a few gripes that they've gotten so crowded and trodden that they're hardly "nature" excursions anymore!

But you're right that a lot of us here don't take the time to enjoy the treasures we have, or just take them for granted. Contrary to what mainland business contacts think, of course, we still work every day, and thus can't go surfing six days a week. But I know that I still had to make an effort to get out of the office, out of the house, away from the TV and computer, and get some sun, sand, and sea.

Now that I have kids, of course, activities abound. We won't be doing the Haiku Stairs anytime soon, but lounging on Waimanalo Beach is nice!

Nalu

July 23rd, 2006, 12:42 PM

This is a question that the wife and I have looked at quite often, and the answer is always the same. No. We would not ever move back to Hawaii. There is the idea or image of Hawaii, and there is the reality. Anyone who has lived there for any time will tell you all the things you can read in this post. The complaints are absolutely valid. Rampant racism. No one likes anyone. You have to stay in your own lil racial group. The Hawaiian, or local, brand of racism is the worst I have ever seen anywhere on earth, and yes, a lot of those people are ignorant as the day is long. Duh. Who else could be like that? And they are such cowardly bullies. I am not a big guy, but I always got right back in their faces when they started their stupid racial hatred raps. They NEVER will fight you unless it is 2 or more against 1. If they were such brave warriors, why did they run like girls when others came to take their land! The Hawaiian Warrior- the ultimate myth. Hawaii is a beautiful place, but the locals are the worst. We are a lot happier on the mainland. Hawaii was one hassle after another. Shame on those sick creeps. I used to tell the locals that THEY should leave. Go back to Polynesia where THEY came from. No one owns those islands. The American Indians have native status because they fought for their land. You would have to be out of your mind to live around those lolos. It ain't worth it. And baby, this is the gospel truth, except no one there wants to hear it. Tough.As for that wahine Trask, she should be arrested for hate mongering, but she is REWARDED w/ a state salary. Pretty much sums up the Hawaiian reality right there.

Not surprised you had trouble adapting in Hawai'i. Your arrogance is quite apparent, You seem to want to perpetuate the myth that Locals or Hawaiians don't fight fair... there always has to be an excuse for haole when he gets his asswhipped by a local.Just be a man and humble yourself to your victor for a change. Usally people like you get whipped because they ask for it. Let me add that if you would have gotten in my face, I'd whip your ass too. Now, you might want to research the history of these islands and pay speacial attention to the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy...that way you won't sound like the idiot that you probably are.

In closing, let me add that I'm glad you and your ilk have decided to stay in your part of the world...where all the other assclowns reside.

tutusue

July 23rd, 2006, 12:55 PM

Not surprised you had trouble adapting in Hawai'i.[...]
Exactly! In Hawaii, one gets back what one gives. Galvestonsteve's experiences in Hawaii are/were to be expected. I'm happy he found a place where he can relate to the people and the people can relate to him. And I'm even happier that I don't have to live in such a place.

alohacandy

July 23rd, 2006, 09:21 PM

Exactly! In Hawaii, one gets back what one gives. Galvestonsteve's experiences in Hawaii are/were to be expected. I'm happy he found a place where he can relate to the people and the people can relate to him. And I'm even happier that I don't have to live in such a place.

Amen to that! I lived for 20+ years in Texas and it's apparent that Galvestonsteve is NOT Hispanic or he would probably perceive racism in Texas in a totally different way.

Bard

July 24th, 2006, 08:29 AM

Amen to that! I lived for 20+ years in Texas and it's apparent that Galvestonsteve is NOT Hispanic or he would probably perceive racism in Texas in a totally different way.

Heck, from my time spent in Dallas (especially visiting family these days) it seems like everyone is racist to some degree. It just manifests in different ways. The place has a very bad vibe to it. :\

