Honolulu for us? Are we ok being white? (Waianae, Kailua: rent, condo)

[We're All Aliens]

Originally Posted by bellestaroftexas

oh that is silly. so folks should expose themselves to the sun and the risks of skin cancer, just to be accepted?

Well you can always *Fake Bake!*

[NOTAM]

huh? i don't believe it. i was recruited heavily, and could have worked anywhere! is she an RN or LVN/LPN? if she's not an RN like me, well yeah, there are less opportunities.
hiring only locals? no way. heck, there are tons of travel nurse companies staffing tons of RN's out there on 13 week plus assignments.

Originally Posted by diapason05

My friend can't find a job as a nurse out here. I have heard that they hire only locals... Or that it is very hard to get a job if you are not one.
If you move here... just be respectful, friendly and soak up the slow way life moves here in Hawaii... If you don't, you won't be happy.

[isaackko]

Color of skin has less to do with it than attitude does. Local people are very laid back, and tend not to be very socially aggressive. People from the mainland just aren't. Who knows why??? Twither, you have to observe the people here, and just chill.

People from here can spot "mainland attitude" a mile away. Most people dont' like it.

I have a cousin, white as the snow, but he's local and everyone loves him. My sister's boyfriend is ethnically local, but from the mainland. Gets under people's skin.

[NOTAM]

my sister, a long time resident, says that she notices mainlanders TALK LOUD and she notices this especially at the grocery store, they will yell to their friends down the aisle. locals dont do that.

[whynot?]

Originally Posted by bellestaroftexas

my sister, a long time resident, says that she notices mainlanders TALK LOUD and she notices this especially at the grocery store, they will yell to their friends down the aisle. locals dont do that.

Funny, we think it's a regional mainland thing. We're originally from Virginia, and we are astounded by how loudly people (seemingly mainly from the west coast) talk on the beach. We know they are from the west coast because they yell it to the other people on the beach with whom they are having "conversations."

There is also a preponderance of people from all over who (try to) yell from the beach to their children and other family members in the water -- as if it's not impossible to hear over the sound of the crashing surf. Oh, and one has to talk MUCH louder on the cell phone (no matter WHERE) you're from if you wait until you get to the beach to make your calls.

I'm not talking about people playing on the beach, which is kind of predictably, randomly, and amusingly noisy. I'm talking about extended get-to-know-you conversations. I don't know when we stopped walking up to people we were talking to, and just started yelling at them, but I can tell you it's prevalent, at least in West Maui.

[We're All Aliens]

Originally Posted by bellestaroftexas

my sister, a long time resident, says that she notices mainlanders TALK LOUD and she notices this especially at the grocery store, they will yell to their friends down the aisle. locals dont do that.

I have a local guy neighbor who talks (yells) from his balcony to his buddies kitty corner across the street. Then there's the Samoans who drive by and holler *CHI-HOO* to the whole block. Not many people in my neighborhood trying to have private conversations .

[ladyslipper]

I live on Kauai but can leave to go back to the mainland anytime.

I think anyone should have one close friend there if you are a white person. I came to the island alone and made a friendship with a neighbor. If it were not for him, the race issues that do come up would have been magnified.
I would agree that people are going to treat you like you treat them. I have suffered some racial disrespect since i have been there. But when people see that you are a kind person, they feel sorry for what they did and then try to treat you well next time. it is hard , and many do not stay on the island.

I know I can leave the island. The lovely days at the beach make up for many times of unhappiness. I hope anyone will give Kauai a chance .. the island will always love kind people. Melea

[NOTAM]

My sister has lived there now going on 22 years. She wont leave because she knows nothing else at this point. Even though she has been there for all those years, at age 41, divorced, she has only a few "friends". She doesnt smoke pakalolo....perhaps that is why she is sort of ostracized, on top of the fact that she is a haole and will never be a kama'aina. Luckily, she's kinda a hermit and lives alone with her service dog, happily. The sad part is that she has been divorced 14 years and even though she is beautiful (inside and out), the lack of quality SINGLE men, gives her little hope of ever getting re-married.

Originally Posted by ladyslipper

I live on Kauai but can leave to go back to the mainland anytime.

I think anyone should have one close friend there if you are a white person. I came to the island alone and made a friendship with a neighbor. If it were not for him, the race issues that do come up would have been magnified.
I would agree that people are going to treat you like you treat them. I have suffered some racial disrespect since i have been there. But when people see that you are a kind person, they feel sorry for what they did and then try to treat you well next time. it is hard , and many do not stay on the island.

I know I can leave the island. The lovely days at the beach make up for many times of unhappiness. I hope anyone will give Kauai a chance .. the island will always love kind people. Melea

[armyvet40]

Originally Posted by Happy Cells

It was interesting....living in Hawaii...and in Japan....to see what it felt like to be on the receiving end of racism....

Not cool....

I must agree! I have lived in Somolia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Germany, and Korea. I am from Florida

Then we get orders to Hawaii... Thankfully we will only be here 3 years, but will never come back. If we were given an all expensed paid trip here we would pass.

No more being accosted on a beach and made to leave, no more rude encounters at the mall, no more teachers cursing in the classrooms...

Respect? That does go 2 ways, racisim is alive and well here, and never in our life have we been treated this badly

[armyvet40]

Originally Posted by 96792grown

You know what it really comes down to it is a huge ethnicity gap between oahu and maui. Maui is more expensive to live then Oahu. But all you got to do is keep your nose straight not up in the air and you will be fine. No matter what side of the island you are on. you could go waianae and still be straight with the locals. Just be cool.

Our first and last trip to Waianae....

They have the best beaches! We were here 2 days when we took our kids ages 1, 3, 8 and 15 to the beach. The beach was quite empty, and we were there for about 30 minutes before a group of "locals" came and set up shop right in front of us (blocking the beach). Keep in mind the beach was empty.

We had beer bottles tossed our way, heard the word howliee referenced a few times, also heard styatements about "white folks ruining their beach. It was time to go...

Not sure what we did as a family of 6 to be intimidated like that, but lesson learned. Were our noses in the air? not hardly. We said hello and they promptly ignored us....