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your sarcasm is noted, but who ever said anything about accent? We are talking about a whole new fear-inciting culture who uses "haole" as a label; a culture that incites fear in it's own country's citizens. That is NOT ok.
I think the term "caucasion" is derogatory. It was coined by a German professor Johann Friedrich Blumenbach who believed that people with the ideal skull shapes were the superior race and named them the caucasion race after the Caucasus Mountains, which is where he found a beautiful skull of this master race.
Well, the official language of the nation may be English, but that doesn't mean people don't use words of many origins in their everyday speech. An official national language is usually a regulation for official documents, such as taxes and laws. On the census, Caucasian is used, not haole. Same with any other official document.
Another poster said that Hawaiian is one of the official languages of this state. A quick Google search bears that out. If so, then the Hawaiian state voters have chosen this, and should be respected for their choices. But again that is mostly in common usage. I've never even seen official instructions in both languages, as I saw English & Spanish in California. I never get phone menus to press 1 for English or 2 for Hawaiian!
No one makes anyone else use a word. You are free to say Caucasian, and everyone would know what you mean. If someone says haole, or any other word, like makai (a directional word), and you don't know what it means, you could ask and learn something new. I don't think it's reasonable, nor really an advantage, to ask everyone to use a limited set of words common to every state. It isn't what is, and it never will be. Our nation is built on immigration and assimilation, but by blending and expansion, not by muting and limiting.
But I think your real objection isn't about the language, nor who uses which words. I think your real issue is with whether the word is offensive or not, am I right? Because if it's not offensive, then there's no point in objecting to the use of it. But if it is offensive, then you have a reason for asking for it not to be used, or at least questioning it's use in the common way it is used here.
First, I'm truly sorry if someone has made you personally feel unwelcome or spoken to you in anger or upset. Whatever words they used, it is unfortunate and not widely acceptable for this to happen. Whatever your own experience, or those that you might read about, it is NOT widely acceptable, in Hawaii, to treat people with disrespect. Not for their race, nor for any any other reason. Personally I find more respect here, for age, gender, race... more than I saw in growing up in California, which is probably the top state in regulating PC behavior.
I freely admit that there are jerks and clowns everywhere, who will speak in foolishness or anger or prejudice. But again, the problem isn't the word, it's the behavior. Just ruling out a word - and I'm not sure how you'd do that - won't ever stop that person from being a jerk. What has to happen is an objection to their behavior, and encouragement to behave otherwise.
Maybe you can tell us about your own bad experience that prompts this thread. Maybe we can offer some perspective on that incident, and just knowing about it will make us all wiser in how we can stop such negative behavior.
I don't want to euphemize the "haole." I want to utilize existing english words for race. CIA factbook does acknowledge Hawaiian as a state-recognized language. But, go to the HI craigslist "rants and raves." There you will see the hate that exists, and the derogatory use of "haole." This is just one unregulated and anonymous place where hate flows, but it shows you that the hate exists. And haole is the choice word for haters.
it's not a fear-inciting culture? Then why so many warnings prior to moving to HI? Why have I had racial encounters? explain that.
I am not an outwardly entitled or rude person. I don't look for trouble. All I ask is that HI eliminate the label that it has for Caucasians.
there are people everywhere that treat others badly. it happens all over the world. people are "warned" about a lot of things before they move here, jobs, housing and food costs.
local folks not being happy to have even more people move here has more to do with lack of jobs and local costs skyrocketing more than it does about racial hatred.
is there a percentage of local folks who do not like new people arriving on our islands and expecting the islands to change to suit them? yes. this is evident everyday and in your post as well... "all you ask is for Hi to eliminate the label" the term predates Capt. Cook in the 1778. get real, most people do not have any problem with the word.
are there local folks who do not like outsiders no matter how nice they may be? yes. so are there in every part of the world. a sour puss is a sour puss no matter where they live.
are there mainlanders who have no idea they walk around with a sour look and attitude on their faces? yes. I have a pal that "gets stink eye all the time" when he visits here. he has no idea that he looks like a grump.
smiling at people, extending yourself with courtesy towards other goes a long way.
is there a percentage of local folks who do not like new people arriving on our islands ...
"OUR ISLANDS"... perfect example of what I am talking about. You feel like it yours. You feel like I am taking something from you by living here. Well there is violence as a result of that feeling, and that is EXACTLY what I am getting at. If something was taken, it happened a long time ago. Don't take it out on me.
