Hawaiian History in Public Schools (ABSENT)

[Pikake]

Ok, first of all long time no see. Been B-Z.
K - so - I'm born hapa Hawaiian in Waianae, HI...and...so are my children. My husband (pure PI) born in the Philippines (father Navy - retired in HI) grew up in Mililani.

I can remember in my hanabaddah days my grandfather and my parents teaching me about Hawaii's history (learned it in school too). My husband knows just as much Hawaiian history as I do!!! God Bless him that he embraces my culture and it's history as his own.

Now, I've been living on CONUS since 1999. My children's enrichment & edu has been here in Seattle. I love what Seattle Schools has to offer. I love it when my children come up to me telling me about US.: Black History, Native American History, How America came to be, Fact(s) about the states that make up America.

What gets me is the information they don't receive about Hawaii in our public schools - - The 50th State. Here I am today, doing "part-time homeschool" teaching my kids on what they need to know = the truth about Hawaii and it's history. Explain to them...why the drama in Hawaii today.
<<My sister's children went to school in KY and my sister reports the lack of Hawaii history teaching there too.>>

Here my kids' school seem to teach everything but that, Why? Through our observations, all the individual Americans we met seem to know about Hawaii is: Hula, grass huts, leis, getting laid, beaches, volcanoes, palm trees, vacation, etc. They know nothing about the dark mark that rest on the land. Many foreigners come to the island to retreat, retire and make nest and have not even begun to embrace the deep wounds that Hawaii has - let alone seek to learn about them.

American History is taught in our schools isn't it? Hawaii does make Am. 50th state, right?! So why is it that Hawaii's history (how Hawaii illegally became the 50th state (overthrow)) is not apart of the schools curriculum?

Today, I hang the Hawaiian flag (upside down) w/ Ku I Ka Pono on the rear of my van...people ask why is that so (really) then my husband and I have to go about a quick lesson in Hawaiian History of that and then some. All of whom we have spoken to had no idea of Hawaii's past. Umm, lack of education I reckon?!

Please help me in this. I have not found a thread or article pertaining to this matter. This topic infuriates me and I do plan to write to my children's school paper about this. I'd really like to see and hear the truth about Hawaii being taught in public schools.

Pikake

[helen]

It's been over 30 years for me being in high school and a public one in Hawaii at that too. While we had American history and a history of Hawaii, what we didn't have was a history of the other 49 states like the depth we had for Hawaiian history. I am going to make the assumption (and it might be a wrong one at that too) that another state's school system would teach their own state history at the approitate time and the other 49 state's history would be glossed over in summary.

[MadAzza]

Yeah, I know what you mean. When I was in school on the mainland, there were no lessons about my state (Washington), either. Or Arizona. Or Minnesota. I didn't learn about Minnesota at all. Or Oklahoma, where my Cherokee family is from. Or Alabama. We didn't learn about Alabama at all. Or Texas. So I am appallingly ignorant about Texas, even though my great-grandmother grew up on a plantation there, which you'd think would be a significant part of my family history. But nooo ... I didn't find out about that until just recently, at age 44. The public school system really failed me there. We were too busy focusing on how other cultures and societies in the world function, rather than obsessing about ourselves, I guess.

I also don't really know anything about California, except the nasty stuff people say about it these days, which can't all be true or so many people wouldn't live there, right? Would any of these people in HT actually walk up to someone from California and tell him (or her) that he's just mainland scum and not worth getting to know as a person? I have never lived someplace where such bigotry exists as it does in Hawaii.

And what about Rhode Island? It's not even an island! What were those people thinking? Who lives there? What is their culture? I don't know, and honestly, I almost don't care. Almost. But whose fault is that? Yes! The System's! For failing to pry open my reticent mind!

