Am I Hawaiian?

[Walkoff Balk]

Re: Am I Hawaiian?

How about part-Hawaiians?
Would a part Japanese and part Hawaiian be a JaWaiian?
Would a part European and part Hawaiian be a EuWaiian?
Would a part Filipino and part Hawaiian be a FiWaiian?
And so forth...

[Random]

Re: Am I Hawaiian?

How about part-Hawaiians?
Would a part Japanese and part Hawaiian be a JaWaiian?
Would a part European and part Hawaiian be a EuWaiian?
Would a part Filipino and part Hawaiian be a FiWaiian?
And so forth...

We already use "Jawaiian" to denote Hawaiian music with a Jamaican reggae twist.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Am I Hawaiian?

I like George Carlin; he still makes me laugh ... ... ...


So, let me tell you how I handle some of these speech issues. First of all, I say "black." I say "black" because most black people prefer "black." I don't say "people of color." People of color sounds like something you see when you're on mushrooms. Besides, the use of "people of color" is dishonest. It means precisely the same as colored people. If you're not willing to say "colored people," you shouldn't be saying "people of color."

Besides, the whole idea of color is bullshit anyway. What should we call white people? "People of no color?" Isn't pink a color? In fact, white people are not really white at all, they're different shades of pink, olive, and beige. In other words, they're colored. And black people are rarely black. I see mostly different shades of brown and tan. In fact, some light-skinned black people are lighter than the darkest white people. Look how dark the people in India are. They're dark brown, but they're considered white people. What's going on here? May I see the color chart? "People of color" is an awkward, bullshit, liberal-guilt phrase that obscures meaning rather than enhancing it. Shall we call fat people, "people of size?"

By the way, I think the whole reason we're encouraged in this country to think of ourselves as "black and white" (instead of "pink and brown," which is what we are) is that black and white are complete opposites that cannot be reconciled. Black and white can never come together. Pink and brown, on the other hand, might just stand a chance of being blended, might just come together. Can't have that! Doesn't fit the plan.

I also don't say "African-American." I find it completely illogical, and furthermore it's confusing. Which part of Africa are we talking about? What about Egypt? Egypt is in Africa. Egyptians aren't black. They're like the people in India, they're dark brown white people. But they're Africans. So why wouldn't an Egyptian who becomes a U.S. citizen be an African-American?

The same thing goes for the Republic of South Africa. Suppose a white racist from South Africa becomes an American citizen? Well, first of all he'd find plenty of company, but couldn't he also be called an African-American? It seems to me that a racist white South African guy could come here and call himself African-American just to piss off black people. And, by the way, what about a black person born in South Africa who moves here and becomes a citizen? What is he? An African-South-African-American? Or a South-African-African-American?

All right, back to this hemisphere. How about a black woman who is a citizen of Jamaica? According to P.C. doctrine, she's an African-Jamaican, right? But if she becomes a U.S. citizen, she's a Jamaican-American. And yet if one of these language crusaders saw her on the street, he'd think she was an African-American. Unless he knew her personally in which case he would have to decide between African-Jamaican-American and Jamaican-African-American. Ya know? It's just so much liberal bullshit. Labels divide people. We need fewer labels, not more.

[Random]

Re: Am I Hawaiian?

It's just so much liberal bullshit.

I like this statement above all.

[cyleet99]

Re: Am I Hawaiian?

Besides, the whole idea of color is bullshit anyway. What should we call white people? "People of no color?" Isn't pink a color? In fact, white people are not really white at all, they're different shades of pink, olive, and beige. In other words, they're colored.

May I see the color chart? "People of color" is an awkward, bullshit, liberal-guilt phrase that obscures meaning rather than enhancing it.

This is GREAT! George Carlin is completely right.

Do freckles mean I am now a "person of color?"

[Walkoff Balk]

Re: Am I Hawaiian?

We already use "Jawaiian" to denote Hawaiian music with a Jamaican reggae twist.

Yeah, Mon! Which has more of a "cringe" reaction? A local musician trying to sing with a Jamaican accent or a person from the mainland trying to talk pidgin.

[Random]

Re: Am I Hawaiian?

Do freckles mean I am now a "person of color?"

No, but don't be frightened if I pull out a pen and want to "connect the dots" when we meet.

[Menehune Man]

Re: Am I Hawaiian?

How about...

'Hawaiian' meaning someone who truly cares about the welfare of these islands and those who live upon them?

Isn't that the true meaning of 'Aloha'?

I think most of us (HT'ers)...
whether from here, left here, or hoping to come here are Hawaiian.

