Ka Leo O Hawaii

Issue date: 1/17/08 Section: Commentary

Media Credit: Courtesy of Hawaii Superferry Many Superferry protestors' concerns are not environmental, but have more to do with the patronizing tone that Hawaii Superferry CEO John Garibaldi has used in dealing with the issue.

Regardless of its literal or historic meaning, today the word "haole" casually refers to people with light skin. For many white people who have lived in Hawai‘i for generations, haole is a neutral word that describes a race, similar to Japanese, Hawaiian or black. Many people self-identify as haole and may even view the label fondly, as a way of accepting their host culture.

Yet many of those who are visiting or new to the islands may take offense to being called haole, for various reasons. One reason could be inexperience with Hawai‘i's general disregard for racial political correctness when compared to culture on the continent. There are pidgin synonyms to describe every major ethnicity found in Hawai‘i, and while longtime residents may use all of these terms, many new residents choose to use none because they don't fall within their cultural boundaries.

Another reason for taking offense may be rooted in a deflection of historic guilt. While virtually every ethnic group who immigrated to Hawai‘i before statehood worked in the plantations, most white settlers came with power and cultural arrogance. Among those settlers were people responsible for diseases, religious indoctrination, land debasement, water shortages, plantation wages and repeated - and ultimately successful - attempts to overthrow the monarchy.

Visitors and new residents often state that they cannot change the past and are not responsible for what happened, thus they should not have to carry the same label of haole. But, in reality, Hawaiians are still suffering today from what happened in the past.

Meanwhile, longtime residents who use the word haole as a derogatory term argue that present actions continue to warrant the stigma. They point to irresponsible development, depleted resources, tourism and the growing military presence in Hawai‘i as continuing plagues proliferated by visitors and residents, new and old, who are predominantly white.

For students new to Hawai‘i, it is important to recognize the heightened responsibility of being a resident rather than a visitor and to be cognizant of the culture, language and idioms that preexisted statehood and annexation. New students will greatly enhance their experience of the O‘ahu community by being mindful of Hawai‘i's past and acting with humility, openness, grace and kindness.

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