Posted in response to a blog post about racism in Hawai'i...I just thought some of these ideas are important for me to think about and mull over, enough so that I might want to post them here:

Hi Nora,

Perusing your blog after having come across it on Matador.  I respect and laud your ability to maintain an open mind and make your actions thoughtful ones.  I enjoy traveling myself and think it's an advantageous way of experiencing the world and life; however, I do think it necessarily allows for less thorough understanding of places and perspectives.  That said, and being from Hawai'i (O'ahu, actually), I can't help leaving behind a few points on racism in Hawai'i.

First of all, the incredibly negative translations of "haole" that you received are rather hotly contested in the 'Olelo Hawai'i speaking community.  The story actually stems from early experiences with western communities.  Hawaiians used to greet each other by touching foreheads and breathing in as one, thus sharing the air, sharing the world.  The idea of "haole" meaning "without breath" comes from the fact that the practice of shaking hands was so dissimilar to the traditional manner of greeting.  I would argue that, if there is any creedence to this translation, it is more close to meaning "does not share breath."  Furthermore, the idea is supposedly supported by "ha" meaning breath and "ole" meaning "without" or "zero," but these words are actually spelled differently in "haole" from the way they are spelled individually in 'Olelo Hawai'i.  There is a glottal stop before "ole" if it means "without."  "Ole," as it is in "haole" means "eyetooth" or else "squirm." There is no individual word "ha" without the elongated "a" that is present in the word for "breath."  All evidence points to "haole" being a word not comprised of separately meaningful parts.  The strict translation is "foreign," and what little literature can be found from pre-missionary language shows that the word was used to speak of anything coming from foreign shores, including domesticated animals and other Polynesians, possibly with a translation nearing "strange" or "different."  Nothing quite so vile as "soulless one."

As to acceptance by modern day locals, it certainly is different depending on which community you are in.  It is also all about how one presents oneself.  There are protocols it takes a lifetime to learn, especially because many of them are not communicated verbally.  I personally do not surf because I did not grow up learning the protocols.  It is a dangerous sport, and a novice in the wrong place can severely injure themselves or others.  Thus, the man who gave you a lift may have experienced problems if he simply went out and tried to learn on his own or with someone who may also not have known the protocols.  I have a friend who grew up on the mainland and lived in an area even more rural than Puna for several years.  He is an avid surfer and, because he's come to the sport willing to learn the right way, hasn't experienced such problems.

I teach in an area similar to Puna, and racism does indeed run pretty deeply.  Many locals/Natives, myself included, find it difficult to speak of our history with outsiders, as we feel it is a struggle we are still caught up in.  It's not that we don't want to share or even not that we don't want help; it's just that we're still so wounded that we find it difficult to talk about.  I am part Native Hawaiian and part Asian, and I can attest that the monotone taciturnity that you experienced is something many locals exhibit as a defense mechanism.  There has been so much to contend with in becoming the kind of community, still greatly in transition, that we are today.  I can't say I excuse it, but I certainly understand why locals can sometimes tend towards being laconic around outsiders.  Obviously, we can be incredibly garrulous as well, but when it comes to the serious stuff...well, I can't say I've never become tight-lipped about it myself.

I'm taking little steps, like posting comments on a blog, trying to shed a little more light on touchy subjects for me.  I hope I didn't sound too defensive at any point.  I just wanted to provide a little more info!  Thanks for writing.  I believe wholeheartedly in the transformative power of the written word!