galvestonsteve

July 25th, 2006, 04:59 AM

I would like to respond to some of the responses to my quote, at least the more intelligent ones. I am pretty thick skinned and don't take any of it personally.
I think that I just said what a lot of people are too tactful to say themselves. Yes, it came off in a mean way, but I am very angry about the way I and a lot of other people were treated in Hawaii for only one reason---the color of our skin. That is racism boys and girls, and I could care less if someone thinks that sort of behavior is somehow justified. It isn't. My attitudes come from the locals, not vice versa. I am a very friendly and easygoing Southern man, but I do not tolerate viscious and aggressive behavior, and I had my fair share of that directed to me in Hawaii for absolutely no reason. As I said, I always confronted it, which surprised the locals, as they were used to a different response.
This method of pretending that the person who objects to the racism is somehow the problem is a common Hawaiian tactit to deflect criticism away from the real problem. I could give you a laundry list of other people who got fed up w/it and moved away, and there were a ton of reasons. Terrible schools (my wife worked in Kea'au and Pahoa high schools-war zones), a culture of drugs and alcoholism, domestic violence, the ugly racism I mentioned. Just a lot of angry, mean, and unwilling to be educated people there. Yes, of course, I met some nice people, but in almost every case they were white, black, or someone from the mainland.
The idea that THE MAINLAND even exists is a popular Hawaiian fiction used to support their myths and hatred of anything different from them. There is no such thing. Tupelo, Ms has nothing in common w/ New York, New York, which has nothing in common w/ Detroit, Michigan, which has nothing in common w/ Dallas, Texas. Shoot, you can be in San Francisco and just cross the Bay, a 5 min Bart ride, and emerge into a totally different racial, cultural, and political realty. People and customs are very different state to state, city to city, and commumity to community. Life is COMPLICATED. But, of course, racism is simple. Simple minded that is. I guess that if all the other racial groups left Hawaii, which would be most of the locals too, and the Hawaiians could go back to the days of the Alli'i when you stepped on the kings shadow and you were killed, then would ya'll be happy? I think not. Can't have it both ways.
One last wake up for the people that believe all the lies spread about the mainland--- I am white and the wife is black. She lived all of her life in Hawaii and was terrified of moving here because of all the fears put into her from the Hawaiians, locals, media, newspapers, movies, etc. She thought she would be discrimminated against and we would have a lot of trouble as a mixed couple. Well, while we were looking for our place in the sun (Galveston, and we really do belong here), we lived and stayed in Tucson, Memphis, Little Rock, San Antonio, Albuquerque, and Oxford, Ms. Guess what? In nearly a year and a half we have had NO problems about being a mixed couple. The wife has experienced NO racism. Nowhere. Period. Zero. In the South people say yes mam and no mam to her. Yes, even the white people! This is not 1950 anymore. She admits she was wrong and is very happy about the change in attitudes here. The nicest people we have met have been in the South. Polite, literate, well mannered, and they will speak their mind and not let people run games on them, all qualities that were not available in Hawaii. Values we honor. Sure, there is a conservative element to the deep south, but there are a lot of people who feel differently too.
Good luck and goodbye to all the good friends I had in Hawaii. Most of them have either moved to America or are in the process. It really is too bad about the Hawaiian scene, but it is what it is. Can't let the rich folk know or they will stop bringing their dollars to the islands, so you won't see any of this in the media (except Forbes or Fortune magazine, I forgot which, that ran an article that described a lot of what is really there in Hawaii). Yes, the place is pretty, but pretty is as pretty does. Besides, The Phillipines, Belize, Florida Keys, and a lot of other places have beautiful land and water and climate too.

Bard

July 25th, 2006, 08:00 AM

I am pretty thick skinned and don't take any of it personally.

but I do not tolerate viscious and aggressive behavior

I think you answered yourself there... :)

I think what people are trying to say is that no where you move is perfect and you just have to choose the set of tradeoffs you're willing to accept. I'd venture a guess that those in Hawai'i do not work out for you. I'm unsure if they will for me either, but I feel like I have to try because I'm drawn there by other things. I say this even after the negativity I've heard on these types of forums because of two reasons.

One, I keep hearing, over and over and over: you get back out what you put in, when you go there. There must be something to it. I've experienced stranger things in my life. So I'm willing to try it and see if it works.

Second thing is that I've heard this same sort of thing about almost anywhere I've lived, that I've actually researched. If you go read forums about Portland, you'll hear a lot of people talking about how cool it is and how nice people are, etc, etc... and you'll find a hard core of very angry, bitter people who paint a picture of this city that is far from the average every day experience. If you were to listen to them, you'd get mugged and shot on every street corner, you'd get caught constantly between racial conflicts and gang fights, liberal picketers tearing down your business on one side and conservative politicians selling the state to businesses on the other, massive unlivable tax burdens, houses priced out to the stratusphere, solid rain for 7 months out of the year ... you listen to that, and you wonder how or why anyone could live here. The truth of the matter is that while a little bit of those things do happen here, it's not something that influences your daily life very much. I spent several years working in what's widely considered the most dangerous part of downtown here. And yeah, I saw my share of characters... but I never had any real problems myself.

