Mixing pot

[Southernmost]

Interesting article with some great comments.

http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/01/on-bein...in-hawaii/

[Rattlestaff]

I have personally never ever heard that word said in any other way except as a derogatory statement flung at someone such as
F___n Haole or stupid haole.
Until people stop using it as a hate filled slur and local parents stop teaching it their children as a hate filled slur, it will be known as nothing else but a hate filled slur.
Continually trying to convince people its not when that's the usual way it is used, is fruitless.

[Andrew]

Words and language evolve. Once upon a time gay meant happy and bad meant ... well bad, today the expression "wow that car is so bad" means good. As RS says now-a-days the word haole is a nasty slur.

[bystander]

Remember haoleproud who used to post here a few weeks ago? I think he got banned. Anyway it would have been very interesting to see Southernmost and haoleproud posting on the same thread. These two are both alike and different in many ways.

[Southernmost]

I hear what you guys are saying but I can tell you this is 100% true as I grew up in Ka'u. The people that gave haoles so much aloha were the near pure Hawaiian families. Treat them like their family, actually, make them part of their ohana. And stopped and prevented the meanness you are speaking of. When one pure blooded 6'5 320 pound Kanaka from Ka'u tells people to stop mistreating his BRADDAH, you better believe all listen and respect. If you find true Hawaiians they will treat you like a brother/sister. Not much left, but get. There are others also that I've seen that have aloha spirit, but also seen the hate.

I am sorry if I didn't give you my aloha all on here. That is my kuleana, and I must do it for it is right. If we all do this, that would also seem what is right.

[punafish]

Thanks for sharing the link Southernmost, I enjoyed it.

A few years ago I read "Haoles in Hawai'i" (http://www.amazon.com/Haoles-Hawaii-Race...0824834054). One insight I took from it was that the word had different meanings depending on who you ask. (For example, a native Hawaiian tends to mean it differently than a Japanese with roots in plantation life; I've also heard different definitions from different Hawaiians.) Probably would be a good idea for me to re-read the book. But I'm also interested in hearing perspectives from folks of various ethnic backgrounds; book recommendations are welcome.

Rattlestaff, I'm really sorry you've had such bad experiences here. I guess I've just been lucky, no other explanation. Personally I'm not offended being called haole, even on the rare occasion it's used in a derogatory way. (Derogatory comments are a reflection of the other person, so no need to take offense.) Been called haole plenty here, almost always in good fun. Unfortunately on a forum like this you can't see the non-verbal clues that tell you it's indeed in good fun, nor do you have the relationship that allows such a comfort level.

My thick haole skin comes from growing up in a Chicago neighborhood where various ethnic groups addressed each other with politically incorrect words like "Krout", "Dago", "Mick", "Polack", etc . No one took it personally because we were friends. I also spent 10 years in Japan being called a "gaijin" (the Japanese word for foreigner, literally "outside person"). After making lots of really good Japanese friends it was easy to not take offense. Guess that's where I'm at here too.

[Southernmost]

Haoleproud??! We are alike? Dam, I might need to remove myself from PW if that's true. Lol. Just for the record, I don't hate anyone, just really frustrated our island is changing so fast and seems for the worse.

We got insane traffic jams in Puna when just 25 years ago I used to play pop warner football vs pahoa and the road was empty and narrow. So many beaches have been gated and closed for camping because there's too much people now. 25-30 years ago you could 4 wheel just about anywhere. Biggest problem, will my two keiki be able to afford it here? And when new people just keep coming without ever thinking or researching about what is happening from overpopulation that is frustrating.

But what can I do, get mad and bitch to punawebbers? I realize that does nothing and is meaningless. So just gotta live Hawaiian style. All you seen on here from me is about 10 years of frustration boiling over to screen names. If you met me in real life you would trip because I'm a very quiet person who really never bothers anyone. So can't let the fact that all of you can't see me or know who I am influence what I say here.

[dakine]

Nice article, thanks Southernmost for posting it. My take:

If you're haole, and can not stand up in one crowd and say "look at me I act like one stupid haole", and have fun making ass of yourself and rolling around laughing with everyone else when they laugh at you, you're missing out on having a whole lot of fun.

Geez.. life's way too short to get your panties in a knot over a word!

[Southernmost]

Welcome braddahs, here's a saying on the bottom of my son's 16*20 framed pop warner football picture that I make him read over and over. Also a reminder for myself.

ATTITUDE
THE LIFE CHOICE THAT MAKES A CHAMPION

[Wao nahele kane]

" just really frustrated our island is changing so fast and seems for the worse."
Welcome to the "progress" of this century. This why many of us have moved here. I know development will be greatly curbed by Kilauea.
My former home town is asshole to belly button houses, auto and marine traffic congested. Nothing like the lazy place I grew up in. And yes we were invaded by Foreigners and it started with them crazy Californians trying to escape California paying $3 on the dollar for a house. I think they were invaded by Mexicans... So there you have it - it's the Mexicans who started it all.