Racism: Not in my experience (Hilo, Waimanalo: vacation home, to buy, public schools)

[JLeez808]

Originally Posted by manoagirl

Eh, bruddah you should write a book for Haoles coming from the mainland those who are considering living on the islands, and break it down for them because they are having problems adjusting. The key is treat people the way you want to be treated, show respect and you will get respect. A persons attitude can make or break you. I wish that people on the mainland were like the local Haoles on the Islands to tell you the truth. I miss some of my Haole friends on the Island, they were No ka oi .(the best) Many have since move and I just lost touch.

I think the book would say:

STAY ON DA MAINLAND!!

Nah I'm just joking!!!...Completely!....Sorry I just had to say it though!

Humility and respect are good starting points. From there I think it's just time spent getting to know everything.

I think if u come with a friend or SO or even kids its harder cuz u have those mainland cohorts to fall back on and hang with and resume mainland ways and mentalities. Thats why Honolulu has all these mainland "factions" that just cruise with each other and make a serious concious effort to seperate themselves from the local culture! I'm not even kidding! I've seen/hung out with them. They don't admit it but they're intimidated by local culture and cling to each other for support, at least the younger generation does I know that. It's kinda the same with Japanese girls that move here and live in Waikiki of course want to hang out with other japanese girls and only speak japanese. Its not that common to find a nihonjin female who wants to start meeting local guys and doing local things and work on her english....even at UH.

I guess it all comes down to some people just don't want to be "Local" they just want to live in Hawaii!

[hotzcatz]

It may not be racism, actually, that folks moving here from somewhere else feel when moving here. A friend and I were going up the coast the other day and we took a new person from our village with us. It was very difficult to chat since we spent so much time filling in background information for the new person. This was even in standard English if it would have been pidgin then we would have had to explain the words as well.

[Jungjohann]

Just a story from back in the day........I'm living with the Akina family, don't have a car yet, 1975, tending bar down at the old Outrigger on Keawekapu Beach..........Normally could catch a ride home with Kahale, but on this day I was hitchhiking my way up to Welekehao Street, where the Akina family lived. Anyways, get a ride from a couple of local guys, they're both drinking beer, the guy in the passengers seat turns around and starts to tell me how they're going to take me to the cane fields and beat the ####it out of me........Asks me, "Where da ####k you tink you goin, Haole boy........Answer, Welekehao Street,,,,Hey, who you know up dere????????,,,,,,,,,The Akina family,,,,,,driver, turns around, "You know Kahale?" me , "Yea",,,,,,driver, "An Porkchop?????", "Yes, play chess with him all the time" , The guy in the passenger seat, reaches into the cooler, hands me a beer, and says, "Hey brah, how was we to know??????? You should have juss said" Akina family wasn't a family to be messed with.........I guess that's my encounter with racism in Hawaii.........well........sort of.......

Aloha

[JLeez808]

Crazy...u think they was really gonna take u out to the cane fields? NUTS!!

[Jungjohann]

Yea, I think they were. Canefields weren't far away, this was prior to all the development in Kihei/Wailea.........Kahale was a martial arts guy, and Porkchop, his brother, was appropriatley named, weighing in at some 400 plus pounds, ohana you didn't mess with, I was hanai, .................so, go figur

Aloha

[Tarnor]

I never visited the States or Hawaii and properply I'll never have the money, so I'm neither a mainlander nor a local.
But in my opinion Jungjohans stories portray Hawaii in a very negative way.

[Jungjohann]

I think you'ld have to read all my posts, both here and elsewhere, before you could reach a conclusion,, kind of silly to only read one post and then come to some kind of a judgement, aber, sie sind Deutche, I've been here a few years...........Zeit werden sagen...... Did I get that right?????

Aloha und wiedersehen

[Tarnor]

Hey, I didn't make a final statement about Hawaii and if I ever have a chance to visit the Islands, I'll go for it. I'm aware that you had many positve moments on the Islands. I just tried to say you were judged by you skin twice, the pickup guys even want to beat you for being white. That sounds negative, at least for me.

My english is far too limited to express, what i want to say. So please don'T judge my words too harshly.

Aloha und Auf Wiedersehen

[manoagirl]

Tarnor I understand what you are trying to convey about jungjohann post and yes perhaps he was initially judged by his skin being white, I am sure if a brown or black person went to Germany they would also be judged initially. People of all races have stereotypes about different races as a group until they get to know the individual as a person and not a group. Also my best friend is from Germany and she lives on the mainland, she tells me that she gets judged by other Caucasian people such as the Irish and English and they are Caucasian . My point is don't make it sound like it is just brown or yellow people that are judging people. Many Caucasian people do it also but they are not accustom to being judge by brown, yellow or black, due to the fact that most of the time Caucasian people are the Majority.

To take this a step further there are many Europeans that don't even consider American white people to be true white people due to the fact that many have different racial admixtures and possibly have mix with native American Indians making them not pure whites to me this is hypocrisy. People are people no matter where you live and it sometimes is just a human quality to make assumption until you get to know the person. The beauty of local people is that once they accept you as a person you become like Ohana or family. I am sure if "Porkchop" went to Germany he would be judged and have some problems.

[cynmkolohe]

Originally Posted by manoagirl

I am sure if "Porkchop" went to Germany he would be judged and have some problems.

Classic!