Haole and Racism: Racial or Cultural? (crimes, preschool, stats)
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In 2015 Haole is 100% racist, nothing less, nothing more. The "without breath" might have played well in the 1800's but don't kid yourselves - today Haole is only said as a pure racist term.
Local culture is more reserved or passive than haole/mainland culture. What this often means is that haoles often use approaches to problems or behave in a way that shock local sensibilities. It is not unlike watching a child misbehaving and making a big scene in the middle of a store because they don't know any better. Locals tend to be embarrassed to witness it and deeply uncomfortable about being there. Many say "dumb haole" with the same passion as someone in the store would say, "spoiled brat."
What Does That Mean For Me?
Here is the short of what it all means:
- Haoles constantly violate cultural mores because they were raised in a different culture.
I found your post interesting, but some examples/explanation of what you are talking about with regard to the bold items would be useful if you want haoles like me to understand what you're talking about .
Anecdotally speaking, it is easier for an Asian outsider to fit in because you blend in. I used my out of state id when we first moved and people were like "Oh, you look local." Same in interviews. It was seamless.
My partner's maternal side are from Hilo for several generations (represent!) and while he's hapa, he looks pure Caucasian (with a tan). There isn't an instant 'in' because he doesn't look local. It's a strange (though not surprising) situation since he's the one with roots here.
I'm still new to the island and am still forming my opinions on this but, what I've observed and experienced as a seemingly local person with a haole partner are very revelatory - both about myself and the island's place for me.
As far as the persistent reference to 'mainland culture', I understand what it means - basically the 'other' of island culture. The loud, obnoxious, impatient, non-community oriented type of person. I don't think this behaviour is most closely associated with haole. Because people of all shades and accents can act like this (and do!)
Also, there isn't one mainland culture. Appalachians, Southeners, Quakers, Midwesterns, the Left Coasters. They are all very rich and distinct cultures from the mainland. Many of which exhibit values very similar to local values. Customs may look and sound different but, they family, community, malama aina, concern for future generations, etc. are also there in some form or another. (Except maybe in Texas. We all know, that it's its own country of no compare. )
In 2015 Haole is 100% racist, nothing less, nothing more. The "without breath" might have played well in the 1800's but don't kid yourselves - today Haole is only said as a pure racist term.
I agree. Sadly, I know people who still use the "N word" and yet say they are not racist.
Wow, I didn't expect this big a response to this thread. I'll try and address some of the comments in turn.
Not all haoles will fit this description to a tee and there is no reason they should, people are individuals not statistical averages of behavior. Moreover, they may not even fit this behavior all the time, people behave differently in different contexts or different people or even different numbers of people. However it is the outlier behavior that people remember and at some point most haoles will make a faux pax which will remain foremost in local people's memory.
Haole is virtually always synonymous with Caucasian. Non-local Asians won't be called haole but depending on how they behave they may be called "mainland Asians" or it may be said they "act haole."
I make a distinction between locals, local haoles, and mainland haoles because there tends to be a difference in behavior and their treatment. Local haoles are usually second generation or grew up in Hawaii, there tends to be a difference in behavior because they learned local social cues from a young age. This isn't always so because depending on their home environment they may have had a sheltered upbringing which isolated them from local culture.
Usually local haoles receive similar treatment as mainland haoles while their behavior is studied. Usually after a short time local haoles are accepted like a local because they don't act like a haole. Sometimes local haoles won't be treated as locals because the circumstances don't allow for enough time for someone else to get to know them or the other person just doesn't want to make the effort.
There are also people who will never accept a person who is haole regardless of if they are local or not, Racism IS an issue. However most locals don't behave this way and in most contexts, haole is being used as an identifier rather than a perjorative. There may be undertones imply certain behavior but I see this is similar to if you identify someone as your "hipster friend" as opposed to calling them "hipster scum."
One person brought up how Micronesians are treated by locals, that is an interesting one. I would liken it to how Mexicans are treated in the Mainland. The thing to remember is that even though other pacific islands share a similar appearance and Polynesian culture they are also recent newcomers. I would say that instant acceptance in Hawaii as a local is based on shared racial experiences in Hawaii. If your racial group came over in the late 1800's as immigrant workers you have local acceptance. If you look like someone belonging to those groups you get a free pass. I know a Filipino from Wisconsin who gets a free pass because he looks and acts Filipino which is one of the accepted local ethnicities. This acceptance may be provisional, one Chinese person I knew was from and acted very Texan which bumped him back to "mainland Asian."
Again, Racism is absolutely an issue in Hawaii, despite it being the backbone of our economy we have plenty of things to say about FOB(Fresh Off the Boat) Japanese or Chinese. They may initially get a free pass but they too get different treatment when it is figured out they are FOBs, although it is different in magnitude and kind from what haoles experience.
I think I also need to further expand on the difference between Local and Haole culture. It is NOT necessarily a difference in core values or a judgement of personality. Some Haoles who I personally know to be warm, kind, and generous people occasionally set my teeth on edge because the tone of their actions are the same as when a local person is acting rude and selfish. It isn't a matter of intention, they are simply blowing their social cues in the worst ways.
I would like to give example of the difference between local and haole behavior but that will take some time to write up.
I would like to give example of the difference between local and haole behavior but that will take some time to write up.
You'll save yourself a lot of time if you peruse Judy Rohrer's "Haoles in Hawaiʻi" book or some of the other books that I mentioned previously in this thread. In the meantime, here's a link to a PDF of an article entitled "Local Haole - A Contradiction in Terms?" that's a relatively quick read… http://bodaciousluvbunny.tripod.com/...iles/haole.pdf
You'll save yourself a lot of time if you peruse Judy Rohrer's "Haoles in Hawaiʻi" book or some of the other books that I mentioned previously in this thread. In the meantime, here's a link to a PDF of an article entitled "Local Haole - A Contradiction in Terms?" that's a relatively quick read… http://bodaciousluvbunny.tripod.com/...iles/haole.pdf
Local Haoles, Hapa Haoles, Mainland Haoles, Non-local Asians, Whatever Haoles, etc, etc, etc.
Seems Hawaii has their own unofficial version of the Nuremberg Laws. A diverse place that despises diversity.
Enjoy your slice of Apartheid. Just don't sell it as anything other than the disgusting bigotry it is.
ROFL. Not like that, not even a little.
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Lets get real, honestly how many people have heard &$%+;n haole ever just out of the blue? I haven't, have you? Now ive heard "that haole is rude" or "disrespectful haole" Any reference to the term haole as negative is in reference to a behavior or cultural differences a haole does or perceived to have done, not the color of his skin. What bugs me alot about this issue is how many want to label it racist or racism to secretly or unintentionally sweep generations of imperialism and colonialism aside in Hawai'i like it never happened.
It wasn't just out of the blue that locals or native hawaiians began to distrust foriegners or mainlanders. To ignore that history is to be racist or believe one is privileged. Thou we can't go back and change history, we can educate eachother on the true history of hawaii. But educatation only works for those who believe that
change is needed and those who have colonialistic and imperialistic thinking believe everything is a ok.
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