White Children In Hawaii Schools?

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: White Children In Hawaii Schools?

That someone with a non-Hawaii-centric pov wanted to discuss this subject through their own pov. "White children" isn't a Hawaii-centric pov. It is predominantly American, and it isn't about skin color; its about culture (which up on the US continent "skin color" is a phrase that blankets "culture"). And because the assumption is that everyone in Hawaii understands, and assuming further that we can relate to the American pov, then the unspoken request is that we stretch over to that pov and speak through those terms.

Go back and look at my first two answers to the thread starter and you will see that this perspective of mine colors everything I said.

Hence my wince.

[sinjin]

Re: White Children In Hawaii Schools?

That someone with a non-Hawaii-centric pov wanted to discuss this subject through their own pov. "White children" isn't a Hawaii-centric pov. It is predominantly American, and it isn't about skin color; its about culture (which up on the US continent "skin color" is a phrase that blankets "culture"). And because the assumption is that everyone in Hawaii understands, and assuming further that we can relate to the American pov, then the unspoken request is that we stretch over to that pov and speak through those terms.

Go back and look at my first two answers to the thread starter and you will see that this perspective of mine colors everything I said.

Hence my wince.

I'm trying to digest this but I am having some difficulty. If what you say is true then any child from CONUS being a de facto representative of that culture could conceivably be a target for some disdain. In practice though would not the "white" children be more readily identified as or at least be suspected of being interlopers? Is not the ability to pass as local a blessing in many instances? Are not some children hassled before they ever get the chance to learn how to act? I appreciate your patience.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: White Children In Hawaii Schools?

I'm trying to digest this but I am having some difficulty. If what you say is true then any child from CONUS being a de facto representative of that culture could conceivably be a target for some disdain. In practice though would not the "white" children be more readily identified as or at least be suspected of being interlopers? Is not the ability to pass as local a blessing in many instances? Are not some children hassled before they ever get the chance to learn how to act? I appreciate your patience.

Help me with your logic between what I said about POV into a CONUS child becoming a target, because you completely lost me.

Immigrants, be they national or international in origin, have a bridge to cross when they move to a new land. Language, culture, social mores. That bridge is shorter and easier for children than for adults, because children acclimate quicker.

[sinjin]

Re: White Children In Hawaii Schools?

Help me with your logic between what I said about POV into a CONUS child becoming a target, because you completely lost me.

Immigrants, be they national or international in origin, have a bridge to cross when they move to a new land. Language, culture, social mores. That bridge is shorter and easier for children than for adults, because children acclimate quicker.

For the sake of this thread I was assuming a situation where newcomer children are receiving something less than a warm reception from some of their new schoolmates. Was that not the spirit of the question posed by the OP?

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: White Children In Hawaii Schools?

well yeah. But that had nothing to do with why I winced.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: White Children In Hawaii Schools?

Is it the actual contents of the thread that are causing people to wince - or (as I interpreted a couple of the posts to suggest) simply the thread's title that is wince-worthy on its own?

In the case of the latter, any thread that is clearly going to address a race-based issue (as the title implied) is going to be troublesome, due to the likelihood that it will include stereotypes and/or misconceptions. So the thread's name alone can cause "wince-age."

Which is often enough to keep an individual from viewing the thread at all.

[sinjin]

Re: White Children In Hawaii Schools?

well yeah. But that had nothing to do with why I winced.

Then I still don't quite understand. If "white" does not reflect a Hawaiian pov then why would haole kids stand any better chance of catching flack than any other transplant? Are you suggesting they don't?

Did I mention how much I appreciate you gorgeous?

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: White Children In Hawaii Schools?

Then I still don't quite understand. If "white" does not reflect a Hawaiian pov then why would haole kids stand any better chance of catching flack than any other transplant? Are you suggesting they don't?

Did I mention how much I appreciate you gorgeous?

"white" doesn't reflect a Hawaiian pov. "White" = American pov. Being from here vs being a malihini. the OP's child will grow up here and eventually see him/herself as a local child. That has nothing to do with skin color.

As for gorgeous, uh, I dunno about that, but mahalo for that mana'o.

[AlaskaMan]

Re: White Children In Hawaii Schools?

I'm back heavy work week.

I had a disagreement with a friend on this very topic. He would perfer to send his kids to private school or home school. I believe that would be like ignoring the problem, not that I am saying there is one. As a parent we can only protect our children so much. Sooner or later they have to learn to defend them selves and grow thick skin.

[memorylane]

Re: White Children In Hawaii Schools?