I also have found that most people who went through the Hawaii public education system have no knowlege of any of the cultures (Scottish, Swedish, Cherokee) of my family. They just look at me and sniff, "Oh ... well, you're Caucasian." As if "Caucasian" is a culture. They also don't know about any of the other cultures of the entire country! French, English, Belgian, German, Yugoslavian, Irish ... and on and on, and ignorant masses from other places (non-mainland) lump them all into the same category -- "mainland" -- while completely ignoring each culture unique characteristics. It's really sickening. And oppressive. Try telling an O'Hare that he's the same as a MacLaren, or a Witherspoon, or a Hirschfeld. When I think of the millions of ethnic Europeans running around the continental U.S. and how oppressed and ignored they are, I just want to fall down and weep. And to think that the great Asian oppressors in Hawaii keep perpetuating the myth that "haoles don't have culture" and "caucasians are all the same" ... oh God, it just makes me so ... arrrgh! so impotent with unspent rage!

I can just imagine the red marks spooling up in the muddy paws of the unwashed ignoracenti. Oooh ... to be so ignorant as to miss the point! Such carefree joy they must feel!

[Surfingfarmboy]

And what about Rhode Island? It's not even an island! What were those people thinking? Who lives there? What is their culture? I don't know, and honestly, I almost don't care.

Well...you've got a 4th generation ex-kama'aina, albeit haole farmboy, from the Big I, living here in Rhode Island.

I have to say that you probably know more about life in Rhode Island than you might believe. In the time I've lived here in RI, I see many of the same traits, qualities (mainly the laid back "non-mainland" attitude, at least here in Bristol County, RI) , and negatives that I saw in Hawai'i; I think the states are very similar...they are both small, tightly populated, with a provincially thinking population. Everybody knows everybody here, and like Hawai'i, there is the same initial be wary reaction to the "malahini" who come here. I've been here for more time than I care to admit (I thought I'd be back in Hawai'i by now, for sure) and I can say with conviction that I haven't been 100% accepted by the locals. Tolerated yes, but not totally accepted.

I understand that Rhode Island is not the focus of your post; rather it is the frustration in our history education that you've documented in an insightful and thought-provoking manner.

I was just surprised when you made reference to RI in it and made the "Who lives there?" comment. You just never know where ex-Hawai'i farmboys are making it at now days.

Also: A good portion of RI is in fact an island. (RI has numerous other islands; the most famous would be Block Island, a tourist destination 10 miles off of the mainland reachable only by ferry or plane.) Aquidneck Island, which is the major island ritzy and tony Newport is found on, is an island of considerable size that can only be reached by 3 very large and expansive bridges. (At one time, years ago, one could only get to Aquidneck by ferry.) Aquidneck Island is the island from which "Rhode Island" got its name..it is the "Rhode Island" in the state of "Rhode Island and the Providence Plantations", the official name of the state.

[MadAzza]

What in the heck was going through my head in the middle of the night??

[pzarquon]

Yes, it's awful that Hawaiian history is not taught, broadly, in American public schools. But from what I've seen, the larger problem is that American history is barely being taught in American public schools.

We're failing our kids in teaching them about the very basics of their nation's history, first grade George Washington, Declaration of Independence stuff here. So while I wish, say, the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II was a required component, or the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, or a multitude of other very important, "those who forget history are doomed to repeat it" lessons, I don't see the absense of Hawaii from textbooks in Arkansas and Rhode Island aso some kind of specific discrimination against our specific history... just part of an overall weakness in our educational system.

This coming from a guy who graduated from college without a rudimentary understanding of U.S. mainland geography. My wife is constantly apalled when I ask stuff like, "Idaho, is that like up by New York?"

I'm glad Hawaii history is generally taught to Hawaii students. And while I'm sure our schools could do a better job, I don't think there are many other states where "regional history" is as focused on or as unique as it is here, and that's something.

