Upon first look...

[Lei K]

Re: Upon first look...

100% Japanese....on the mainland I'm Mexican and Inuit.

This is exactly why I asked. Many of my full Japanese/Chinese/etc. friends say the same thing! Mexican or some sort of Native American.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Upon first look...

....on the mainland I'm Mexican and Inuit.

You've been hitting a better-educated part of the mainland, if they even KNOW what Inuit is! ("Ain't yew an Ess-kee-moe? How many words fer 'snow' have yew got, anywhoo?")

[PoiBoy]

Re: Upon first look...

^^ I feel connected to everything I am. I had influences growing up of a little bit of everything that makes up Hawai'i nei. I didn't grow up heavily anything (sadly) so I discover who I am more and more every day. Culture and ethnicity interest me greatly. I'm very intrigued by my husband's Irish culture and ancestry. Many in my 'ohana are Japanese and that interests me as well. I find culture beautiful.

But this question came up as I've been hearing my mixed friends groaning about being sooo tired of being asked what they are here on the CONUS. And then them asking me how different it really was in da 'aina (since we are a melting pot) and if people would know what they are there. But the woman doing my taxes asking me what I was reminded me about posting something on the topic. Nobody better to ask than the mixed people of HT.

My gripe on people mistaking my ethnicity is that they commonly think (here on the CONUS) that me being Hawaiian means I'm Samoan. And that there is no such thing as Native Hawaiians. Yes, I know we are all Polynesian brothers and sisters but I think Kanaka Maoli deserve to be recognized as a seperate people too, you know? It's my favorite complaint about the CONUS, yes indeed.

Because how many fullblooded Kanaka Maoli do you see? You can't blame people for using their eyes. It's nearly impossible to tell the difference between a full blooded Samoan, Hawaiian, Tongan,Tahitian, or Maori. So don't take offense. I don't. Kanaka Maoli recognizes themselves as seperate people. So who cares what ignorant folks say.

Kanaka Maoli deserve to be recognized as a seperate people too, you know?

Yes, but how ? You yourself say you are Kanaka Maoli...yet you partake in many other cultures. Because you choose to do so. You identify yourself with many other ethnicities...yet you want Kanaka Maoli to be viewed as seperate from all other ethnicities?

This question you need not answer to me...but more to yourself.

Think about the "all or nothing" . You are obviously searching for who you are...you obviously have problems with the way people perceive you and the way you preceive yourself. Everyone on this planet is of mixed ethnicity...we don't need to roll out the long list to identify who we are.

[Eric]

Re: Upon first look...

Here in the islands, most folks can easily tell I'm hapa. What throws them, though, is my name. I have a Japanese surname, so people naturally assume I'm Japanese with a little bit of haole thrown in. What they don't know is that I was adopted into a Japanese family; biologically I don't have any Japanese ancestry at all. By blood, I'm actually Korean-English-German. I can't remember anyone who ever correctly guessed I was part-Korean.

When I was in California for college, most every Asian group thought I was one of them. The Chinese thought I was part-Chinese. The Vietnamese thought I was part-Vietnamese. The Filipinos were convinced I was mestizo with Spanish blood. Funny, though -- nobody ever guessed I was part-Korean there, either.

On the other hand, one time several years ago my (Japanese) wife walked into a Korean-owned store carrying our baby son. The shop owner took a look at her, and at him, and immediately said, “Your husband is Korean, isn't he?” My wife was astonished. Was it that obvious? How did he know?

[PoiBoy]

Re: Upon first look...

On the other hand, one time several years ago my (Japanese) wife walked into a Korean-owned store carrying our baby son. The shop owner took a look at her, and at him, and immediately said, “Your husband is Korean, isn't he?” My wife was astonished. Was it that obvious? How did he know?

People that grow up around people who look similar.... can identify small differences. And those small differences stand out in their eyes.

[Lei K]

I want people to know who the Kanaka Maoli are. My issue is that I argue with people that Kanaka Maoli really exist. There shouldn't be an argument about it since it's a fact. There are people here on the CONUS that do not believe me when I say there are a people who are native to the islands of Hawai'i. They believe that the islands were inhabited in the last 200 years or so.