I guess what I'm getting at is that "it is what you make of it" thing applies almost anywhere you move. My interpretation is not that the people on here are trying to make light of the racism issues in Hawai'i, be they how they may, but saying that they are what they are and you can choose to be bothered by them as much as you want. Maybe your attitude in the south is such that because of your expectations of being treated well, you are treated well. *shrug* Who knows.

I've heard interesting things about the schools in Hawai'i too. It's not such a clear cut case. It's tough to compare Hawai'i's schools to the other 49 states when the majority of the people in those states speak standard American English at home, and that is one of the major criteria for judging how well a school is doing. 'Course people over here are getting a taste of that themselves lately with all the immigration issues... :) I'd almost be more interested in hearing about math scores. Seems like that'd be a better indicator.

Anyway, peace Steve -- glad you found a place you are happy.

Leo Lakio

July 25th, 2006, 08:26 AM

One, I keep hearing, over and over and over: you get back out what you put in, when you go there...

Second thing is that I've heard this same sort of thing about almost anywhere I've lived, that I've actually researched...

I guess what I'm getting at is that "it is what you make of it" thing applies almost anywhere you move.
*PING!* We have a winner! Thank you, Bard.

Hawai`i has a long list of special and unique qualities, but the one about "the attitude you project will have a direct effect on the attitude you receive" applies universally. Hawai`i has its own spin, of course, based on the limitations that come with living on an island (or a chain of them, in this case.) It's a little different than being in Washington, or Texas, or Iowa, or Oregon, when it comes to picking up and moving a few miles to seek a slightly different group of neighbors.

Steve and his wife found what works for them; we can wish them well. Hawai`i (or Washington, or Texas, or Iowa, or Oregon) isn't right for everyone; we should all be glad of that, too. And for those who find Hawai`i DOES work for them, you can recognize Steve's postings for the generalities they contain - generalities will always raise red "accuracy" flags.

timkona

July 25th, 2006, 08:49 AM

There are 2 great reasons to love Hawaii. It's the ocean that keeps me here. And the wonderful employment opportunities that exist everywhere you look.

It's hilarious to hear people talk about lack of employment in Hawaii where unemployment is under 3% for the last 6 years. If you are only qualified to work at Taco Bell, maybe you should villify your parents for failing to teach you a respect for education. Folks, the school's are just fine. If your BRAT would shut the FUp, maybe they would get educated. You can't find or keep a decent job because you are an IDIOT. Moving away won't change that.

NOBODY OWNS THE OCEAN. But to some, the only sense of importance they have is the bully way they lead their lives. Lord knows I love bully's.

Racism is pretty bad here. So is ignorance. That's just the blunt facts of it.

I see a lot of people in Hawaii who could not whip ass if they were trapped in a whorehouse with a box full of eggbeaters.

Leo Lakio

July 25th, 2006, 08:52 AM

I see a lot of people in Hawaii who could not whip ass if they were trapped in a whorehouse with a box full of eggbeaters.Oh, you should see the visual of this, now playing in my mind... :p

Miulang

July 25th, 2006, 12:07 PM

They used to say, "home is where you hang your hat". And I think that's still probably true for 99% of all people.

Miulang

Bard

July 25th, 2006, 12:53 PM

They used to say, "home is where you hang your hat". And I think that's still probably true for 99% of all people.

You know what's really sad is that Multnomah County (Portland's county) uses that exact terminology to define how much of the temporary county tax you had to pay when it was still in effect. They had a very long section about figuring out what your Multnomah residency was, and it all came down to "basically, for the requirements of this section, you're considered a resident 'where you hang your hat'". Pretty funny.

Leo Lakio

July 25th, 2006, 01:05 PM

They used to say, "home is where you hang your hat". Crap; I don't wear hats. I don't wanna be homeless! :eek:

Nalu

July 25th, 2006, 05:20 PM

NOBODY OWNS THE OCEAN.

I'd pay money to see you tell that to Johnny Boy Gomes in person. His reaction to those words coming out of your mouth be hilarious, I would laugh my ass off watching you eat sand.