WOT"CHU TINK?


ps: I grew up here and really care. Have even accomplished small kine good stuff though have no 'Hawaiian' Blood.
Here's another clean up day I organzised for Lili'uokani's Playground II

[matapule]

Re: Am I Hawaiian?

Here's another clean up day I organzised for Lili'uokani's Playground II

Bless you MM and thanks! "Community Organizer" is not a four letter word.

[Johanna]

Re: Am I Hawaiian?

Beats me. Let me know when you do have an answer.

I'm a Filipino born in Hawai'i. I don't have the luxury of living in a neighborhood like Kalihi, so I didn't pick up my native Ilocano (though my late dad once told me I did spoke fluently when I was very young).

I don't even have a Filipino-sounding first name. A doctor recommended my parents to give me an English-sounding first name. Too bad because my dad's first name is way cooler than mine.

I live in Hawai'i all my life. I consider non-Native Hawaiian first, Filipino second, American a distant third.

Sometimes I flip between the terms "non-Native Hawaiian" and "Hawaii resident." I'd like to say I'm "Hawaiian" but it naturally implies one with native blood, not residency like "Californian."

How about "local"? I am from Germany and lived on Maui for three years, and the question I was asked most often there was: What is your nationality? I was amazed that people considered that to be so important. Until that time I thought Americans are Americans (with different ethnic roots of course) because that is what it says on your passport. On mine it says "German", so I have always considered myself 100% German even though some hundred years ago, there was some Swiss in my genealogy (and maybe mongols? I dunno, greatgranma!! Where does my black hair and the slanty eyes come from??) Surprisingly to me when I first got to Maui, everybody seemed to know how many percent they were Japanese, Hispanic, Hawaiian, Filipino..But now, I guess I understand... the US being a country of immigrants, and Hawaii being the most multicultural state of all, people want to know where their ancestors are from. And I loved seeing so much variety! The people I met in Hawaii who were not of Hawaiian ethnicity but born and raised here were called locals (unless they were haoles). Maybe you can help me out on this: can a haole who is born and raised in Hawaii and speaks pidgin ever be local? How would you define local, and what do you need to "fulfill" to be one?

[Random]

Re: Am I Hawaiian?

How about "local"?

"Hawaiian Local" would work.

[hulagirl]

Re: Am I Hawaiian?

Hey all...

I actually think itʻs interesting that so many people were against Hawaiians, our language, our culture and our ways years ago but now it seems like everyone and their grandmother wants to be Hawaiian.

I think itʻs nice that you are proud of where you came from. But in all honesty, if I came from say, Germany, could I call myself a German, just because I lived there and I felt like I could identify? No! Itʻs ridiculous and crazy to think that I could because Iʻm not German.

I personally think the Chinese culture is wonderful. I am mixed and have 25% Chinese, and I am proud of it. Our Chinese people have a very interesting history in China as well as in Hawaii. You should be proud of who your ancestors were and not try and create false ones by using the word "Hawaiian." And I mean this very respectfully.

If you are struggling to come up with a name, why not just say, "Hawaii local." Or that youʻre "from Hawaii." Itʻs not lying, it wonʻt make you feel like youʻre saying something you know is wrong, because itʻs true.

Hawaiian is Hawaiian no matter what way you look at it. Weʻve already had so much taken away from us, why take that word too?

JMHO.

[acousticlady]

Re: Am I Hawaiian?

I like George Carlin; he still makes me laugh ... ... ...


So, let me tell you how I handle some of these speech issues. First of all, I say "black." I say "black" because most black people prefer "black." I don't say "people of color." People of color sounds like something you see when you're on mushrooms. Besides, the use of "people of color" is dishonest. It means precisely the same as colored people. If you're not willing to say "colored people," you shouldn't be saying "people of color."

Besides, the whole idea of color is bullshit anyway. What should we call white people? "People of no color?" Isn't pink a color? In fact, white people are not really white at all, they're different shades of pink, olive, and beige. In other words, they're colored. And black people are rarely black. I see mostly different shades of brown and tan. In fact, some light-skinned black people are lighter than the darkest white people. Look how dark the people in India are. They're dark brown, but they're considered white people. What's going on here? May I see the color chart? "People of color" is an awkward, bullshit, liberal-guilt phrase that obscures meaning rather than enhancing it. Shall we call fat people, "people of size?"

By the way, I think the whole reason we're encouraged in this country to think of ourselves as "black and white" (instead of "pink and brown," which is what we are) is that black and white are complete opposites that cannot be reconciled. Black and white can never come together. Pink and brown, on the other hand, might just stand a chance of being blended, might just come together. Can't have that! Doesn't fit the plan.

