White Children In Hawaii Schools?

[AlaskaMan]

I searched all over HT for this topic but never found the answers to my questions.

I have the opportunity to move there with the military and then retire there in 6 years. I have three daughters ages 7, 2, and one in the oven.

My oldest is in the 1st Grade and has a rather diverse class, 2 Hawaiian, 2 Alaska Native, 1 Thai, 1 African-American, and 12 White children. Racism is not a problem in her school and they teach racial diversity and acceptance. Even at home we teach acceptance and respect of other people and their culture. We won't even allow our girls to make fun of people because of their weight or looks, as it should be.

I have read about how "Haole" kids have been treated in the past but no reference to todays schools. We plan on living on Schofield Barracks at first then buy a home in the Ocean Pointe area.

So how bad is the education system?

Are the white children really treated bad?

What can you tell me about schools in these areas?

Any information you have to offer is greatly appreciated.

[scrivener]

Re: White Children In Hawaii Schools?

I'm white and I loved my public school education. What you're asking is tough to answer, because everyone's got a different experience. As has been written here before, what's most important is probably how resilient your children are.

If you live on Schofield, your children will attend schools with lots of other military kids, so I doubt there'll be a problem. Ocean Pointe's schools are much more diverse, but I know Caucasian students in those schools who love them.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: White Children In Hawaii Schools?

My oldest is in the 1st Grade and has a rather diverse class, 2 Hawaiian, 2 Alaska Native, 1 Thai, 1 African-American, and 12 White children. Racism is not a problem in her school and they teach racial diversity and acceptance. Even at home we teach acceptance and respect of other people and their culture. We won't even allow our girls to make fun of people because of their weight or looks, as it should be.

The diversity is the same here. There will be 2 Caucasian local-born, 2 Caucasian off-the-plane, 1 Mexican or African-American, 1 First generation international immigrant child and 12 Hawaiian/Asian/five-ethnicity local kids. And we live racial diversity and acceptance and respect how it is with other people and their cultures. We won't even allow our children to ignore other cultures and their mores and the effects of such cultures both pronounced and subtle because to do so would ignore the person him/herself, as it should be.

Just flip the dial. Like you, we love our kids. Like you, we want them to have good educations. Like you, we don't leave it merely up to the school and we find the watchdog abilities of the local media and proactive communities creating charter schools and private schools and homeschool hui and the like to be driving forces in our islands.

The worst thing you could do is shield your children from any of this. They will move here young, and they will grow up acclimating and probably do a better job than you will at it. Be protective of them, put them in sports and teach them a musical instrument, and let them make a name for themselves at whatever passion stirs within them. Learn about your ancestors and heritage and have them be proud that their skin is the reddish tint indicative of their Nordic blood, or ruddy like a good Celt or so forth and so on and this is a place to teach them to respect genealogies, races, and heritages. And they will be similarly grounded like other children here.

[Pomai]

Re: White Children In Hawaii Schools?

I'm white and I loved my public school education. What you're asking is tough to answer, because everyone's got a different experience.

Scrivener, with all due respect, you pull so much more of your Japanese heritage than your white side, physically speaking. At least from what we've seen of your HT gathering photos and your Avatar.

If I never knew you, I'd say you were Japanese right off the bat. It's your name that would throw me off. Mi' Dw? huh?

Being sort of "hapa" myself, folks don't know what to make of me. White people think I'm white, and local folks (like da big Hawaiian braddahz) take me in as a local boy.. most of the time. Sometimes they think I'm haole because how I speak. You gotta' "chrow in da' pidgin" fo' blend in.

[Keanu]

Re: White Children In Hawaii Schools?

I searched all over HT for this topic but never found the answers to my questions.

I have the opportunity to move there with the military and then retire there in 6 years. I have three daughters ages 7, 2, and one in the oven.

My oldest is in the 1st Grade and has a rather diverse class, 2 Hawaiian, 2 Alaska Native, 1 Thai, 1 African-American, and 12 White children. Racism is not a problem in her school and they teach racial diversity and acceptance. Even at home we teach acceptance and respect of other people and their culture. We won't even allow our girls to make fun of people because of their weight or looks, as it should be.

