Cultural Sensitivity of Hawaii Based TV programs

[mel]

I am setting this topic up for anyone who wants to discuss local cultural sensitivity to network TV productions both past, present and future. Folks I could care less whether or not a network TV production is culturally sensitive or not. If the program is entertaining or informative enough, I'll watch it. If not, just turn the channel or turn the TV off. Very simple solutions. If enough people do the same, the show either becomes a success or falls flat on its Neilsen rating.

If you want to throw in the production of locally made TV shows into this discussion, by all means do. So that means those locally made shows shown on our local broadcast channels, OCI 16 and Olelo are all up for discussion here, if needed.

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: Cultural Sensitivity of Hawaii Based TV programs

Do local news programs also count, here? Because I've ranted in the past about poor Hawaiian language pronunciation by newscasters, and I'll probably do so in the future as well.

[mel]

Re: Cultural Sensitivity of Hawaii Based TV programs

Yes, go ahead and discuss local news. I am sure we could consolidate some of those discussions about messed up Hawaiian words and stuff here too.

[kahalabrah]

Re: Cultural Sensitivity of Hawaii Based TV programs

thumbs up mel on your new thread. as a mainland-born asian living in hawaii, i really admire how asian-hawaiians have turned white-inflicted racism from plantation days into a truly phenomenal success story: hawaii. nowhere else in the us do asians thrive as they do in hawaii. california? yes, but this has only fueled further anti-asian resentment which is very thinly veiled.

yet, i too, question the "cultural sensitivity of hawaii based tv" in particular how most of the media (both tv and print) in hawaii is mainland-white-owned or managed, and it really makes a difference.

[Jonah K]

Re: Cultural Sensitivity of Hawaii Based TV programs

thumbs up mel on your new thread. as a mainland-born asian living in hawaii, i really admire how asian-hawaiians have turned white-inflicted racism from plantation days into a truly phenomenal success story: hawaii. nowhere else in the us do asians thrive as they do in hawaii. california? yes, but this has only fueled further anti-asian resentment which is very thinly veiled.

yet, i too, question the "cultural sensitivity of hawaii based tv" in particular how most of the media (both tv and print) in hawaii is mainland-white-owned or managed, and it really makes a difference.

Aloha kahalabrah,

I'm not so sure about "Asian success" in Hawai'i. There are probably more homeless people of Asian descent in Hilo than there are in the entire state of California. As for Hawaiians, more are probably thriving in the continental U.S. than in Hawai'i.

In order to precisely discuss "cultural sensitivity of Hawai'i-based television programs", one thing that probably needs to be clarified for the sake of analysis are the definitions of "Asian", "Asian American", and "Pacific Islander." One could use the broad U.S. Census Bureau definition of "Asian" - "individuals having origins in any of the peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent." Similarly, "Pacific Islanders" are individuals have origins in any of the aboriginal peoples of Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia, and includes Native Hawaiians, Samoans, Tongans, Maori, Chamorros, Fijians, etc. One could also use the antropological categories of "East Asian" (primarily Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans) , "Southeast Asian" (primarily Pilipinos, Malaysians, Indonesians, Vietnamese, Thais, Laotians, Cambodians, etc.) and "South Asian" (primarily Indians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, etc.) to discuss those groups in further detail.

When I see an imprecise term like "Asian-Hawaiian", I'm not sure if you're referring to Asians and Asian Americans in Hawai'i or if you're referring to individuals that have both Asian and Native Hawaiian ancestry.

As for "mainland white-owned or managed" media companies, Time Warner's CEO, Richard Parsons, sure looks "white" to me.


Richard Parsons, CEO of Time Warner

Cheers,

Jonah K

[kahalabrah]

Re: Cultural Sensitivity of Hawaii Based TV programs

johah k

asian success:

i equate success not only in financial achievements but also quality of life free from discrimination. let me share with you that i feel an overwhelming ethnic pride living in hawaii that i have never ever felt living on the mainland with white people. this is the "success" i am speaking of.


excuse my mis-usage of "hawaiian." my meaning was asian-americans born and raised in hawaii. can you not use the term asian-hawaiian? i've often heard the term hawaiian to include even residents of the state of Hawaii. i was using it to connote statehood rather than ethnicity.

for instance, at pro surf contests in california, i have heard announcers refer to haole (gasp!) pro surfers as "hawaiians" which sounds blasphemous but nonetheless i have merely heard this. what is the correct term for a resident (of any ethnicity) of hawaii?


additionally, it is my understanding that most of hawaii's media, tv stations and newspapers are haole owned. there is something inherently wrong with this, since as we all know the media is an omnipotent, overpowering influence on us all. please correct me if i'm wrong.

