"Hawaiian" in Mainland papers

[ragnar]

I know this is a Hawaii media thread, but I think it's the right place for this post, given the folks who hang out here.

In recent weeks, the San Francisco Chronicle has run two pieces that caught my eye for their use of the term "Hawaiian." The most recent was a relatively benign entertainment pick noting Frank DeLima's appearance this weekend (referring to him as a "Hawaiian comedian.") Notwithstanding Frank's possible/probably part-Hawaiian ancestry, the word was clearly not referring to that.

The more troubling (to me) example came a few weeks ago, in story about the explosion of plate lunch restaurants in the Bay Area. Predictably, the offerings were referred to as "Hawaiian food" throughout the story.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...AGVFJOAH51.DTL

I don't need to go into the level of detail here that I did with the Chronicle's style folks, as the general arguments are no doubt familiar to all of us. I raised the point that the AP had finally agreed last year that "Hawaiian" refers not to residents of Hawaii generally, but to Native Hawaiians in particular.

My point to the relevant parties was that there is such a thing as "Hawaiian food," which is distinctive and widely enjoyed and entirely separate from "food popular in Hawaii." More or less, my argument was that just because a company decides to call something "Hawaiian food" for marketing reasons does not make it so.

Their response was surprisingly dismissive, to the effect that "it's food eaten in Hawaii, which makes it Hawaiian food." I wrote back asking whether, given that you can get one in Mexico, a hamburger qualifies as "Mexican food." They said it wasn't an apt comparison.

So...what do you folks think?

[1stwahine]

Re: "Hawaiian" in Mainland papers

You juss in time. Go send dem this URL "Recommendations for Hawaiian plate lunch, cake noodle" http://hawaiithreads.com/showthread.php?t=9498

Auntie Lynn

[pzarquon]

Re: "Hawaiian" in Mainland papers

Whew. I can see this easily going in circles in any newsroom.

The AP clarification for "Hawaiian" as a label for a person -- i.e. any judge in California can be a Californian judge, but not every judge in Hawaii is a Hawaiian judge -- is relatively clear. And our varied understanding of "Hawaiian food" is relatively consistent (though certainly, I've been in my share of heated debates there, too).

But then you can get into "Hawaii Regional Cuisine" territory, or just the basic "plate lunch" model of food presentation, which can be distinct to Hawaii but not neccessarily Hawaiian. Spam musubi? Very Hawaii, but not Hawaiian, really. But frankly, I can't see an easy way to explain that distinction... and thus can't entirely fault a busy newsroom for responding to your comment the way they did.

I suppose you could go with "Hawaiian-style" as a descriptor, but that could easily ruffle the same feathers. In which case, it might make more sense just to focus on saying "traditional Hawaiian food" to mean what we think of as "regular Hawaiian food."

[kimo55]

Re: "Hawaiian" in Mainland papers

good points rag.
We hear stuffs li dat and yell back:
No! It's Hawaiian Kine - or - Local lifestyle maybe, but Hawaiian Food is not mac salad and terichicken.

It happens alla time dis kine stuffs.
whatchoo goin do? Just try educate.
At least DeLima is much more "Hawaiian" than the haole musicians on da mainland playing updated versions of exotica and surf rock... and we hear them being referred to as a "Hawaiian Music Group"
yeck!

conversely, we see tropical iland based origin food and drink being called
"Tiki Food" ugh.

[Palolo Joe]

Re: "Hawaiian" in Mainland papers

Mainland haoles don't care enough to get it right, but this makes sense to me:

Hawaii Food = plate lunch, spam musubi, regional cuisine, etc.

Hawaiian Food = lau lau, poi, haupia, etc.

[ragnar]

Re: "Hawaiian" in Mainland papers

But then you can get into "Hawaii Regional Cuisine" territory, or just the basic "plate lunch" model of food presentation, which can be distinct to Hawaii but not neccessarily Hawaiian. Spam musubi? Very Hawaii, but not Hawaiian, really. But frankly, I can't see an easy way to explain that distinction... and thus can't entirely fault a busy newsroom for responding to your comment the way they did.

I suppose you could go with "Hawaiian-style" as a descriptor, but that could easily ruffle the same feathers. In which case, it might make more sense just to focus on saying "traditional Hawaiian food" to mean what we think of as "regular Hawaiian food."

Agreed, for sure. But what's interesting is that this was an exchange with someone whose entire job description involves these sorts of discussions. I got the sense that she was unfamiliar with the change in AP Style vis a vis "Hawaiian" in general.

It's foolish to expect anyone not deeply versed in contemporary Hawaii to "get it" on these issues...even malihini are like "what?" But I thought it was a pretty important point; if traditional Hawaiian food was extinct, that might be one thing, but it's very much alive. It's almost like a mainland paper doing a piece on pidgin and calling it "Hawaiian."

Or: I need to let this one go, lol

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: "Hawaiian" in Mainland papers

I prefer "Pan-Pacific fusion" and then increase prices by %35 at least.

[ragnar]

Re: "Hawaiian" in Mainland papers

oops. deleting a double-post.

[glossyp]

Re: "Hawaiian" in Mainland papers

I prefer "Pan-Pacific fusion" and then increase prices by %35 at least.

ROFL! Too true - or try Roy's new descriptor "Hawaii Fusion". We define the cuisines thusly Hawaiian Local and Hawaiian Traditional, but then we're focusing on the local market who understand exactly what the difference between local and traditional is.

[mel]

Re: "Hawaiian" in Mainland papers

I like "Hawaii Plate Lunch Favorites" to describe spam musubi, mac salad, teri chicken, etc.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: "Hawaiian" in Mainland papers

Or: I need to let this one go, lol

No, no - don't. You are in a good position to help educate and correct people who use these terms incorrectly, due to their ignorance. You can't force them to improve, but at least you can present them with the opportunity. You have the background, you're in the industry - you can be more influential than most of us.

While you're at it, see if you can get them to understand why there should not be an `okina in the word "Hawaiian" (as in "Hawai`ian.")

[Erika Engle]

Re: "Hawaiian" in Mainland papers

I have a HUGE problem with the generic characterization of everyone from Hawaii as "Hawaiian." (The same would apply to food, etc.)

I previously made a rather detailed post on the topic, pertaining to conversations I have with business folk on the mainland, correcting them when they say stuff like that. There is no quicker way for them to show everyone that they are not from here. It also tends to reflect insensitivity, when it may be merely "ignorance." (Not stupidity, mind you, but ignorance.)