I have read about how "Haole" kids have been treated in the past but no reference to todays schools. We plan on living on Schofield Barracks at first then buy a home in the Ocean Pointe area.

So how bad is the education system?

Are the white children really treated bad?

What can you tell me about schools in these areas?

Any information you have to offer is greatly appreciated.

There are 2 elementary schools within Schofield itself, Hale Kula Elemantary and Soloman Elementary. If you are going to live on base, your children will be amongst other military children so I doubt there would be any racial issues to concern yourself with. These are links to the two schools mentioned above. Which school your children attend will be determined by where you live on base.

http://www.halekula.com/about.html

http://www.solomon.k12.hi.us/

Keone'ula Elementary just opened last month. If you buy a home in Ocean Pointe, your children will probably go here. I don't think racism will be a problem. Ewa Beach Elementary might have been a different story.

[AlaskaMan]

Re: White Children In Hawaii Schools?

Thanks for the quick replies. My wife and I have been pondering what the truth is in this manner. I have spent the last 2 weeks scanning HT on the subject. I feel I already live there and know most of you by your posts. Almost like talking to an old friend.

I found that most students from the 60's to the late 80's got a raw deal. Both in terms of education after school whooping. I have friends in our sister unit (National Guard) and they also have expressed a more modern out look. Albeit they all grew up there and have the skin color to blend in.

It's a huge leap of faith for us to pack up and move over there but at least I would have a job to make a decent living for my family.

The thing I love most about Hawaii is the emphasis on Family and the children, respect of your elders, and passing along a rich cultural history. I have been to 39 of the 50 States and have not seen this any where but Hawaii. At least not this large of scale and incorporated into your daily life. The beaches and scuba diving aren't bad either.

While I would hate to leave Alaska I hear the islands calling. I can honestly say the prospect of living in the lesser..ops...lower 48 does not appeal to me.

But as a Father I must look out for the welfare of my children above all. Which brought me here to educate my self and listen to what the experts have to say.

[AlaskaMan]

Re: White Children In Hawaii Schools?

My apologies for the lead in. I thought that was a question mark???????

I couldn't tell it was a thumbs down sign. Sorry about that folks.

[tutusue]

Re: White Children In Hawaii Schools?

Scrivener, with all due respect, you pull so much more of your Japanese heritage than your white side, physically speaking. At least from what we've seen of your HT gathering photos and your Avatar.

If I never knew you, I'd say you were Japanese right off the bat. It's your name that would throw me off. Mi' Dw? huh? [...])

I kinda have to agree with Pomai, Scriv! Knowing your last name and having met you a coupla times...well...ummm...I thought maybe you were hanai'd or calabashed or sumthin'! O'course...all that sushi you ate at Todai's was a give-away! Oh wait...I ate more sushi that you! And, I'm Irish. I don't look Irish but, man o' man, I gotta lot of that green blood pulsing thru my veins!

I'm always amazed, in my business, to get submissions of names that in no way fit the ethnic/racial breakdown given me by my advertising clients! Of course, for women that could be a married name, altho' not always. I've learned, with the men, it's either mixed heritage or adoption. Scriv...initially you totally had me fooled by your last name!

[Kahalu'u Kid]

Re: White Children In Hawaii Schools?

1) Get choke haole keedz in Hawai'i nei. (There are a lot of white kids in Hawaii.)

2) Dey ujlee awrite unless dey ak up. (They're usually okay unless they start trouble.)

3) Evrybody awrite unless dey ak up. (Everyone's usually okay unless they start trouble.)

4) If dey respek da localz an speshalee da kanaks, no false crack. (They won't get into fights if they respect the locals, and especially Hawaiians.)

5) Pigen is meen. (You should learn pidgen, it's fun.)

6) 'Olelo Hawai'i mo meen. (You just have to learn Hawaiian language.)

7) Pik up da 'opala. (Please help to keep the islands clean.)

8) Respek da 'aina. (Respect these islands which are considered sacred.)

9) Check out Hawaiian histree. (Learn the history of these islands.)

10) Bee humbo, no grumbo. (Be humble, and don't get into confrontations.)