[arturo_h]

Re: Cultural Sensitivity of Hawaii Based TV programs

You know, Kahalabrah, you are considered as ‘haole’ as anyone else who hasn’t been born or raised in Hawai’i. Your use of the term ‘asian-hawaiian’ is no different than the term ‘haole-hawaiian’ (if, in this sense, ‘haole’ meant “caucasian”). There are haoles (caucasians) that have more right to report the news or own a TV station than you do, even though you are asian. I wish you’d keep an open-mind while you’re living in Hawai’i because that is what Hawai’i is all about. By trying to get everyone to see this so called “racial discrimination” here in Hawai’i is just like any other mainlander trying to push their beliefs or views on people here in Hawai’i. If you want an argument, argue how the Kanaka Maoli are under-represented, and that would be worthy of an argument. If you just want to say how much you hate caucasians, then just say it.
Arturo

[kahalabrah]

Re: Cultural Sensitivity of Hawaii Based TV programs

You know, Kahalabrah, you are considered as ‘haole’ as anyone else who hasn’t been born or raised in Hawai’i. Your use of the term ‘asian-hawaiian’ is no different than the term ‘haole-hawaiian’ (if, in this sense, ‘haole’ meant “caucasian”). There are haoles (caucasians) that have more right to report the news or own a TV station than you do, even though you are asian. I wish you’d keep an open-mind while you’re living in Hawai’i because that is what Hawai’i is all about. By trying to get everyone to see this so called “racial discrimination” here in Hawai’i is just like any other mainlander trying to push their beliefs or views on people here in Hawai’i. If you want an argument, argue how the Kanaka Maoli are under-represented, and that would be worthy of an argument. If you just want to say how much you hate caucasians, then just say it.
Arturo

wuh?

another person looking for a confrontation when i am merely expressing my opinion. don't worry, i'm not gonna respond.

[MadAzza]

Re: Cultural Sensitivity of Hawaii Based TV programs

what is the correct term for a resident (of any ethnicity) of hawaii?

Hawaii resident

additionally, it is my understanding that most of hawaii's media, tv stations and newspapers are haole owned. there is something inherently wrong with this, since as we all know the media is an omnipotent, overpowering influence on us all.

I don't know if I have ever encountered someone as blatantly racist as you seem to be.

[arturo_h]

Re: Cultural Sensitivity of Hawaii Based TV programs

I don't want you to respond either; I just want you to have an open-mind since that's what Hawai'i is all about. I'm sorry to say but your opinion doesn't fit in well here in Hawai'i.

[kahalabrah]

Re: Cultural Sensitivity of Hawaii Based TV programs

this is gonna be good. how am i, an asian-american racist? because i, an asian-american, am strongly opposed to anti-asian racism? you gotta be kidding me.

oh, i see you're a haole. now i understand.

[arturo_h]

Re: Cultural Sensitivity of Hawaii Based TV programs

I'm not a haole, I'm a mexican-american, and I wasn't saying that you're racist. I was merely saying that your "mainland" attitude isn't welcome here. A humble attitude is what any person who moves to Hawai'i should have. You're just as guilty as many other mainlander who has tried to push their unwanted beliefs/views on other people. If you owned a TV station or were a TV anchor, you could be blamed for the same thing you're blaming other 'local' haoles. You're a foreigner to Hawai'i just as I am a foreigner, even though you represent a majority of the population. There have been plenty of asian-americans from the mainland who have the same bad attitude as any ‘haole’ or any other mainlander. The blame should fall on the individual. You have no right to accuse any person here since most of them have lived here a lot longer than you have, even if they happen to be ‘haole.’

[kahalabrah]

Re: Cultural Sensitivity of Hawaii Based TV programs

I'm not a haole, I'm a mexican-american, and I wasn't saying that you're racist. I was merely saying that your "mainland" attitude isn't welcome here. A humble attitude is what any person who moves to Hawai'i should have. You're just as guilty as many other mainlander who has tried to push their unwanted beliefs/views on other people. If you owned a TV station or were a TV anchor, you could be blamed for the same thing you're blaming other 'local' haoles. You're a foreigner to Hawai'i just as I am a foreigner, even though you represent a majority of the population. There have been plenty of asian-americans from the mainland who have the same bad attitude as any ‘haole’ or any other mainlander. The blame should fall on the individual. You have no right to accuse any person here since most of them have lived here a lot longer than you have, even if they happen to be ‘haole.’

i was referring to madazza not to you. since i really can't understand your convoluted gibberish i regrettably refrain from responding.

[arturo_h]

Re: Cultural Sensitivity of Hawaii Based TV programs

oops, sorry. Didn't see her response. When you say you can't understand my "convoluted gibberish," do you mean you don't want to understand, or can't comprehend? I still don't understand how can you ignore the numourous responses to your posts, when they represent the people of Hawai'i, and still say you feel like "home" here?? And then turn around and start making accusations against people that have lived here a lot longer than you have. I moved here with a humble attitude, which I think you should have if you want to remain here. Can you understand that?
Arturo

[MadAzza]

Re: Cultural Sensitivity of Hawaii Based TV programs

this is gonna be good. how am i, an asian-american racist? because i, an asian-american, am strongly opposed to anti-asian racism? you gotta be kidding me.

oh, i see you're a haole. now i understand.

You understand nothing. I'm Native American, Swedish and Scottish. But thank you for further proving my point.

Again, here is what you wrote: "it is my understanding that most of hawaii's media, tv stations and newspapers are haole owned. there is something inherently wrong with this ..."

Suppose I wrote, "It is my understanding that most of New York's media, tv stations and newspapers are Jew owned. There is something inherently wrong with this."

Now do you get it? No? Didn't think so.