"OUR ISLANDS"... perfect example of what I am talking about. You feel like it yours. You feel like I am taking something from you by living here. Well there is violence as a result of that feeling, and that is EXACTLY what I am getting at.
you read a lot into things that are not there. no wonder you see hate in things
Let's not complicate things. Let us force everyone to speak in standardized accent-less dialect-less American-English. We must omit all words that are not of English or American origin. Let's eliminate all words that have malicious conotations and/or derrive from "acient cultures". Forming new words should be illegal and the usage of any word from "ancient cultures" should be a felony. Likewise, usage of a word from a modern culture but not found in the Merian-Webster dictionary should be a misdemeanor. So the word "caucasion" is out because of it's racist origins. "Haole" doesn't have hateful or racist origins, but the word did have negative associations starting from the 18th century is a word from an "ancient culture" and isn't in the Meriam-Webster dictionary; so, we must get rid of the word from usage in America. "White" is a misnomer and often is used in a hateful context with derogatory terms preceeding it, so "white" must be thrown out. Futhermore, I think it's highly inaccurate and flippant to describe a group of people by their skin color. I'd say, let's just eliminate all racial distinctions because they don't exists whatsoever and any word describing racial differences have hate connotations and/or derrive from "ancient cultures".
Let's not complicate things. Let us force everyone to speak in standardized accent-less dialect-less American-English. We must omit all words that are not of English or American origin. Let's eliminate all words that have malicious conotations and/or derrive from "acient cultures". Forming new words should be illegal and the usage of any word from "ancient cultures" should be a felony. Likewise, usage of a word from a modern culture but not found in the Merian-Webster dictionary should be a misdemeanor. So the word "caucasion" is out because of it's racist origins. "Haole" doesn't have hateful or racist origins, but the word did have negative associations starting from the 18th century is a word from an "ancient culture" and isn't in the Meriam-Webster dictionary; so, we must get rid of the word from usage in America. "White" is a misnomer and often is used in a hateful context with derogatory terms preceeding it, so "white" must be thrown out. Futhermore, I think it's highly inaccurate and flippant to describe a group of people by their skin color. I'd say, let's just eliminate all racial distinctions because they don't exists whatsoever and any word describing racial differences have hate connotations and/or derrive from "ancient cultures".
I don't know if my viewpoint is coming across quite as I mean it. Of course hate exists, here and everywhere. I am just not quite understanding how you think that limiting a national vocabulary is going to resolve that. And while haole might be a long, long way from this, English is full of words that originated elsewhere. I'm not saying that haole will make it to common use nationwide, but how would one decide which words were now common enough, and how do you ever add words if no one is allowed to use new ones?
Let alone how do you enforce this? Haole isn't used officially, are you asking everyone to just stop saying it? And only because it isn't common English? Is aloha OK because you find more positive usage? Or should we just say Hello (which Wikipedia ways came from French).
I think you're getting a little defensive because of the massive disagreement here...I often use a possessive - "in our neighborhood", "on my island", "our state has", but it doesn't exclude any of those from equally belonging to, being visited by, being enjoyed by anyone else. I'm actually kind of proud of and happy to say "our" or "my". I feel like I belong here, because I care about and am involved in the positive aspects of this place.
I think sometimes it is hard to perceive when you are hearing possessive as responsibility versus exclusivity.
Again, I don't see how eliminating a label is going to do anything about any of the issues you or others have raised. With the greatest of respect intended, you yourself have taken a fairly "me versus you guys" attitude even here, although I do understand (I think) your point.
Craiglist rants and raves is in no way indicative of any place or peoples. If you read the same forum for any location, you'll see the worst of the worst, and I refuse to believe that any place is peopled by mostly those poor representatives. Nor will I accept any one or few negatives as the general either. I've been poorly treated by some for a number of "reasons" - gender, but I don't hold all men accountable; age, but I don't consider all others younger or older to think the same way; ethnicity - same argument.
So let's say you imagine the same situation you were in where the word haole was used AT you. If the person used another word, did that help? You really think they would have said something nice to you instead because they didn't have the use of the word haole?
Talk to me when Caucasion is on your I-9 form. We should never ever use any other racial classfication or racial descriptors not used by the federal government.
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you read a lot into things that are not there. no wonder you see hate in things
