No where else in the world will you find a white person called by this: H-a-o-l-e.
Hawaiians use this in two different ways:
1) Hawaiians use it to rag on white people. Believe me if a Hawaiian doesn't like you they will call you, "haole." It is a bad word. It's as mean and as strong as saying the N-word to an African American. Face it we would never use it unless we mean it. Commonly heard in the surf line-up around a group of local surfers as they scare a bunch of Haole surfers to shore or away from a surf spot. Do we expect Haoles to be offended by this? If we mean to offend them, yes. You really can't blame Hawaiians for not liking some Haoles. Here are some reasons why;
Fact #1: Haoles (rich missionary families) forced the peaceful Hawaiian king, David Kalakaua to sign a constitution that reduced his governing authority to a mere public figure. Thus, setting the wheels in motion for the eventual overthrow and annexation of Hawaii to the U.S.A.
Fact #2: Haoles can be very obnoxious. Not all but a lot of them...just go visit New York.
Fact #3: Haoles are impatient. Why can't they just relax?
Fact #4: Haoles do the same to everyone else that they do to the Hawaiians.
The other way in which we use the term,
2) It's a term of acceptance, friendship and identity. If you are a white person among Hawaiians, lived among them, ate among them, worked among them and played among them, hopefully they will accept you as one of them. But you need a title. You can't all of a sudden become Hawaiian. You are accepted and befriended, welcomed and admitted to the ohana but you're still white so...they call you, "haole boy," or "haole girl." It doesn't mean they don't like you. It means you are now respected and loved. Does a haole person have a right to deny the privilege of not wanting to be labeled a "haole"? Yes. But here's a sports analogy that might help: You do something good on the field or court the team celebrates by knocking you over and pushing you around, or slapping your butt or colliding with you in the air. Do they mean you harm? No, it's they way they roll.
We got friends that are Haole and we have enemies that are haole. Haoles can be one or the other, but rarely ever both...remember, sometimes you just got one chance. Other than that haoles can stay haole...and Hawaiians can stay Hawaiian.
7 comments:
Dumb Haole: Act like you are smarter or better than a local. Don't want to try anything new. Always right. Not open minded. Always got to do it your way. Take stupid risks near the ocean.
Don't be a Dumb Haole and the Locals will like you.
I married a half haole, my kids are one quarter haole, and some of my best friends are haole. For me it's a good word and I've always hated the negative way this word has been used. I'm a "Japanee" but don't call me the other word ...
Haole is anyone or anything foreign to Hawaii. Most people living in Hawaii today are Haole or part. Funny how the Japanese, Filipinos, Chinese,Portuguese think they are Hawaiian because they were born on Hawaii but really they are just the children and Grand children of Haole plantation workers. If you don't have a Hawaiian last name in your ohana then you are not Kanaka Maoli.
I know I'm not "Hawaiian" and will never call myself "Hawaiian." I am Japanese/Haole (White) but I KNOW I'm local. My children are 1/4 Hawaiian from their Daddy and they can call themselves "Hawaiian." They will always just have a "local" Mommy.
I grew up on Oahu. I'm as local as they damn come. Hint: Don't even TRY to speak Pidgin unless you were speaking it in first grade, OK? I mean just stop that shit.
I was last over there in 03. The one person who was fucking rude to me and I was frankly a bit afraid of, was a big Haole guy on the beach in Punalu'u, one of the places I lived growing up and no, not in a nice house, our place was a dump - we were kinda the bad kids, or assumed to be bad because poor.
And why'd that fatass Haole bastard yell at me? For looking for Niihau shells (kahelani) which wash up on that beach, the beach where I learned to surf, and where I paid for my first non-awful board, by PICKING NIIHAU SHELLS.
Now, Haole is sort of sitting where the n-word was 100 or so years ago. An insult, or a descriptor depending how it's used. It looks like it's moving toward insult, although we referred to ourselves as Haoles all the time.
My Dad looked Haole as hell and he had zero problems. Lex Brodie is one of the Haoliest of Haoles, and he's done fine - Brodie was born there - if you ever visit, be sure to visit his tire museum, thank you, very much.
Dammit I spelled kahelelani wrong.
I mean shoots....
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