K-den, KK and da braddahs. (See you later, from Kahalu'u kid and his friends.)

PS--Localz feel free to add to the list. Cheehu!

[Bard]

Re: White Children In Hawaii Schools?

(You should learn pidgen, it's fun.)

Last time I suggested this, I got a major beat-down.

(Sorry, on the verge of breaking rule #10 here I guess )

[Pomai]

Re: White Children In Hawaii Schools?

I've never lived there, but hear in many places around the mainland, if you don't LOOK white or black, then everyone classifies you as Mexican. Is that true?

My girlfriend's family are Filipino (mom is mixed), and they were badly mistreated at a restaurant in the northern midwest. They knew why. The (white) staff thought they were Mexican, as one of them made a sarcastic attempt to speak Español to them.

Racial profiling just sucks, no matter where it's at.

When we (my family) visited the Philippines (Manila and Bagio City), we were treated like ROYALTY. Most likely because we LOOK white (even though mom and I are mixed up with some Hawaiian). They probably thought we were loaded (which actually we were because of the ridiculously weak peso at the time). My dad (pure Portuguese) looks "Haole" all the way. Nice way to be racially-profiled, but still, how would they have treated us if we looked Japanese or black?

[1stwahine]

Re: White Children In Hawaii Schools?

Racial profiling just sucks, no matter where it's at.

It sucks Big Time!

I have traveled many places...especially, the Philippines. I was treated like a queen because my late husband was a former boxing champion. There were many who came to 'look and stare' at the American who married their hometown hero. They were surprised to find out my skin was brown as them and my nose was a "pilipino one" to boot!

When we lived in Vallejo, Ca. ~ I worked on Treasure Island for the Federal Government. Everyday people would ask me about Hawai'i. Having a restaurant made it easier to spread Aloha and Love.

I've never experienced any racial discrimination towards me or my family. If I did ~ it would have been their Loss.

Back to this thread's topic.

Hawai'i is a melting pot of different cultures, religion and whatevas. It is up to you as a parent to instill morals, values, spiritual beliefs as well as foundations in which your children will grow into productive and caring adults.

I have two grandchildren white as can be. If they were Black, Yellow or Pink ~ I love them just the same. Color doesn't matter to me...for them or of anyone.

You'll love Schofield! The Family Groups are Tops!! Schofield is a city in itself. If you want someone to show the area, I can introduce you to a person who knows it well.heheheh

My son and member of The Stryker Brigade.

Auntie Lynn

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: White Children In Hawaii Schools?

I've never lived there, but hear in many places around the mainland, if you don't LOOK white or black, then everyone classifies you as Mexican. Is that true?

Yes, but it depends on the place. Really, it's all about pigeonholing. People will look at you and try to figure out how to put you into one of the categories that they themselves are familiar with, based on their own experiences and expectations. In some places, the expectation is that you are either white or black or Mexican, because those are the only ethnicities that they're familiar with there.

It's like how here in Hawaiʻi, we usually have lots of pigeonholes for different Polynesian and Asian ethnicities... but all white people get lumped together as haole. Somebody who's unusual for the islands, like an Arab, gets incorrectly pigeonholed as whatever familiar group they most closely resemble, like... say... Portuguese, or maybe hapa.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: White Children In Hawaii Schools?

But wen you stay mainland and one stranger finds out you from Hawaii and den asks you, "Hey partner do you know so and so from Hawaii?" Oh yeah like I know all 1-million plus people here.

Den he tells me the name and OH WOW das my neigbbor hana budda days! Imagine that...all the way over in a bar in Idaho.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: White Children In Hawaii Schools?

5) Pigen is meen. (You should learn pidgen, it's fun.)

Last time I suggested this, I got a major beat-down.

Learning it is one thing - trying to speak it when you didn't grow up with it is quite another. I've learned a LOT of pidgin, enough to understand it when I hear or read it, but speaking it? Nah. (Well, maybe lilobit, but it's purely transactional, li'dat.)

Although, this isn't a hard-and-fast rule. I know an incredible ki ho`alu player here in Seattle, of Norwegian ancestry, didn't grow up in the Islands but speaks pidgin like a local. Scary good.

KK - your list was hilarious!