Pua'i Mana'o

July 26th, 2006, 01:10 PM

Paul

July 26th, 2006, 01:18 PM

Nalu,

I have to say this. Your statement here bothers me. Truly, deeply bothers me. Because *nobody* has the right to tell me, you or anybody that they own the ocean. Just like nobody has the right to litter in it, steal the baby fishes from it during spawning season, or tell someone else to get off their piece of sand.

That kind of attitude started wars amongst our people throughout the ages and when are we going to learn lessons from them?

Nalu must be referring to the surfer beat down video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZpOdTMPUtQ&search=north%20shore%20beatdown) discussed in another thread (http://www.hawaiithreads.com/showthread.php?t=9263).

Pua'i Mana'o

July 26th, 2006, 01:28 PM

Nalu must be referring to the surfer beat down video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZpOdTMPUtQ&search=north%20shore%20beatdown) discussed in another thread (http://www.hawaiithreads.com/showthread.php?t=9263).

I don't care what that references. The fastest way to start a war between ahapua'a was to stake a claim on the beach. We passed these stories from kupuna to keiki for a reason--to learn from it.

Palolo Joe

July 26th, 2006, 02:02 PM

I don't care what that references. The fastest way to start a war between ahapua'a was to stake a claim on the beach.
You should care. The fastest way to start a war between surfers on the North Shore is for a haole kid to disrupt a surfing contest by going into the water, then ignoring all requests to clear out. Like it or not, Da Hui and the Wolfpack do "own" the beach in that area...

Pua'i Mana'o

July 26th, 2006, 02:26 PM

You should care. The fastest way to start a war between surfers on the North Shore is for a haole kid to disrupt a surfing contest by going into the water, then ignoring all requests to clear out. Like it or not, Da Hui and the Wolfpack do "own" the beach in that area...

but what does that have to do with the tea in China? I get the point you are making, but as you comment on this tangent, do you see the point that I made?

Palolo Joe

July 26th, 2006, 02:33 PM

but what does that have to do with the tea in China? I get the point you are making, but as you comment on this tangent, do you see the point that I made?
Yeah, I see your point, just as I see Nalu's. And I agree with both. But you shouldn't just dismiss his opinion like that.

Nobody owns the beach. It's for all Hawaiians to enjoy - AND PROTECT - as they see fit.

That said, I too would like to see another mouthy haole come to the North Shore and tell Johnny Boy that nobody owns the water and they can do whatever the hell they want. Eat sand is right.

Manö'iki

August 4th, 2006, 04:51 AM

Just a thought...if the opportunity came for you and your family back to Hawaii would you?
As soon as I have enough money, I will. The mainland is cheap, but it doesn't compare to the islands. The people back home are awesome. They know how to drive, with aloha. The people here drive like crazy people. The people back home are considerate of eachother. The people here are always in a rush with a "ME ME ME" mentality.

Sure, there are people from home that act like that, but compared to the mainland, there just a tiny group.

Also, I love my island women. :D

luv2dive

August 4th, 2006, 08:34 AM

My opinion is that a genuine respect of the Island culture is best served. I haven't experienced any direct racism, although I have gotten the "stink eye" one or two times. My wife is Hawaiian, so maybe this helps.

While I don't condone any racism, I do understand where it may come from. There are people who are very protective of their Island paradise and I can understand, there are just better ways of doing that. Also, white people have a reputation of sometimes being very ethnocentric and arrogant, I think this adds to the hatred of haoles.

I believe that most of the Hawaiian people are wonderful and that a few ignorant people should'nt ruin it for the whole.

Pixel Tracker

September 17th, 2006, 06:31 PM

Oh of course I would love to be able to move back home BUT I have changed careers and no opportunities in my field exist back home in Hawaii. Well maybe there is like one company but what if they folded or ran out of work?

Besides, I feel I have more options here in SoCal. I have worked so hard in getting to where I am today so I don't know if I am ready to give that up. Thats just a priority though as I love what I do.

I miss my ohana and the island life. Sure, its a price I must pay but at least I am just 5 hours from home.

keoki_sing

September 17th, 2006, 08:43 PM

I would move back but I'm too poor for Hawaii. Which means I'm middle class pretty much everywhere else in America. If there is still such a thing as middle class anymore.

