Racism in Hawaii (Kaneohe, Pearl City, Kihei: fit in, schools, universities)

[nullgeo]

Originally Posted by CountryGal05

So if I was to go to Hawaii i would get the cold shoulder?

By your screen name I assume you are a woman ... I am guessing a young white woman ... as such you May run into some racist "vibes" outside tourist areas, but probably not too much ... possibly nothing worth even taking note of.

Young haole males get the most flak when any is being dished out. But, as I have said repeatedly, most of that is because young males of any race tend to be the group that stirs the pot the most for any reason, towards anybody, everywhere in the world. In Hawaii, young haole males are the easiest target to identify as potential interference. Old haole folks don't threaten any way of life or go after the local breeding age gals. And cute haole breeding age girls get by fine ... because that's Nature's Way ... sorry to be blunt about it. Middle-aged haole men and women experience "passive-aggressive" discrimination .... that is: they are simply disapproved of internally, or treated as second class, and thus will be taken advantage of in business transactions, or will receive poor service, etc. Nothing harmful usually ... just annoying.

Enjoy your future trip

[tn2006]

Intersting thread. Never thought that white folks experiencing this. Being as an Asian, getting that alot in this mainland. Just smile and walk away. Racism is everywhere no matter where you go.

[nullgeo]

Originally Posted by tn2006

Intersting thread. Never thought that white folks experiencing this. Being as an Asian, getting that alot in this mainland. Just smile and walk away. Racism is everywhere no matter where you go.

heh ... yeah, well I guess everybody gets their turn ... We white folk live a pretty insular life in mainland, mainstream America ... good exercise to go someplace and Not be treated as the ruling majority, huh?

However stupid racism is, you are right, it's everywhere ... one of the weaknesses of human nature. Enjoy the sunshine when you can ... surf's up!

[tjax1000]

It is interesting- whenever these threads show up on forums, you get quite the mix of responses. Few people try to reconcile the discrepancies, so I'll try.

First, not all places in Hawaii are equal. Hilo, Kauai and Molokai are not the same as Honolulu or Kaanapali.

Second, some whites have transition issues in moving from a majority to a minority and this becomes a source of frustration in itself.

Third, just because some whites have issues being a minority doesn't mean that racism doesn't exist.

Fourth, violence periodically occurs state-wide which appears to be motived by race. To use relative terms, this is probably best characterized infrequent, while things like stink eye and name calling are more frequent.

Fifth, the state actively encourages racism by doing things like giving people of specific ancestry access to the best public school system in the state while denying access to others. One must realize that in Hawaii, all men are not created equal under the law and than ancestry is just a proxy for race.

Sixth, some whites in Hawaii probably resent that the acts of racism that do occur against whites are not given nationwide publicity. For example, many assume that if a black person was beaten in a racist attack on the mainland, it would make the news an a leader of the black community would call for outrage, etc. Whether this is true or not, I'm not sure. The media is an odd beast when it comes to what they choose to sensationalize.

Seventh, localism is probably often misdiagnosed as racism. If a local guy acts crappy to you, he may not hate you because you are white, he might just hate you because he sees you as an outsider. Or he might just be having a bad day. It is hard to know what is (or isn't) in a person's heart- but check his truck for bumper stickers- sometimes they are revealing.

Eighth, some things are more accepted in Hawaii than on the mainland. A mixed race couple may find a warmer reception here than in certain places on the mainland.

My personal take on everything: yes, there is some level of racism in this state, just like in every other corner of the world. We could argue till the end of time on how limited or extensive it is- I don't know of an objective measure. For me, the only thing I need to know in order to sleep at night is the fact that *I* treat everyone equally. This is the only thing I really have control over.

[tinted]

Originally Posted by tjax1000

Fifth, the state actively encourages racism by doing things like giving people of specific ancestry access to the best public school system in the state while denying access to others. One must realize that in Hawaii, all men are not created equal under the law and than ancestry is just a proxy for race.

Please specify. Thanks.

[Paddywagons]

I have never lived in Hawaii, and only visited once. What I think from my personal experience, and from what I've been hearing from others is as follows:

Hawaiians are like almost EVERYBODY, EVERYWHERE else. Some are capable of little or no racism, and probably the great majority would never entertain the thought of hurting another's feelings no matter what the situation is. Conversely, others, like everywhere else in the world, are capable of limited, or even extreme racism. Some will practice a mild limited form of racism, whereas some wouldn't have a second thought about practicing extreme racism - even if they know in their heart it's not justified. These extreme oriented people usually have deeper personality problems and use the crutch of racism to justify their aberrant behavior. They just need somebody to punch at because of their frustration at not being able to either succeed or deal with life's everyday challenges. They are the 'Blamers' that we all usually have met at some point in our lives.

