Is There Really All This Haole Hate In Hawaii? (Kailua: to rent, house)

[Indigoblue92]

We've lived here for 4 years now and are non-military caucasians. We've tried Waikiki, Kahala, Kailua and now Hawaii Kai on O'ahu.

We experience some sort of racisim almost every month, from restaurants to movie theaters and everywhere else you can imagine. Hawaiians definitely treat "their own" better than anyone else. We're definitely looking forward to moving away from here sometime soon.

Sure, the landscape and ocean is beautiful and the weather is to-die-for. Those are the only positive things I can really say about O'ahu. Big Island (Kona) is amazing, but again, wouldn't want to live there.

The schools SUCK bad (my 4th grader goes to one of the best public schools on the island and is still way behind the MI schools I went to, and still suffers without air conditioning because of the low economy and school budgets).

People have no idea how to drive. I've driven in several large cities on the mainland (yes, LA, CA too!) and have never seen the amount of careless and downright idiotic drivers as I have in my 4 yrs here. I actually get flipped off and cussed at when someone cuts ME off! What is that all about?

The cost of everything is exorbitant. I'm not talking expensive, but exhorbitant!

You REALLY get sick of hearing "pidgin". Eh, you da kine, sistah??? SPEAK ENGLISH FOR PETE'S SAKE!!!!

Please don't call me "haole girl" any more. I could care less what color anyone else is, but you don't hear African Americans people being called the "N" word here, the Spanish (what little Spanish reside here) being called "spicks" or the Asians being called ANYTHING! Heaven forbid you offend 90% of the population of Hawaii!

Sorry if anyone feels like I'm "trashing" the state of Hawaii. If people would actually live Aloha instead of just saying Aloha, I would have a different outlook on life in Hawaii. I call the Aloha spirt the big Aloha LIE!

[Jungjohann]

I don't know what Hawaii you're living in, but you get what you give, and I would have to assume that you're putting out some bad vibes. And living in Hawaii Kai, you may as well be in Santa Barbara. I've had more negative crap from haoles than I've ever had from locals, and it's been a few years. Sounds like it's time to pack your bags and retreat.

Aloha kukai po'o

[tmcb]

Originally Posted by Sorcerer68

I've lived in Hawaii twice in my life for a total of 11 years. I just moved back to L.A. As a kid I had white blonde hair and clear blue eyes. In public school they'd surround me like a pack of Coyotes and beat me up at least once a week. When we moved to the mainland, that of course all stopped. Moving back as an adult, I found the rule of thirds applies as it does in most social situations: a third like me, a third don't like me and a third could care less. Being a professional in a rural area, I found the "good 'ol boy network" sometimes worked against me more than race.

The key is to lose the attitude and be genuine. Being phoney or pushy definitely will bring you grief. The main problem I had was my broker in my first real estate office who absolutely detested haoles. I moved on to another office and the problem was solved.

I also lived in Hawaii for 11 years on two occassions. As I kid I was picked on, pushed around and got in my fair share of scraps. The older I got the less it happened. I returned as a University student and in 4 years was only referred to as a haole in a negative sense on one occassion. Considering at 6 205lbs I was by far the smallest of the guys in the group of 6, I think the guy calling us. F****** Haoles lacked intelligence and maturity

I had a lot of local friends and always felt welcome and shared a sense of mutual respect.

[smarino]

Yes, there is racism in Hawaii, and it is worse than anyplace I have ever lived. I know, I know, someone will post right after this and say things are soooo nice, and it must be me, etc. Tell you what - you move here and see how people react when you tell them you aren't visiting and have decided to move to Hawaii. Better you see it w/ your own eyes. I once tried to live on O'ahu, and one month was enough! There seemed to be a confrontation every day, either directed towards me or someone else. You do not have to do anything! Just show up, that is enough. I lived in Hilo on and off for 15 years, so I know what I am talking about. The racism on the Big Island isn't as bad as O'ahu, at least on the Hilo side, but it is ever present and darn annoying. It's at all levels too. Just go into a County or State building and see who works there - it won't be you! The schools actually do have Beat Up A Haole Day. Wouldn't send my worst enemie's kids to a Hawaii public school. There is a dividing cultural line and you will quickly see that your friends will all be mainlanders, and all the locals will band together as well. You may get a superficial friendliness, but you will NEVER be accepted, so just get used to that. The cultures are totally different, and their anger too deeply enmeshed into their culture. It even is accepted in college, as one of the main proponents of Hawaii racial hatred is a tenured professor named Trask. Just Google her name and see what comes up. We used to hang out w/ an artsy crowd over there (all non islanders), and there was so much California type political correctness that they absolutely refused to acknowledge this reality at times, or they would see the haoles as the reason for the racism. Wierd city. We finally moved, and although we certainly miss the weather and a few other things, we just don't have the problems we had in Hawaii. People told me all this too and I still moved there, so best you go and decide for yourself.

