Why does Hawaii speak english, and not Hawaiian?

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Kawena

I like the way France conducts its self as far as their countries language.

You probably wouldn't if you knew the details. France only has one official language, French. There used to be provincial or minority languages spoken all over France, such as Breton, most of which have disappeared in recent years. They were methodically stamped out starting in 1880, when French was made the official language, and the use of other "indigenous" languages in the schools was forbidden and harshly punished. Sound familiar?

The Académie française officially rules on proper use of the language, and invents new words for new inventions, as it fights to little avail to keep English words out of everyday use, such as "le parking," "le chewing gum" and "un rainbow." Retail goods as diverse as English foods and American software are required to have labels and instructions in French.

By contrast Hawai'i has two official languages, English and Hawaiian, and both are used in legal documents, courts, the legislature etc.. The Hawaiian Lexicon Committee at U of H creates new terminology in Hawaiian and maintains an updated dictionary, as well as providing other services to the language. Hawaiian is taught in schools, as a second language, and there are both official and popular programs to increase fluency in and use of Hawaiian.

I am sure If the Hawaiian Kingdom Government had their way, the Hawaiian language would be a more fluent language of choice. I love it when I here a conversation spoken in Hawaiian!!!

Don't forget, it was the former monarchy that first allowed, and then actively promoted English literacy, so that Hawai'i could join the world-at-large. In Mark Twain's "Letters From Hawai'i" he described an 1866 session of the Legislature he attended, in which bills were read in both languages, and debate was translated from each to the other.

with all the turmoil of being over thrown, it was much more easy to manipulate the ways of the west into the history of hawaii one, was by language. Would you go on foreign soil and speak their language.. if your going to impose your will over the people? some say its genocide....

Hardly. After years of decline from disease, the native population began to rise again after annexation. The Hawaiian language was repressed, no doubt about it, but there was certainly no "deliberate and systematic destruction of an ethnic group, race, or religious or national group," as the definition of genocide reads. Your political views on this are well known, but it would be good if you retired the use of that word, since it is polarizing and it clearly does not apply to Hawai'i.

the written language was over-run with English as well... as most documents were written in Hawaiian and not in english the game had to be changed in favor of the english speaking and writing peoples... In doing so many a Hawaiian lost soo much in land ownership as well as their countries independence.

This is confused, apparently by your political agenda, since there was no written Hawaiian language until the Missionaries created it in the 1820s. Most documents were written in Hawaiian? Not from what I've read. The emerging dominance of English in Hawai'i caused people to lose their land and their independence? Hardly.

[Kawena]

Originally Posted by OpenD

The emerging dominance of English in Hawai'i caused people to lose their land and their independence? Hardly.

if you say so...... I know different.
"2) Who voted?

Any U.S. citizen who had resided in the islands for a year was allowed to vote, which included large numbers of American military servicemen and their families, who were essentially the occupation force that had illegally held Hawaii since the admittedly unlawful annexation in 1898.

Native Hawaiians would not have been allowed to vote if they refused to become American citizens. Immigrants from other countries who were not American citizens were not allowed to vote.

The island of Ni'ihau, which was almost totally Native Hawaiian, and was relatively free from the propoganda of statehood, voted overwhelmingly against statehood, as did the island of Lana'i.

In 1993 Congress and the President decided they had something to apologize for. Most of Public Law 103-150 deals with the events of the 1893 overthrow and the 1898 annexation. But one important clause relates directly to 1959 and the present:

"the indigenous Hawaiian people never directly relinquished their claims to their inherent sovereignty as a people or over their national lands to the United States, either through their monarchy or through a plebiscite or referendum." (emphasis added)"


Is Hawaii Really a State of the Union?

"The preamble to the CPPCG states that instances of genocide have taken place throughout .... ...any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national"

Genocide - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"The number of Hawaiian speakers declined sharply after Hawaii was annexed by the United States. For a time, schools and authorities discouraged - even punished - people for speaking Hawaiian, with the result that many families chose not to pass their ancestral language on to their children. English soon replaced Hawaiian as the language of everyday life on most of the islands, with the exception of Ni‘ihau, the smallest inhabited island in the state. Ni‘ihau is closed to most visitors, and the people who live there continue to speak Hawaiian as their first language and the language of everyday communication."