We all are racists to some degree. Only the truly ignorant act on those racist beliefs. Most with half a brain know that in all honesty we should look past that and judge people as individuals not the way they look.

Sure the Public school's in Hawaii are brutal for haole kids. But anyone can feel left out even locals. Just ask any Highschool kid in Hawaii or anywhere else its hard to fit in regardless of where you are from. If you are different you are going to be picked on period. Sad but true. But you know what? They are just ignorant kids who probably learned it from ignorant parents.

What we need to do is start putting education first. I'm not talking about cultural education just plain old hitting the books. The more your children know the more they will be able to make up their own minds about how the world works and how wrong are some of the stuff they have learned from dumb friends and family. Most of the least racist people I knew growing up were the smart kids.

Also PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE we need to keep the kids from hanging out at the Highschool bathrooms sheesh there is more stuff going on in there then most crack houses, fight clubs, and casinos!

I'm part Hawaiian from Hawaii though my Pak'e from my Dad's side shines through. I live in Utah now but some of my asian friends still have to deal with racism here also. It's universal. To say Hawaii is anymore racist then say being black in some of those red-neck states where they got their gun racks and still fly the Confederate flags on their pick-ups is kinda unrealistic.

Does the native Hawaiian have a right to animostiy towards the caucasian race? There are points that would argue either way like my Tutu for instance. She's 80+ but still remembers that she was not allowed to speak her native tongue in school. Does she hate haole's? No ways well maybe the dumb ones! Most of the people that imposed crap like that in Hawaii Nei are all dead and gone. The actual population fo pure/part Hawaiians is shrinking. Many don't even live in Hawaii due to the high cost of living and the fact that on a whole economic life and education is better in the mainland.

Like it or not little by little we are going to need people of all races to help keep our culture alive. Another example my wife is from Japan she is pure blood Japanese but you know what? She has more of a love of my culture than I do. She loves to learn hula but with my work schedule and our new son it makes it hard for her to go to the Halau and learn. She loves the ukulele and would love to learn more (ok I know the ukulele is a portugese instrument but it's still part of Hawaiian culture to me.) plus she can eat more Hawaiian food than me (mostly because I hate seafood.) Me? I was raised on Pepsi the WWF and MacDonalds. Even though while I was drinking those Pepsi's my Tutu was teaching Keiki hula right past the screen door in the garage.Yes I'm a sad Hawaiian but i know there are alot of us out there. But I am not a stupid Hawaiian either and I know right from wrong. I know it's gonna take more than us Hawaiian's to keep our culture alive so kokua the foreigner and teach our kids not just tollerance but why we need tollerance and why the Hawaiian culture is so great.

We Hawaiians were never a stupid race to begin with. We had one of the first printing press west of the Rockies, we had one of the first buildings completely lighted by electricity. We are people who had leaders who knew inovation when they saw it. Because of the paradise we live in we attracted the brightest and the best. Thomas Edison, Charles Lindberg, Mark Twain, Jim Neighbors (joke! Though he had a great singing voice and Gomer Pyle is still some of the funniest stuff on TV.) to name a few. Hawaii is still one of the most dreamed about vacation locations worldwide.

We should take advantage of all the opportunites it gives us being from a much sought after location to not only learn but to teach or culture and respect for the aina.

'Aloha' may be a Hawaiian word but it's roots are international. The Spirit of Aloha, the Spirit of Love.

Ok nuff preaching. I'm going back to the Kaukau forum where its safe..

WindwardOahuRN

September 17th, 2006, 08:52 PM

To Keoki Sing:

I loved that post... :)

manoasurfer123

September 17th, 2006, 08:56 PM

I would move back but I'm too poor for Hawaii. Which means I'm middle class pretty much everywhere else in America. If there is still such a thing as middle class anymore.
Keoki_sing...

Thanks for taking the words out of my mouth with some of your thoughts...

You seem like you have a level head on your shoulder and you just want whats good for your people....

I like someone who shoots from the top of their head... and I hope you continue to post more observations....

I must say that, I don't agree with EVERYthing you said... however, you have a nice way of putting things from your initial post.

Passion for something is one of the things that I appreciate in a person... and just from your 2nd post alone I can see that you have a passion for what you believe in...