[_redbird_]

This post is racism in itself. You should rephrase the sentence as "I" get sick of hearing "pidgin"...because personally, hearing different dialects and being around different cultures is not sickening to me.

So you found that people of another culture do not speak as "perfect" english as you do? Geez. Your unhappiness begins within your own heart.

The sooner you leave the sooner you will find your take your unahappiness with you. You sound like someone who will find something offensive whereever you go. Try to remember even on the mainland, people speak english with different accents.

We have two very close friends who teach in an elementary school. The school's definitely do not suck. Maybe your unhappiness is blinding you to a greater extent than you realize.

Originally Posted by Indigoblue92

You REALLY get sick of hearing "pidgin". Eh, you da kine, sistah??? SPEAK ENGLISH FOR PETE'S SAKE!!!!

I call the Aloha spirt the big Aloha LIE!

[Indigoblue92]

With all due respect, I've lived in SEVERAL cities in states from North to South, East to West. A listing of just a few would be: Detroit, MI (you want to talk about having a hard time growing up white in a Detroit neighborhood!) Nashville, TN, Daytona Beach, FL, Raleigh, NC, Riverside, CA, Fort Drum, NY, Bettendorf, IA, Wheeling, WV, Phoenix, AZ...

I'm very used to seeing and experiencing racism and hearing different dialects/languages. Pidgin just SOUNDS stupid and uneducated. It's like someone is just too lazy to speak properly. I can say the same for "ebonics".

And no, I do not find unhappiness where ever I go, I am a good and happy person to begin with. I loved Nashville, Daytona, Raleigh, etc. I just ended up in Hawaii due to my fiance's job. He feels the same as I do and he's lived all over the WORLD!

As far as the Hawaii public schools - here is some documentation to prove my point about the schools being terrible:

Hawaii Reporter: Hawaii Reporter

Hawaii schools - HI elementary, middle and high school information

As you can see, Hawaii public schools (even those ranked 10) consistently do not meet US standards and are performing well below the national average. I'm not saying they are the worst in the world, but they aren't good, that's for sure.

Not only that, but they are in bad physical shape. My daughter sits in a sweltering classroom because all of Hawaii's public school renovations have been placed on an indefinite "hold" due to the poor economy. It was promised to parents of her school that all classrooms would have air conditioning installed by the beginning of this school year. That was another lie fed to us.

I was told by several people who had lived here in Hawaii before that my daughter would be picked on because of the way she looks. She's blond, blue eyed, very fair skinned. And yes, she has only a few friends because the local girls don't want to hang out with her. She ends up making friends with the military kids, who all end up leaving when their parents get reassigned. She's got a great outgoing personality and did not have trouble making friends anywhere else.

I do not try to dwell on the negatives. There are very nice things about living in Hawaii. The original poster asked a question and I gave MY opinion. That is all it is. Everyone has one and is entitled to such.

A few thoughts if considering a move to Hawaii:

Get used to Asian culture - it has overtaken Hawaiian culture here. 90% of the population of Hawaii is Asian. Eating white rice with every meal, using chopsticks, taking off your shoes, making sure you bring something to every event, etc. Those are all part of ASIAN culture. There are a lot of jobs here that require you to speak/understand Japanese in order to work there. If your last name is Watanabe or Kobayashi, you're golden!

To speak of Hawaiian culture: other than luaus and surfing, I don't find much native Hawaiian culture here.

Get used to very poor, erratic drivers. They are everywhere and make your daily commute a living Hell.

Get used to homeless people all over the beaches. They say the rules at the homeless shelters are "too strict" for them, and they'd rather just camp out and take over the beaches and parks. Pretty hard for even locals to enjoy the beaches and parks here.

Get used to paying more for everything and getting less. Tiny, roach-ridden studio apartments in shady areas go for almost a grand a month. Cars are at least 30% higher than the mainland, as is almost anything else you buy. You get taxed out the nose with the GET tax on everything.

