I was reading older posts question about moving to Hawaii being white (Kihei: transplants, middle school)

[MeginSchool]

I was checking out some older posts, and found one from about a year ago, that mentioned a 6 year old white girl getting beaten up at the park by 3 similar age local girls. This concerns me greatly reguarding our families move to Maui. My daughter is currently 5, and should be about 9 when we move after I have finished my nursing degree. I, like most parents, would never intentionally place her in danger.

Is this type of behavior toward newcomers the exception or the rule? In my research, I have found comments like this on a few occasions, and wanted to ask about personal experiences or observations.

We plan to move to Kihei, my daughter would be attending public school, and should be entering 5th grade when we move (she will turn 10 a few months after we get there). Her Father is Native American, so her skin is slightly darker but she is still fair with light brown hair. She is used to travel as we vacation every year in a different culture, and she knows to respect local traditions etc. I just wanted to check and see what we can expect.

[hotzcatz]

What goes around comes around and to get respect you have to give it. If she is respectful of other cultures she should get along fine.

If she is the sort to get into fights now, then she will get into fights later, but if she's friendly with everyone now then she will most likely be friendly with everyone later.

[MeginSchool]

Thank you, that does ease my mind a bit. She is generally a very friendly, easy going kinda kid. Not aggressive at all on a normal day.

I think the fact that my husband and I are both laid back, and never in a hurry and therefore rarely lose our cool plays a major part in her being so easy going. But she is not so easy going as to take whatever is thrown at her. Only once have I seen her forced to defend herself, and she even did that fairly respectfully (this was with a cousin of hers that is a year and a half older), I was within seconds of stepping in and she took over and handled it fantastically for a 4 year old (she had only been 4 for a month at that point).

[bresdo]

We have been living on the North Shore of Kauai since last August and my 2 girls ages 8 & 6 have had no problems at all getting along with all the local kids. Like Hotcatz says if they are friendly and respectful they will do fine.

[melaniej65]

Generally if someone is beat up it is because of personal conflict NOT because of skin color. The last time I went to Maui from Oahu was in Feb. and I was actually rather hard pressed to find 'Hawaiian' local people- it seemed that Haoles (including Kamaaina) FAR outnumbered the Kanakas especially in Kihei).

[TenMuses]

I've been told by native Hawaiians that there is definately antiwhite sentiment. Many natives feel that whites are an unwelcome, uninvited presence. I've also heard much of this sentiment is directed toward the military presence but I don't know the reasons for that.

I disagree with hotzcatz on this issue. When these kinds of attitudes are in play it's not as simple as receiving respect if you give it. School age children are routinely victimized by their peers regardless of their own attitudes. Before I moved I would speak to someone that has children your age in school and see what they say. Unfortunately, the worst aspects of society seem to be magnified in the middle school/junior high classrooms.

[KoaHawaii]

yes it is true what tenmuses said about there being some antiwhite sentiment but you have to look at Hawaii's history and culture to understand completely. naturally this is not the case for the entire population but there will always be people who don't want mainlanders etc. coming to the islands. this has to do with the fact that many tourists or nonlocals (even transplants in some cases) who have come here and expected locals to accomodate them, wait on them hand and foot because they are on vacation. i seen first hand how some negative actions by tourists can sour your opinion and make you feel like they could all be the same. though that then leads to the other side where that isn't the case and you shouldn't judge an entire group by the actions of a few. you will have better luck if you act respectful etc. however again with life you can always run into people who no matter what you do will still be negative to you, for whatever reason. just remember in Hawaii whites are the minority which is troubling to some who aren't used to being in the minority but as long as you adjust and adapt to new surroundings it shouldn't be a problem. just be prepared and don't think just because some have had issues that that is the case for all who move here. everything is different for different people, its circumstantial. good luck in whatever you decide, i just advise you to go with an open mind and go from there

[melaniej65]

The anti Military sentiment stems from the treatment we received at the hands of the Military in days gone by. The Whites treated he Native Hawaiians as second class citizens in our own homeland. There was quite a famous incident (which sparked the book and later the movie "Blood & Orchids) called the Massie incident (1932) where a White Officer's 'lady' had been caught in an affair (with another White) but claimed that she had been raped by local boys.

