Not For Haoles?

[pzarquon]

Came across an interesting travel column from a Las Vegas writer who touched on a topic few travel writers dare address when writing about Hawaii: moments when anti-tourism resentment surfaces in plain view of tourists, and why it might happen.

I thought it was a reasonably thoughtful response to a ""Hawaii Isles for Hawaiians, not for Haoles" yard sign and a suspicious horseback riding incident.

Hawaii, Las Vegas face same problems posed by growth
George "Knappster" Knapp, Las Vegas Mercury, June 17, 2004

No matter how much anger there is among native Hawaiians, there is no way the state will ever be allowed to withdraw from the union. There's too much money involved. The best that Hawaiians can hope for is they somehow get their runaway growth under control. If they leave it up to developers and their supplicants in government, every inch of the islands will be covered with condos and convenience stores. And growth will end up destroying the very things that have made Hawaii such an attractive destination. Good luck, Hawaiians. Let us in Las Vegas know how it comes out.

His drawing of parallels between Las Vegas and Hawaii were generally plausible, but the big blinking exception would be the experiences of Hawaii's indigenous peoples and the overthrow of its former government, something I suspect few in Nevada (save Native Americans) can identify with.

[Albert]

Re: Not For Haoles?

I've never experienced, in almost fifteen years here, any "anti-haole" sentiment. I have, however, witnessed some anti-Japanese stuff which is kinda weird considering how much these islands depend economically upon their tourism.

Or is that the reason (such as it is)?

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: Not For Haoles?

Albert, I think a lot of the resentment is really not so much racial in nature as it is political and economic. It's more "goddamn rich outsiders who are buying up our land and remaking it into the image of where they came from" than it is "goddamn haoles, we hates them, we hates them all, we does". The distinction becomes confused because the rich outsiders are almost always not Hawaiians. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I'm gonna guess that you probably are not a "goddamn rich outsider".

[Mokihana]

Re: Not For Haoles?

Interesting article. Made me think of a conversation I had with a friend of mine just last week. Haole wahine. She and her husband have spent a couple of weeks each year on Maui on vacation and really love it over there. This time she told me that the last time they were there (about 2 months ago), they bought some property, and began going on and on about how they were now going to develop it.

I felt sick inside, listening to her talk. More houses, less water, more traffic, more high housing prices. They didn't buy the land to live on. They bought the land so that they will be able to make a lot of money. Who knows? Maybe they will. But at what cost to the locals? At what cost to the environment? She's excited. I am saddened.

[Lisa808]

Re: Not For Haoles?

My husband and I have been looking around so many places to buy a condo. Unfortunately prices are getting higher and higher because people from mainland (especially Haole) have been coming over here and buying properties just for investment, which makes local people here to buy their own places. Interest rate is getting higher too. The one we've been looking to buy is $60,000 higher than last year.......sigh.......

[admin]

Re: Not For Haoles?

This thread was originally to discuss the tensions that arise anywhere new money and newcomers flood into an area with much history and pride. If you want to debate the meaning of the world haole, feel free to pick up Meaning of the Word Haole... where the topic has (hopefully) settled in.