It usually boils down to one thing, ignorance. The world is full of it, that's why we all have to fight this. It's a form of bullying, and that has always been a humanity issue. Many complicated reasons exist for racism to thrive, but all we can do for certain as individuals is to refuse to drop to the level of being a practicing racist. A smile and a good word towards others are contagious almost everywhere you go in this world. Don't stop fighting the good fight to end this malevolent weak human behavior - SMILE ON!

[Pancho & Zapata]

Originally Posted by CountryGal05

I have been reading this and my friend when she was younger went to school there and lived there with her father, and her brother and she told me about "Haole" and what it meant, but why do the Hawaiians not like white people. Me being white i dont understand what we have done to them. But also i dont know much about Hawaiian culture either, i would love to learn about it tho. So if I was to go to Hawaii i would get the cold shoulder?

Don't they teach U.S. history in your part of the country? Basically, the Hawaiians were colonized and their way of life largely destroyed, to acquire a source of Sugar, and to establish bases to protect the Western U.S. against threats from Asia. Later on, mainlanders moved in droves bringing with them Urbanization, Industrialization & Pop culture, bidding up land & food prices and "robbing" the minds & souls of Hawaiian youth. In other words, the Hawaiians feel invaded.

At a more personal level, I've been coached that Hawaiians including Non-Natives who have been in Hawaii for many generations tend to be sensitive to aggressive, Type A, outsiders who repeatedly come in and try to tell them how to do things "better". One thing that would be interesting is to analyze... a mainlanders experience by their state of origin. My guess is that East Coasters (particularly Jersey,NYC, Philadelphia etc.) have a harder time adjusting because they are so intense, self involved & spastic.

That is just reality, and it isn't going to change anytime soon.

[Pancho & Zapata]

Originally Posted by tjax1000

It is interesting- whenever these threads show up on forums, you get quite the mix of responses. Few people try to reconcile the discrepancies, so I'll try.

First, not all places in Hawaii are equal. Hilo, Kauai and Molokai are not the same as Honolulu or Kaanapali.

Second, some whites have transition issues in moving from a majority to a minority and this becomes a source of frustration in itself.

Third, just because some whites have issues being a minority doesn't mean that racism doesn't exist.

Fourth, violence periodically occurs state-wide which appears to be motived by race. To use relative terms, this is probably best characterized infrequent, while things like stink eye and name calling are more frequent.

Fifth, the state actively encourages racism by doing things like giving people of specific ancestry access to the best public school system in the state while denying access to others. One must realize that in Hawaii, all men are not created equal under the law and than ancestry is just a proxy for race.

Sixth, some whites in Hawaii probably resent that the acts of racism that do occur against whites are not given nationwide publicity. For example, many assume that if a black person was beaten in a racist attack on the mainland, it would make the news an a leader of the black community would call for outrage, etc. Whether this is true or not, I'm not sure. The media is an odd beast when it comes to what they choose to sensationalize.

Seventh, localism is probably often misdiagnosed as racism. If a local guy acts crappy to you, he may not hate you because you are white, he might just hate you because he sees you as an outsider. Or he might just be having a bad day. It is hard to know what is (or isn't) in a person's heart- but check his truck for bumper stickers- sometimes they are revealing.

Eighth, some things are more accepted in Hawaii than on the mainland. A mixed race couple may find a warmer reception here than in certain places on the mainland.

My personal take on everything: yes, there is some level of racism in this state, just like in every other corner of the world. We could argue till the end of time on how limited or extensive it is- I don't know of an objective measure. For me, the only thing I need to know in order to sleep at night is the fact that *I* treat everyone equally. This is the only thing I really have control over.

Quick question... if they aren't equal which areas have the most & least race conflicts?

[junkman18]

Originally Posted by BLAZER PROPHET

As a frequent tourist I try and be very respectful of the fact I am a visitor on a Hawaiian Island, but I've had a few rough comments when I ventured into places that were not tourist areas. In particular I grabbed a lunch and went to a public park not on the map (found it by accident) and was told to leave as it wasn't a park meant for tourists. That also happended somewhere else on Kauai. I left, of course, but it was odd to me as I was trying not to act like a tourist.

Maybe they should remember that tourists are the reason most of them have jobs. and tourists bring in millions of dollars into the state each year. If it was not for us tourists the place would dry up and blow away.

[historychick]

I have heard about racism from people who lived there but I figured...there are stupid people everywhere. No matter where you live, Texas, Georgia and Florida they natives DO not like people carpetbagging their communities. In the Southeast they do not like Yankee's. Wanted things they way they were. So it sounds like Hawaii is not any different.