The mother of the 'lady' had a Hawaiian named Joseph Kahahawai kidnapped & ultimately murdered. She was convicted of manslaughter but left the Island and never suffered any consequences for the murder of this INNOCENT local man.

Also, during WWII we were terribly mistreated. My Grandmother went into premature labor on Dec7, but was BARRED from the hospitals because she was not White- it did not matter that my Grandfather was White. No, it was not that ONLY Military personnel was to be treated- White Civilians were treated, but locals were sent away.

It has taken a long time for these feelings to even begin to dissipate. Now, if there is any anti-Military sentiments- it is usually on a very personal level- caused by drunken behavior (on BOTH sides- although it does get tiring on payday weekends!).

I am married to a White man, and I Served in the Army as well as my husband having Retired from the Army after just about 23 years of Service.

I can categorically state that I have run into FAR worse racial treatment on the mainland than my husband has run into here. My sons look very Haole (we were stationed here during their middle school years) and no one had ANY problems with them- in fact the local kids were quite shocked that they were Hawaiian. No, they did not attend school on a Military installation.

Are there some people that will not like your kids? Probably- but based SOLEY on their skin color-on Maui? Hardly.

Hawaii is a complex place- made up of so many racial mixtures- that many new to our Islands have a difficult time 'classifying' us. Why not just be open to new people, customs and experiences?

[PacificFlights]

Just had to mention this. met a person from another company who was on Hawaii and had a negative experience with two "locals" and he just couldn't stop talking about their racist attitude towards whites. Well, I knew the two ground support people he was talking about and neither was local. One was Samoan the other Micronesian, but because they were not "white" he assumed because of their skin color they were local Hawaiians. So who was the real racist? (and I know it wasn't because he was white but because they took offense to his loud talking on the cell phone to his girlfriend while they were trying to get a job done)

[KoaHawaii]

Originally Posted by melaniej65

The anti Military sentiment stems from the treatment we received at the hands of the Military in days gone by. The Whites treated he Native Hawaiians as second class citizens in our own homeland. There was quite a famous incident (which sparked the book and later the movie "Blood & Orchids) called the Massie incident (1932) where a White Officer's 'lady' had been caught in an affair (with another White) but claimed that she had been raped by local boys.

The mother of the 'lady' had a Hawaiian named Joseph Kahahawai kidnapped & ultimately murdered. She was convicted of manslaughter but left the Island and never suffered any consequences for the murder of this INNOCENT local man.

Also, during WWII we were terribly mistreated. My Grandmother went into premature labor on Dec7, but was BARRED from the hospitals because she was not White- it did not matter that my Grandfather was White. No, it was not that ONLY Military personnel was to be treated- White Civilians were treated, but locals were sent away.

It has taken a long time for these feelings to even begin to dissipate. Now, if there is any anti-Military sentiments- it is usually on a very personal level- caused by drunken behavior (on BOTH sides- although it does get tiring on payday weekends!).

I am married to a White man, and I Served in the Army as well as my husband having Retired from the Army after just about 23 years of Service.

I can categorically state that I have run into FAR worse racial treatment on the mainland than my husband has run into here. My sons look very Haole (we were stationed here during their middle school years) and no one had ANY problems with them- in fact the local kids were quite shocked that they were Hawaiian. No, they did not attend school on a Military installation.

Are there some people that will not like your kids? Probably- but based SOLEY on their skin color-on Maui? Hardly.

Hawaii is a complex place- made up of so many racial mixtures- that many new to our Islands have a difficult time 'classifying' us. Why not just be open to new people, customs and experiences?

one could also argue that you can draw a little bit to the fact that Japanese Americans (ie US citizens of Japanese descent) were wrongfully and illegally imprisoned and forced into "labor" camps for their "own safety" even though the men guarding had the guns pointing into the camps at the occupants. Most of Hawaii is Japanese descent and some had family who were effected by this. Of course this happened on the Mainland where the military was actually able to do so unlike Hawaii which had a greater percentage of Japanese/Americans and so they couldn't keep the economy going etc. if they imprisoned them all