I also don't say "African-American." I find it completely illogical, and furthermore it's confusing. Which part of Africa are we talking about? What about Egypt? Egypt is in Africa. Egyptians aren't black. They're like the people in India, they're dark brown white people. But they're Africans. So why wouldn't an Egyptian who becomes a U.S. citizen be an African-American?

The same thing goes for the Republic of South Africa. Suppose a white racist from South Africa becomes an American citizen? Well, first of all he'd find plenty of company, but couldn't he also be called an African-American? It seems to me that a racist white South African guy could come here and call himself African-American just to piss off black people. And, by the way, what about a black person born in South Africa who moves here and becomes a citizen? What is he? An African-South-African-American? Or a South-African-African-American?

All right, back to this hemisphere. How about a black woman who is a citizen of Jamaica? According to P.C. doctrine, she's an African-Jamaican, right? But if she becomes a U.S. citizen, she's a Jamaican-American. And yet if one of these language crusaders saw her on the street, he'd think she was an African-American. Unless he knew her personally in which case he would have to decide between African-Jamaican-American and Jamaican-African-American. Ya know? It's just so much liberal bullshit. Labels divide people. We need fewer labels, not more.

This made me laugh - it is so true. It also got me to thinking........ if the anthropologists are correct and that all humans are descended from a tribe in Africa, then wouldn't all citizens in the US be African-American?

Geez - in a perfect world, we'd be visited by beings from outer space - then suddenly we'd all be humans

[Johanna]

Re: Am I Hawaiian?

I think itʻs nice that you are proud of where you came from. But in all honesty, if I came from say, Germany, could I call myself a German, just because I lived there and I felt like I could identify? No! Itʻs ridiculous and crazy to think that I could because Iʻm not German.

I personally think the Chinese culture is wonderful. I am mixed and have 25% Chinese, and I am proud of it. Our Chinese people have a very interesting history in China as well as in Hawaii. You should be proud of who your ancestors were and not try and create false ones by using the word "Hawaiian." And I mean this very respectfully.

mmh.. I don't know... I think to be proud of something that you have not contributed to (since you were born into it) is somehow a strange thing. I believe we should be proud of our own achievements because we actively participate in what we have achieved. But I am proud of my son cause he is the coolest little buggah out there, so I guess it works to be proud of someone or something. Just for me, nationality is not something I am proud of, and that doesn't even have to do a lot with German history. Ok, a bit. Because we are taught the Nazi German history in school inside out, we do feel ashamed of what happened back then, and most people here do not show that kind of national pride that I experienced in the US. At the soccer world championship in 2006, it seemed to me that for the first time, it was ok to have a German flag in your front yard - and it was a relief somehow.
I appreciate my roots, and I am glad I was born into what I was born, but I am not proud of it. I am proud of my Mom for having brought me into this beautiful world! Big Mahalo to my MOM

Oh, and I believe you could call yourself any nationality if you felt you belong culturally, socially and linguistically. I have a friend here who has 100% Indonesian blood, but he was adopted by a German family when he was three. So he was raised in our culture with all its values, speaks German, and totally feels German. He just does not look typically German. I guess he would call himself a German with Indonesian blood.
Weird, when I think about it though, I would probably never call myself Hawaiian though, even if I had never seen anything in my life besides Hawaii. I would feel like a fraud. Complicated, that issue ...

[cyleet99]

Re: Am I Hawaiian?

Oh, and I believe you could call yourself any nationality if you felt you belong culturally, socially and linguistically. I have a friend here who has 100% Indonesian blood, but he was adopted by a German family when he was three. So he was raised in our culture with all its values, speaks German, and totally feels German. He just does not look typically German. I guess he would call himself a German with Indonesian blood.
Weird, when I think about it though, I would probably never call myself Hawaiian though, even if I had never seen anything in my life besides Hawaii. I would feel like a fraud. Complicated, that issue ...

It seems we human beings are too complicated to describe ourselves with one or two words. Since the majority of Americans (and Polynesians, from the history I have read) are immigrants, no one can claim any cultural heritage with a high degree of accuracy. That is, unless you do a genealogical study several generations back, and then you will always be questioned and challenged by those who think you do not "fit the mold."

So if you are interested in learning a friend's "heritage," you may have to get to know them personally. (Horrors!) Otherwise you are condemned to a life of unanswered questions.

That's all for now....thanks for the mind-opening discussion!