I was in 6-9th grades when we lived on Schofield who at the time and maybe still doesnt have schools, not sure tho. I was sent to Wheeler and then into Wahiawa and i was picked on terribly. My younger siblings would have been either too young for school or not old enough to recall any harassment so i cant personally answer the ?, i just know what i went thru and it sucked. In fact, now that i am a parent, it is something i still deal with because i am all attitudenal about how they didnt do anything about it then and telling on the bullies got you pounded worse and so i am helpless where my son getting messed with here in Oklahoma is concerned. To sum it up, getting picked on happens everywhere to most everyone i guess and what i hate about it is that they teach the underdog to ignore and not let it get to them instead of teaching the bully to knock the F*** off already. Yeah, sore spot for me.
Also, i hope you get a nice place on Schofield as they are getting few and far between. I went all over the base when i went back in 04 and was amazed to see the horrible then places still there! Our actual home from then is sad now. They are doing a new rebuild the base phase but not knowing your, rank, i have no idea how that works in reference to what your family gets placed in. Best wishes!!

[maliaam6]

Re: White Children In Hawaii Schools?

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

Remember this one...

I dodono ( ?What does it mean? )

You gotta be REAL loko to know dat one.

[waioli kai]

Re: White Children In Hawaii Schools?

.

--I think this thread has a horrible topic title.--

Yes, the thread topic reads as if from the same crowd who would never start a thread: 'Hawaii'ian Children in White Man Schools' ...unless of course it happened to be some white man discourse to the tune of: " ...that kid ain't right. He needs some persuasion and his sister could use a little juice. Got the prod? "

The truth is... where I teach Hawaii public school --about as "local" as "local" gets unless one gains admission to OCCC--- Hawai'ians are outnumbered between 8 and 10 or more to 1. "American"-Filipino, -Japanese, -Chinese, -Portuguese, even obviously "white kids", as separate ethnic groups each, outnumber Hawai'ians, yet who takes the heat for being not exactly 'aloha' toward "American" caucasions? Hawai'ians! Who else? Now what is racism?

[DannyWilliams]

Re: White Children In Hawaii Schools?

On Oahu, each section of the island has it % of who was represented at each school (elementary, intermediate and high school) All I can say is when I was goin to AIEA HIGH SCHOOL back in the 80's but do remember that the demographics may have changed since I left.

Lots of Asian's, Hawaiians, Filipinos, few others and yes White Kids........

I always referred AIEA as da Chop Suey High School.... We get all kindz!

[Mililani]

Re: White Children In Hawaii Schools?

I'm back heavy work week.

I had a disagreement with a friend on this very topic. He would perfer to send his kids to private school or home school. I believe that would be like ignoring the problem, not that I am saying there is one. As a parent we can only protect our children so much. Sooner or later they have to learn to defend them selves and grow thick skin.

I am going to do my best to help answer the original question...

You will never know what it's truly like until you're there and your kids attend the schools. My family lived in Anchorage for 8 years. My boys were 3 and 8. They don't see much different with the schools in Alaska as they did when they were attending school in Hawaii.

My oldest is very outgoing, loud and does pidgin proud. He's been to at least 5 schools in Anchorage (we moved a lot) and have been involved in quite a bit of activities. He is well liked by just about everyone he's met. He says, "the kids aren't any different."

My youngest is very shy and quiet (total opposite of his brother). He doesn't make friends easily. He understands pidgin (cause that's all his brother speaks), but his English is far better than his brothers. He's my "haole" baby, but he's a loner and doesn't get involved in activities in or out of school. But, like his brother, he dittos his response. "The kids are the same."

They are now attending schools in Las Vegas and they say the same about the kids here. "Kids are kids, if they like you, they like you, if they don't, they don't." You can be fat (they love their food!) or you can be dark-skinned (what I can say, they've got choke hawaiian blood), black or white, makes no difference.

Walk around like you've got a chip on your shoulder, you're asking to get knocked down. But, that's ANYWHERE. It sounds like you've raised your kids to have respect for others, that is a big plus. Now just trust that what you've taught them is what they will take with them when they attend school. I think they'll be fine.

Good luck!

[timkona]

Re: White Children In Hawaii Schools?

My kid is a kindergartner at Hookena in South Kona.

There are bullies in the school, but I don't think you can classify them using skin color or ethnicity. I'm pretty tuned in to the kids cuz I'm there everyday and most of 'em love me to death. Even the bullies straighten up and fly right when Unco Tim comes walking up. And to put a color on it, I'd say that one bully is a little white boy, and one is darker skinned, but not necessarily Hawaiian. God I hate racism.

Times change as generations pass. I think racism and ethnic separation is more prevalent amongst folks my age than within the elementary school system. Could change as the grades go up. We will see.