Am I Wrong To Feel This Way?

[timkona]

Re: Am I Wrong To Feel This Way?

I don't look Spanish or Hawaiian, (no really) and always get a kick out of answering in decent Spanish to anybody talking around or about me. It's even better when I hear Japanese, though my responses are less than fluent.

[Jonah K]

Re: Am I Wrong To Feel This Way?

<giggle>

ok. Hawaiians don't speak Spanish, although there is neither law nor biological reason prohibiting the development of such ability.

Way back in 1555 (or about 223 years before James Cook and his ilk landed here), a Spanish navigator named Juan Gaetano and his crew (comprised of Spaniards, Mexicans, Pilipinos, Chamorros, and Africans) dropped anchor in Hawai'i. As sailors are wont to do, several of them probably became quite familiar with some of the local wahine and made contributions to several kanaka maoli bloodlines. Jump to 1793, and we have Don Francisco de Paula Marin (aka "Don Manini"), an Andalusian who became a servant to Kamehameha, cultivated the first coffee trees in Hawai'i, and sired about three dozen children with various kanaka maoli wahine (and others). And then we have the paniolo....

Statistically, it's likely that some Latinos and kanaka maoli have several ancestors in common. Thus, it's kind of silly for a kanaka maoli to be insulted if Latinos can't distinguish a Hawaiiano from any population group that has had contact with Spanish explorers, sailors, settlers, etc.

And I know several kanaka maoli (myself included) that can speak "pocho Spanish" with a reasonable degree of proficiency.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: Am I Wrong To Feel This Way?

... the smaller the airport he's in, the more "Arabic" he seems to look.

...which is about as scary as getting the Tongan Crip shaka every time my husband passes the Rockies...

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: Am I Wrong To Feel This Way?

The >>TIC<< was for "tongue-in-cheek," not an involuntary fasciculation.

And no need to apologize. I look back on some of my own posts, cringe, and wish they'd allow us limitless editing capabilities on this forum.

fasci-shilisha-fashy-zulosho-simple-squamous-cel-ebration...hah?

[WindwardOahuRN]

Re: Am I Wrong To Feel This Way?

<giggle>

Sorry for making you twitch. Obviously, I could have written that more concisely.

The >>TIC<< was for "tongue-in-cheek," not an involuntary fasciculation.

And no need to apologize. I look back on some of my own posts, cringe, and wish they'd allow us limitless editing capabilities on this forum.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Am I Wrong To Feel This Way?

tangent: who among us has not be mistaken for being of another ethnic background? Why is this an offense? Just because we aren't <enter ethnicity HERE> why smart over it?

On the couple of rare occasions when locals assumed I was Potagee (as opposed to plain ol' vanilla Haole), I took it as a compliment - until I wondered if they thought I was talking too much.

Does anyone watch Carlos Mencia? He had a whole skit about how when he landed in Hawai'i when he was on vacation he thought he was deported and was really in Mexico.

Kermet Apio has a bit about touring in small American towns, and how the smaller the airport he's in, the more "Arabic" he seems to look.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: Am I Wrong To Feel This Way?

>>TIC<<

Some do. It can be learned, like any other language.

<giggle>

ok. Hawaiians don't speak Spanish, although there is neither law nor biological reason prohibiting the development of such ability.

Sorry for making you twitch. Obviously, I could have written that more concisely.

[sinjin]

Re: Am I Wrong To Feel This Way?

You're going to have to excuse my dismissiveness, Sinjin. Those of us who grew up surfing here have a different perspective on the matter. Few Mexican surfers are the "Bobby Martinez" type. My intial sentiments on kooks still stand.

Bobby Martinez is not a Mexican. He's from Santa Barbara, CA. I know what you mean though. Hawaiians invented surfing. Californians just perfected it.

[Keanu]

Re: Am I Wrong To Feel This Way?

Pua'i, I think I'm just jaded because of how often it really has happened, and still happens a lot to my mother, to my father, etc,. To the point where there had been rumors at their work about them making up their heritage because of being ashamed Mexicans.

(

My sister says the same thing... Mexicans get irritated at her because they think she's ashamed of her heritage by refusing to admit that she's mexican. She tells them "I'm Hawaiian"..they still don't get it.

[Keanu]

Re: Am I Wrong To Feel This Way?

FWIW plenty of Mexicans already surf.

You're going to have to excuse my dismissiveness, Sinjin. Those of us who grew up surfing here have a different perspective on the matter. Few Mexican surfers are the "Bobby Martinez" type. My intial sentiments on kooks still stand.

[Lei K]

Re: Am I Wrong To Feel This Way?

Pua'i, I think I'm just jaded because of how often it really has happened, and still happens a lot to my mother, to my father, etc,. To the point where there had been rumors at their work about them making up their heritage because of being ashamed Mexicans.

Yes, walking away would be the right thing to do when someone starts that stuff with me. It's just that when they get an attitude about my more than kind response, and names start being called, I see red. I have issues walking away when someone is saying something false about me. I'm also too nice for my own good, I never get rude back with them, then I bottle it all up.

[sinjin]

Re: Am I Wrong To Feel This Way?

I don't find the local work ethic comment particularly funny. My parents worked their local asses off so we'd be able to live comfortably at home in Hawai'i. I don't think "Mexicans" are any harder working or any more reliable than those that already live here.

Sorry. I didn't mean to suggest that there are no hard working people in Hawaii. Only that those who take things a little more casually will be further marginalized by people like many Mexicans.

Fwiw, not to paint with too broad a brush but there are already a wealth of kooks taking up space in our lineups, the last thing local surfers need is more.

FWIW plenty of Mexicans already surf.

[WindwardOahuRN]

Re: Am I Wrong To Feel This Way?

does this happen so frequently, Leikaina? And a simple, "I'm sorry, but Hawaiians don't speak Spanish."

>>TIC<<

Some do. It can be learned, like any other language.

[Lei K]

Re: Am I Wrong To Feel This Way?

Does anyone watch Carlos Mencia? He had a whole skit about how when he landed in Hawai'i when he was on vacation he thought he was deported and was really in Mexico.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: Am I Wrong To Feel This Way?

My 'ohana up here (mom, dad, sisters, brother and myself) have corrected people nicely (full of smiles and aloha) only to be called a liar and get told we are sad people for being ashamed of who we are. That's where it gets wrong and irritating, this happens more than occasionally.

It's not the people who wonder what we (my 'ohana) are, or even come up speaking another language that get me all huhu but the ones who fight with me and try to tell me what my or my 'ohana's real ethnic background is, accuse us of hiding it, call us names and get all snooty about it. There's nothing pono bout dat. I know I'd never do that to someone.

does this happen so frequently, Leikaina? And a simple, "I'm sorry, but Hawaiians don't speak Spanish. Aloha!" with a smile wouldn't suffice?

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edited to add, on the east coast, I got Puerto Rican a lot, and that was how I would address it. Although my experiences weren't offensive to me, I do not presume to say what should or should not be regarded as offensive to you.