[LikaNui]

What in the heck was going through my head in the middle of the night?? I dunno, but whatever it was I sure enjoyed your post and agreed with it!
Tried to give you reputation points for it, but the thingie says I have to spread more points around to others before I can give 'em to you again. :(

[MadAzza]

I dunno, but whatever it was I sure enjoyed your post and agreed with it!
Tried to give you reputation points for it, but the thingie says I have to spread more points around to others before I can give 'em to you again. :(

Thanks, LikaNui! I didn't even remember writing that when I saw it this morning. Yikes!

[Palolo Joe]

Thanks, LikaNui! I didn't even remember writing that when I saw it this morning. Yikes!
The doctors say drinking one glass of wine is good for you - not the whole bottle! :D

Kidding... but kinda scary when you no even remember writing something on HT...

[MadAzza]

The doctors say drinking one glass of wine is good for you - not the whole bottle! :D

Kidding... but kinda scary when you no even remember writing something on HT...

Yeah, but it's just 'cause I was so tired. Every now and then I get zombie-like when I'm sleepy, and if I don't go to bed right away ... posts happen. It's sort of like sleepwalking, I guess. Stream-of-consciousness brain dump.

[AbsolutChaos]

It's been over 30 years for me being in high school and a public one in Hawaii at that too. While we had American history and a history of Hawaii, what we didn't have was a history of the other 49 states like the depth we had for Hawaiian history. I am going to make the assumption (and it might be a wrong one at that too) that another state's school system would teach their own state history at the approitate time and the other 49 state's history would be glossed over in summary.


When I was in elementary school/middle school in the 80s, I had KY History as a subject in KY and OH history in as a subject in OH. Can't speak for other states, though. Yeah, I'll agree that there's appallingly little about HI in any of the history classes I took growing up--including my advanced modern history of the world class in college, where we learned all about coups in South American countries and the effects of industrialization--but not one word about HI (except WWII Pearl Hearbor attack.)

[helen]

When I was in elementary school/middle school in the 80s, I had KY History as a subject in KY and OH history in as a subject in OH. Can't speak for other states, though.
That's okay, but your experience does show that some places do teach their local histories at some point in time. There could be others that do and other places that don't.

[MadAzza]

When I was in elementary school/middle school in the 80s, I had KY History as a subject in KY

What?? They're teaching that in our schools?

[Palolo Joe]

I had KY History as a subject in KY and OH history in as a subject in OH.
I want to know the history of Astroglide. I like Astroglide.

"Motormouth" status, here I come! Add another tally to my post count!
:D

[AbsolutChaos]

Sorry, guess I didn't really stay on topic, did I?

Oops.

My apologies to all.

Moderator please delete.

[lurkah]

Sorry, guess I didn't really stay on topic, did I?
Sure you did. You stated how your own educational experience, while it included the respective History courses pertaining to whichever state that you lived in at the time, was for the most part totally lacking of any Hawaiian History information, and I'm not talking about WWII stuff either (although I do recall a fascinating story about a huge Hawaiian man named Ben Kanahele from Ni'ihau who captured and killed a Japanese pilot who had crashed on or near the island, even after the pilot had shot Ben three times with his machine gun).

Relax. We can't let a certain self-appointed passive-aggressive "I make more intelligent posts than you" moderator create an atmosphere of intimidation where we end up feeling like we need to walk on eggshells all the time.

But I can see where teaching Hawaiian History at some school in middle Nebraska might not be seen as essential information worth spending valuable class time, and therefore money, on and I would certainly hope that the content of Hawaiian History lessons in Hawai'i schools today contain volumes more information than the limited and "skewed" information I received during my own public school education at Koko Head Elementary, Niu Valley Intermediate, and Kalani High School.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Here my kids' school seem to teach everything but that, Why? Through our observations, all the individual Americans we met seem to know about Hawaii is: Hula, grass huts, leis, getting laid, beaches, volcanoes, palm trees, vacation, etc. They know nothing about the dark mark that rest on the land. Many foreigners come to the island to retreat, retire and make nest and have not even begun to embrace the deep wounds that Hawaii has - let alone seek to learn about them.