I hope you continue to post more observations...

keoki_sing

September 17th, 2006, 09:43 PM

Thanks you guys,

Yeah I know all my comments won't be agreed with but I think thats whats great about forums. You say what you feel you have to. You see how other people think and sometimes you get to see things from another persons perspective which either re-confirms your views or opens opportunities to widen yours.

As long as there is mutual respect then I'm all for not being agreed with and hope I have enough humility to admit error.

Also I would love to hear what you don't agree with manoasurfer123 not so I can sway you either way just so I don't rub you the wrong way in further posts. Also anyone who's got 2000+ posts has been around the block a time or two and gets my respect in what he posts.

Unless you are about to bash my Wasabeefu chips then I'd prefer you keep your comments to yourself or its gonna be like the old days at Cilly's and we gonna have to battle! Lol!

Got2HaVKaYaNoW

September 23rd, 2006, 02:18 PM

LMAO ~ ok, sorry but I'm just laughing at all the posts<not laughing like teasing, but laughing cuz...I got a story>

As most of you know I was born & raised in Kailua, on Oahu, I'm 75% Hawaiian and the rest is made of a chop suey mix of oriental spices and some German cookies ~ Anywayz~ I just moved to Waikiki into my own little aprtment wit' the HuBby....HubBy is Samoan~Full-Time Kine...We're in Waikiki Touristvilla, nah jus joke...but anyway ~ I went to the grocery store ova dea Food Panty(aah made u look) Pantry & as we walked in I noticed there were no shopping carts so I asked the lady if they had maybe extra someplace, she gave me one,"Well, if there aren't any, then there aren't any!"

"WhatTheFart", I said to myself....theeeen....one haole couple was coming in , asked the SAME ting!, & guess what she got up off her azz and went down couple aisle looooking for one cart foa those two! she went help the haole couple & found one cart foa dem...I JUSS TRIP?!?

That is one of MANY instances that something like that has happened, but that one pops up so vividly in my mind, since was yesterday....

Buts it so funny that I'm from here, I'm Hawaiian, I'm a permanent resident & be a subject of racism.....Sorry das why I was laughing cuz haole's think they got it bad...LOL try be from where u from and then be put down...das bad!!! Still LMAO)

A hui hou ~ das foa sho,

KaYa T.

tutusue

September 23rd, 2006, 03:54 PM

[...]I like someone who shoots from the top of their head...[...]
I respectfully disagree with this observation, Manoa. :D

It appears to me that Keoki_Sing shoots from his heart.

Miulang

September 23rd, 2006, 04:39 PM

Buts it so funny that I'm from here, I'm Hawaiian, I'm a permanent resident & be a subject of racism.....Sorry das why I was laughing cuz haole's think they got it bad...LOL try be from where u from and then be put down...das bad!!! Still LMAO)

KaYa T.
Kaya, maybe they only train Waikiki store clerks to be nice and helpful to people who obviously look like tourists rather than the locals, because, after all, don't tourists spend more money than locals? j/k :) (next time, wear one camera around your neck, maybe that would get you better service). My guess is if that couple looked like they were from Japan, that the store clerk would not only find them a shopping cart, but would probably offer to push it up and down the aisles for them, too!

Miulang

Got2HaVKaYaNoW

September 23rd, 2006, 05:18 PM

Kaya, maybe they only train Waikiki store clerks to be nice and helpful to people who obviously look like tourists rather than the locals, because, after all, don't tourists spend more money than locals? j/k :) Miulang

Yea I no kid you...the whole time I was grumbling, "what!?..$3.50 can SPAM! Haole's no even eat dat! should be in their $1 Dollar section... "ON SALE" $3.99 Hawaiian Sun 6PK!....my eye! LOL...afta dat I went Walmart. :D

kamuelakea

September 23rd, 2006, 06:30 PM

LMAO ~ Buts it so funny that I'm from here, I'm Hawaiian, I'm a permanent resident & be a subject of racism.....Sorry das why I was laughing cuz haole's think they got it bad...LOL try be from where u from and then be put down...das bad!!! Still LMAO),

KaYa T.

Everybody in Hawaii got "racism" stories. I used to laugh at my Japanese friend when we walked down Waikiki streets. He was the Japanese of the group usually, the rest was poidogs. Anyway, he couldn't walk past a hooker without her smiling, batting her eyes and saying, "looking for a date?". Us guyz all ignored. At first I thought he was cute but then I figured out it was because he was Japanese.