I don't want to be identified as only Kanaka, I am not. That's never been an issue of mine. Nor do I ask for anyone to see that in me physically. People see what they are gonna see, this thread I made is purely for fun. Actually inspired by some Asian mixed friends of mine. I myself don't know right off what someone is sometimes. I think it's fun when I guess and find out later I was correct.

I'm comfortable with who I am though, mahalo. Discovering more about who I am as a person doesn't in any way say that I am uncomfortable with who I am. Not many people know everything there is to know about every ethnicity they have in them. Mine will be a life long growing and learning process. I think that is a wonderful thing, nothing about that makes me confused about who I am as a human being. And my love of culture and want to learn about the world around me doesn't make me any less of a Kanaka either.

Also, if I did look more obviously Polynesian and someone came up to me and asked me if I was Samoan I would not be insulted in the least. That would be fine with me, and I'd tell them what I really was. It's when someone wants to talk to me about culture, then my Hawaiian ancestry comes up they tell me, "Oh so you are Samoan." That's what gets me. If I had Samoan ancestry I would say I did. It's the people who TELL me what I am that gets me upset. They ask me, I tell them, then they redefine who I am and start to tell me that Native Hawaiians (Kanaka Maoli) is not a real native people. Please. THAT is my issue.

I still don't see how that makes me uncomfortable with who I am?

[PoiBoy]

I'm comfortable with who I am though, mahalo. Discovering more about who I am as a person doesn't in any way say that I am uncomfortable with who I am. Not many people know everything there is to know about every ethnicity they have in them. Mine will be a life long growing and learning process. I think that is a wonderful thing, nothing about that makes me confused about who I am as a human being. And my love of culture and want to learn about the world around me doesn't make me any less of a Kanaka either.

It would take me eons to study every ethnicity that I had in me. Even then, I would never fully understand even 1. Too many cultural conflicts...different mind sets..etc

It's one thing to study culture...and it's another thing to live it.
Someone who studies culture can never fully comprehend it. You would have to live it, breath it, and teach it. It's not an on and off switch.

how does that sang go?
"A man of everywhere is a man of nowhere."
"Jack of all trades, master of none"


anyways. Good luck.

If I had Samoan ancestry I would say I did.

But you DO have Samoan ancestry. Every kanaka Maoli does. But they don't need to say that they are "part Samoan/part Hawaiian". They say they are "Kanaka Maoli".

Do you see my point now? No need to identify with the world.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Upon first look...

It would take me eons to study every ethnicity that I had in me.

That is a challenge that the part-Okinawan Alpha Female has spoken to me of; bloodlines in Okinawa have become very mixed and muddied over the generations.

[jdub]

Re: Upon first look...

Most people guess correctly that I'm Irish.

[U'ilani]

Re: Upon first look...

I'm five-eighths Hawaiian, and the rest is Chinese (Canton), Portuguese (Madeira Island), English, and German. My lookalike in Hollywood would be Meg Tilly.

What's weird is my siblings & I look very distinct from each other--I look mainly white, one looks to be Tahitian (beautiful golden skin, exotic eyes), the other Chinese (straight black hair, Chinese-shaped eyes, fair skin).

It's mainly Asians who ask me about my racial mix; they usually think I'm part Filipino.

This homeless vet once came up to me and hazarded a guess that I was Russian, Japanese, Hispanic, Scottish, and something else, I can't remember.

In Hawaii, people usually guess Portuguese, Chinese, Hawaiian--but they usually choose Portuguese first.

[reineke]

Re: Upon first look...

I think the lady made a very good guess Perhaps you're surprised because of what you think Italians should look like. Americans have long been conditioned to think of Italians as a pretty homogeneous looking group, to the extreme of expecting all Italians to look Southern or Sicilian. In that context it would be somewhat surprising that someone would think you have Italian ancestry.
When all things Latin are considered, Portuguese and Romanians are unfortunately usually at the bottom of the list or not mentioned at all. I don't think the lady could have been expected to know about Portuguese immigration to Hawaii. It is a subject far more familiar to Hawaiians. Therefore the reason Hawaiians make the "right" guess.