American History is taught in our schools isn't it? Hawaii does make Am. 50th state, right?! So why is it that Hawaii's history (how Hawaii illegally became the 50th state (overthrow)) is not apart of the schools curriculum?

Today, I hang the Hawaiian flag (upside down) w/ Ku I Ka Pono on the rear of my van...people ask why is that so (really) then my husband and I have to go about a quick lesson in Hawaiian History of that and then some. All of whom we have spoken to had no idea of Hawaii's past. Umm, lack of education I reckon?!

Please help me in this. I have not found a thread or article pertaining to this matter. This topic infuriates me and I do plan to write to my children's school paper about this. I'd really like to see and hear the truth about Hawaii being taught in public schools.

Pikake

Since it can be difficult to read nuances into printed words, allow me to preface this with my words below being of an enquiring nature, not a harsh one.

Is it really fair to expect what you are from schools outside of Hawai'i? I mean, Hawai'i has only been a state for 50 years. 20th century Hawai'i has a lot to do with touristy things, because tourism is the #1 economic engine of our isles.

The history before that is a history belonging to another nation. It had a constitutional monarchy, progressed with several socialist principles, including a tax system, minted money, provided free health care and free education (fact: of all the "states" in the U.S. only Mass. has an older Department of Public Education; mahalo to King Kamehameha III). In comparison, while Louisiana was just a purchase and Minnesota was still an uncharted territory, the Sandwich Isles were building treaties with different countries around the globe.

Before going too off tangent, this book is worth a trip to the library:

"History Lessons: How Textbooks from Around the World Portray U.S. History (Hardcover)"

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1565848942/qid=1126404342/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-6619662-2287840?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

The analogy being that histories are ultimately ethnocentric, for just like you and I would do a poor job at describing the political ramifications of the Tamils and Sinhalese in Sri Lanka ('cause that was the most far-fetched example I could think up, LOL), so should other school systems be afforded if not some slack, at least some understanding, at their meager abilities to describe that which they do not know.

aloha, Pua'i

[Miulang]

It's quite sad, though, that all the while that I attended public schools in Hawai'i, teaching Hawaiian history was foreign to the curriculum. Most everything that I know today about Hawaiian history I've had to learn on my own up here in the Mainland. I guess it finally dawned on me that Hawaiian history would be more important to me than learning the history of France. About the only things I learned about Hawaiian history while growing up was about Kamehameha I, the unification of the islands, what the State motto meant and mouthing the words to "Hawaii'i Pono'i". Heck, I never even knew about "Hawai'i Aloha" until about 7 years ago when I attended a luau at one of the colleges up here! Now it's sung at almost every single Hawaiian function they have up here.

Miulang

[Pua'i Mana'o]

It's quite sad, though, that all the while that I attended public schools in Hawai'i, teaching Hawaiian history was foreign to the curriculum. Most everything that I know today about Hawaiian history I've had to learn on my own up here in the Mainland. I guess it finally dawned on me that Hawaiian history would be more important to me than learning the history of France. About the only things I learned about Hawaiian history while growing up was about Kamehameha I, the unification of the islands, what the State motto meant and mouthing the words to "Hawaii'i Pono'i". Heck, I never even knew about "Hawai'i Aloha" until about 7 years ago when I attended a luau at one of the colleges up here! Now it's sung at almost every single Hawaiian function they have up here.

Miulang

Don't beat yourself up over it. I learned the same things you did from those Hawaii public schools circa, uh, ya know. ;)

We have been in renaissance for a while now, and this is a good thing. With Hawaiian language opportunities increasing, the best benefit about learning to speak it is the ability to navigate those 19th century written works.

And what prolific ancestors we had! Once we can read them, interpret, ponder, consider, and piece it together, that is a body of knowledge that *no one* can take away from us.

</exhale>