And get used to everyone thinking you are simply a tourist because you're white, even if you were born and raised here.

[Indigoblue92]

All I can say is I agree with smarino. Maybe we're the only two transplants to Hawaii that ever have been discriminated against? (highly doubt that - we are just brave enough to speak out about it)

[Jungjohann]

9 out of 10 people living in Hawaii are Asian? I didn't realize that. And the poor erratic drivers are mainly tourists, don't know where they're going, where they've been, or how to get to where they want to be. As far as the schools are concerned, there is no lack of funding, Hawaii has a surplus of money as of now, and in the past 10 years I have worked on numerous new state of the art schools, Waikele Intermediate, King Kekaulike, Kamehameha on Maui and the Big Island, sure some schools may be substandard, are they all perfect on the mainland? As far as haole hatred is concerned, I will repeat myself, I've gotten more crap from haoles than from locals, and thats a fact.

Aloha

[Jonah K]

Originally Posted by Indigoblue92

I'm very used to seeing and experiencing racism and hearing different dialects/languages. Pidgin just SOUNDS stupid and uneducated. It's like someone is just too lazy to speak properly. I can say the same for "ebonics".

Hawai'i Creole English (aka "Pidgin") is a full-fledged language with its own grammar, pronunciation, intonations, etc. While Pidgin is based in part on the English language, it is not and never has been a substandard or "corrupted" form of English. African American Vernacular English (aka "ebonics"), on the other hand, is a variety of English. An educated person that is "very used to hearing different dialects/languages" would compare the Pidgin of Hawai'i to other Creole languages, like Papua New Guinea's "Tok Pisin" or Jamaica's "Patwa", instead of "Ebonics." Quite a few highly educated Hawai'i locals are fluent speakers of Pidgin -- lawyers, doctors, businesspeople, university professors, etc.

Originally Posted by Indigoblue92

As far as the Hawaii public schools - here is some documentation to prove my point about the schools being terrible:

Hawaii Reporter: Hawaii Reporter

Hawaii schools - HI elementary, middle and high school information

As you can see, Hawaii public schools (even those ranked 10) consistently do not meet US standards and are performing well below the national average. I'm not saying they are the worst in the world, but they aren't good, that's for sure.

Not only that, but they are in bad physical shape. My daughter sits in a sweltering classroom because all of Hawaii's public school renovations have been placed on an indefinite "hold" due to the poor economy. It was promised to parents of her school that all classrooms would have air conditioning installed by the beginning of this school year. That was another lie fed to us.

I agree. Many of the public schools in Hawai'i are not particularly good.

Originally Posted by Indigoblue92

A few thoughts if considering a move to Hawaii:

Get used to Asian culture - it has overtaken Hawaiian culture here. 90% of the population of Hawaii is Asian. Eating white rice with every meal, using chopsticks, taking off your shoes, making sure you bring something to every event, etc. Those are all part of ASIAN culture. There are a lot of jobs here that require you to speak/understand Japanese in order to work there. If your last name is Watanabe or Kobayashi, you're golden!

To speak of Hawaiian culture: other than luaus and surfing, I don't find much native Hawaiian culture here.

Get used to very poor, erratic drivers. They are everywhere and make your daily commute a living Hell.

Get used to homeless people all over the beaches. They say the rules at the homeless shelters are "too strict" for them, and they'd rather just camp out and take over the beaches and parks. Pretty hard for even locals to enjoy the beaches and parks here.

Get used to paying more for everything and getting less. Tiny, roach-ridden studio apartments in shady areas go for almost a grand a month. Cars are at least 30% higher than the mainland, as is almost anything else you buy. You get taxed out the nose with the GET tax on everything.

And get used to everyone thinking you are simply a tourist because you're white, even if you were born and raised here.

The O'ahu communities of Waikiki, Kahala, Kailua and Hawai'i Kai aren't representative of the entire state of Hawai'i. There are other islands and communities where Hawaiian culture is alive and well. If a person can't lose their "mainland mentality" and adapt, life in Hawai'i can prove to be somewhat disappointing. Fortunately, there are plenty of other places to live.

[Indigoblue92]

Thank you for pointing that out for me Jonah.

I'm so glad that there are plenty of other places to live! Guess I'm just not of the "island" mindset.