What do people think you are racially? Since Hawai'i is such a melting pot of ethnicity many of us have 2-7 or more we can call our own. All sorts of people here on da CONUS don't know exactly what I am. I'm sure that's the case for many locals. Most recently, when I went in to do my taxes, the lady asked if I was Italian. Then she went on to say something is different about my eyes and was wondering what I was mixed with. Heck, even back home people don't usually know exactly what I am but the majority of the questioning I get is here in Southern California.

Since many of us are mixed I was pondering who else gets questioned like this?

Please tell what you are racially and what's the common race people think you are.

Do you get questioned more about it when on the CONUS?

Do you find that even though you are mixed, people commonly don't think you are mixed and want to make you one specific race? Like it's too confusing to be more than one thing or something.

And if you are full Asian of some sort (anything from Japanese to Indian, etc.), do you find that when on the CONUS people often think you are something completely different from what you are? I know of many Asian people who get mistaken for Mexican or Native American around these parts.

Or are you a mixed person who looks 100% one thing and no one can tell you are mixed?

It's just a curiosity of mine. K den, pau.

[Lei K]

Re: Upon first look...

Oh I didn't fault the lady at all for thinking that, of course. Heck, I think it's the closest guess to what I actually am when someone asks if I'm Italian/Chinese mixed. Definitely very close. I just get stumped when people think I'm Southeast Asian. Italian, yes I can see that, Cambodian, not quite so sure. lol.

But then again I never confuse a Japanese person for Mexican.

And by the way the image of Italian I have in my head is Monica Bellucci (Italian actress). But that could be because of the fact that my husband adores her so when I think Italian, that's who I think of. She's very classicly Roman featured (and beautiful obviously).

[sinjin]

Re: Upon first look...

Since you welcomed responses from all...I'm pretty much a Euro-based white guy, ancestrally speaking, with a mix of English, Irish, Scots, German, & French, but with a little Blackfeet thrown in for seasoning.

Swap out the Scot for Mexican and the Blackfoot for Cherokee and you've got my heritage. When in Europe I've been pegged as an American many times. When I asked how they could tell I was told, "you looked mixed".

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: Upon first look...

I think the lady made a very good guess Perhaps you're surprised because of what you think Italians should look like. Americans have long been conditioned to think of Italians as a pretty homogeneous looking group, to the extreme of expecting all Italians to look Southern or Sicilian. In that context it would be somewhat surprising that someone would think you have Italian ancestry.

When all things Latin are considered, Portuguese and Romanians are unfortunately usually at the bottom of the list or not mentioned at all. I don't think the lady could have been expected to know about Portuguese immigration to Hawaii. It is a subject far more familiar to Hawaiians. Therefore the reason Hawaiians make the "right" guess.[/QUOTE]

My roommates in college were both born/raised in Italy. One was southern and dark-featured/curly hair, and the other was from the I.Alps region and Nordic-featured. Aside from their nationality and religion, they shared nothing else in common, coming from different socio-economic backgrounds. I learned more about European culture from a tumultous semester keeping those two cats in check than any course could have taught me.

When all things Latin are considered, Portuguese and Romanians are unfortunately usually at the bottom of the list or not mentioned at all. I don't think the lady could have been expected to know about Portuguese immigration to Hawaii. It is a subject far more familiar to Hawaiians. Therefore the reason Hawaiians make the "right" guess.

I don't have my finger on it yet, but something about this paragraph bugs me. What experience do you have that qualifies you to speak on consideration for all things Latin?

[reineke]

Re: Upon first look...

How about a degree in Romance linguistics and literature? You'll have to be more specific about what's bugging you. Nothing sinister there, honest, just a general observation for which I did not believe I needed a qualification or a major accreditation. Brazilians often have to explain how they don't speak Spanish, Portuguese is often neglected in schools etc. and generally speaking to most people these two won't spring first to mind when discussing the subject.