Most of my Japanese friends hate going to Waikiki because they hate to be "mistaken" for Japanese. hahahahahah. Think about that one for a while.

Mokihana

September 23rd, 2006, 06:59 PM

I was born on O‘ahu more years ago than I care to count :D and also more times then I care to count, I have longed to move back home. I realize things are different now than when I grew up there and went to school, because it has been more years than I care to count :rolleyes: ... I never experienced the slightest amount of racism. I have no Hawaiian blood running through my veins, do not look the slightest bit Asian, and don't really looked like mixed blood. People might recognize mostly for the Portuguese, though my skin is not dark. And I am local to the core.

I know that I could fit in back home. I fit in there all my growing up years. But I know I won't be moving back. When I came to the mainland to go to school, I met and married a haole boy; our kids were born here. If we were to move back home, my kids would stay here, and that wouldn't appeal to me at all.

The cost of living is another factor. Perhaps working as a real estate appraiser (we have a business here) could provide us enough income to live moderately well; I just don't know.

I miss the ocean the most. Here in the Portland, Oregon area I can get local foods, and there are a number of Hawaiian events that can keep me in touch with the cultural activities. But the ocean is cold, and though the beaches are nani, swimming in the water is pretty intimidating.

I love the Pacific Northwest. I don't mind the rain, and I love the changing seasons. I love being able to drive through farmland, and being in view of majestic mountains no matter where I go. I love the rivers and the changing landscape, which includes high desert and verdant valleys. I never had rock fever, but I do love being able to drive in one direction for hours at a time (west being the exception!)! :D

I miss Makapu‘u and Tantalus; I miss upcountry Maui and Moloka‘i. I miss Hilo. I miss the aloha spirit, the flowers, and fresh tropical fruits. I miss being able to string a plumeria lei when people come to visit. I miss the trade winds.

I miss that people back home know how to spell and pronounce my name correctly. I miss using typical local kine phrases and having people understand what I'm saying. I miss talking stories in pidgin. I miss the people. I miss others having accents like mine, where no one says "where are you from?" I miss the shakas and the chin lift/raised eyebrow greeting. I miss the local accent, and I miss the common bond of being from the culture I grew up in, as well as the common history.

I miss that on December 7th, special note is taken of the day and what it meant to Hawai‘i and its citizens. I miss that people know what the 442nd Regiment is.

I miss that people back home know how to pronounce Lili‘uokalani and Kalaniana‘ole and humuhumunukunukuapua‘a and appreciate the grittiness of Lois-Ann Yamanaka's books without criticizing her for writing in pidgin, which they can't understand.

If I were to step off a plane in Honolulu tomorrow, I would figuratively fall down and kiss ku‘u one hānau. My eyes would fill with tears at being back home.

I live in Oregon now; I won't be able to move back home, but I will always be local.

Kekaha Roots

September 25th, 2006, 01:17 AM

Mokihana,

Very nice post. mahalo.

keoki_sing

September 29th, 2006, 04:27 PM

Wow,

Mokihana you really miss a lot of stuff! If I was rich I'd probably send you and your family back home for vacation myself heh!

Oh and Kaya about the racist store clerk story, I see where you’re coming from and I think we all had our dealings at least once with a rude employee. Heck some of us have actually been that l337 pain in the butt employee but that’s a world wide thing pretty much. Not to bash on any races but you got the Korean's and white's in LA following black people in their stores, the Japanese in Japan that won't even let foreigners into some of their establishments unless you are with another person of Japanese decent, then on the other end we have the Indian cab drivers in NY or pretty much any 7-Eleven here in the mainland. How many times do we make fun of those guys? You can see it like at the very least once a week on the Simpson’s.

But to give you an even better story that probably could only happen in Hawaii (not to one up you Kaya). Now bare with me this happened a while ago and it happened to my dad who was at the time a police officer on Maui and for some reason he was in Hana at the Hasegawa General Store, yeah the one from the song. Anyways he's not on duty just browsing when he sees this weird black guy in the shop and starts to follow him around. Ok so this is like early 80's at the least so a black guy in Hana, any black guy in Hana around this time is pretty much weird. He eventually stopped the guy to see what was up...Guess who it was? Richard Pryor who was vacationing lol! Man I bet he (Pryor) thought crap I can't even get a break when on vacation. Kind of makes me laugh and ashamed at the same time.