Learning Hawaiian: Overview - Transparent Language




http://www.lanaichc.org/land-conveya...onveyances.pdf

[hawaiian by heart]

And the samething happened to the Native American Indians. Goverment Schools where created to take the Indian out of the native. They punished and beat and shamed indians for speaking there language. They outlawed spiritual practices, made them cut there hair etc all in the name of "whats right". Whos right.

Does this sound familiar? I mean this as no offence but do you think the reason you guys can't confess that it was wrong or there was wrong doing is because its selfserving?

I mean i just had a discussion with someone else about this, even us Americans believe armed robbery or robbery is wrong. A criminal can find any excuse to break into someones home. We as a society says it dosnt matter what your excuses are its wrong and against the law.

So a handfull of Marines ordered by someone who wasn't even authorised to declare war, marches into someone elses property at gunpoint and takes the throne and property. This is not wrong because of what? 1/2 cont to next post

[hawaiian by heart]

Cont from above 2/2

Well you see we had a little vote. Or you know it water under the bridge(but it isnt if the behavior cont just with other ppl). Well you know those ________(insert any nationality) are so much better off with us. You just didn't know the monarchy. The japanese would of took Hawai'i if we didnt(then i would be having the same talk with the japanese) etc etc.

[whtviper1]

It doesn't matter if it was wrong - all the wronged parties are dead. If you want a casino on the Big Island then I'm all for it.

[creativelytaylored]

For once I agree with you Viper. Really it doesnt much matter who was wrong and who was right. Its a beautiful language and its lovely that it is being promoted and spoken fluently and taught so it wont completely die out. However, its not really anyones fault who is alive NOW that it happened how it happened. Also Casinos would mean more jobs ... yes?
* Note- As far as the Native Americans and the public schools.... all I can say is... They shouldve homeschooled!!!!! < muahahahaha> Reason #213 to homeschool your kids? Your minority culture may well be indoctrinated right out of them by the government.

[hawaiian by heart]

Originally Posted by whtviper1

It doesn't matter if it was wrong - all the wronged parties are dead. If you want a casino on the Big Island then I'm all for it.

See i understand what you saying and would normally agree 100% if i just didn't have this gut feeling that this rationale can also be an excuse to not be responsible for our actions of take a look at them at least. , thats all im saying.

[McFrostyJ]

Originally Posted by hawaiian by heart

See i understand what you saying and would normally agree 100% if i just didn't have this gut feeling that this rationale can also be an excuse to not be responsible for our actions of take a look at them at least. , thats all im saying.

I am responsible for my actions. I can even go as far as to say that I am responsible for the actions that are done in my name today by others and I need to and do fight against those wrongs. However, I don't believe that I should be held responsible for the wrong doings of people that where here before I was even born.

Yes, there has been many things done through out time and by people of all ethnic backgrounds that were wrong and disgusting. I have no problem realizing that and admitting it. We should learn from these things but not be held responsible for them.

Should the descendants of Kamehameha I and those who served and killed for him be held responsible for what they did to the people of the Big Island, Maui and Oahu?

[hawaiian by heart]

@McFrostyJ

You are aware that we are doing the exact same thing in iraq right now as we speak? We haven't learned anything except how to get away with it. Lets look at the facts ok. We invaded iraq because of WMDs and to get rid of a bad dictatorship. Ok no WMDs and the dictatorship is gone. Why are we still there? Oh its the war on terror now, and after the war on terror is over what will be the reason to stay? We have to give them Democracy? The list follows: Native Americans, Africans(slavery), Native Hawai'ians, Iraqies, maybe we should also add koreans and vietnamese people(both war on communism). Are some of the rationalizations and reasons for these actions in the past run true for today? Just using different words right? For example instead of communism its terrorism or christianity its democracy, capitalism? I think we live in a great country for personal civil rights but we also do some really bad stuff too.

[Mikala43]

This thread has veered off-topic, and has run it's course.