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I am a white guy and a UHH graduate from Washington D.C. that lived in Hilo, Hawaii for 2 years...
There were a few incidents where I encountered blatant racism. One guy hawked a giant loogey and spat it at my feet as I walked by, but the local girl he was sitting with slapped him on the head for being such a douche. I had never experienced anything like that before, so I was very shocked and I felt scared at first because I had only been in Hawaii for a month.
After living there for 2 years, I found that such isolated incidents were just douchebags being douchebags just like anywhere else in the world. Hawaiian people are not racist at all.
In fact, there are so many different races of people living on the island, Hawaiian people have grown used to seeing people with different backgrounds. As such, they are very friendly, warm, and accepting to others.
I came at people with my friendly, warm, laid-back personality, and I only ever got love in return. Life is a mirror everywhere you go, and Hawaii is no exception.
In short, I found Hawaiian people to be the warmest, friendlies, most gracious and accepting people that I have ever met on Earth.
Currently I live in Japan, and I will move back to Hawaii next year. I can tell you that any racism I encountered in Hawaii is a complete joke compared to my experience in Japan. In Japan I can't even rent 90% of the apartments available because they don't accept foreigners. When I finally found my apartment, I had to pay a special fee of 550 dollars because I didn't have any Japanese family to be my guarantor. It's hard to compare a loogey at my feet to the fearsome barrier of racism that has caused me to much difficulty in Japan. Japanese people are very kind, but their society and their rules are not very accepting to outsiders.
I just have to shake my head at anyone saying that Hawaiians are racist.
People always feel the most comfortable being around people that are from the same place as them. It might be natural to feel a bit on the outs for a while when you first move to Hawaii, but if you give it time, you will see... You will be one of them... After 16 months in Hawaii, I felt Hawaiian. I moved around seamlessly and was one of the most popular boys on my campus.
Some people born on the mainland just can't vibe with Hawaii because they can't adjust to the lifestyle there.
I knew one guy that got himself into a lot of trouble because he was walking around trying to convert people to the Christian faith. There were always people waiting for him outside his apartment to kick his ass and stuff like that. I would recommend not telling people that they will go to hell, and you will not have any problems whatsoever. lol...
In short... Don't think about it. Keep racism out of your mind and it will not be a part of your life in Hawaii.
Currently I live in Japan, and I will move back to Hawaii next year. I can tell you that any racism I encountered in Hawaii is a complete joke compared to my experience in Japan. In Japan I can't even rent 90% of the apartments available because they don't accept foreigners. When I finally found my apartment, I had to pay a special fee of 550 dollars because I didn't have any Japanese family to be my guarantor. It's hard to compare a loogey at my feet to the fearsome barrier of racism that has caused me to much difficulty in Japan. Japanese people are very kind, but their society and their rules are not very accepting to outsiders.
I just have to shake my head at anyone saying that Hawaiians are racist.
People always feel the most comfortable being around people that are from the same place as them. It might be natural to feel a bit on the outs for a while when you first move to Hawaii, but if you give it time, you will see... You will be one of them... After 16 months in Hawaii, I felt Hawaiian. I moved around seamlessly and was one of the most popular boys on my campus.
Some people born on the mainland just can't vibe with Hawaii because they can't adjust to the lifestyle there.
I knew one guy that got himself into a lot of trouble because he was walking around trying to convert people to the Christian faith. There were always people waiting for him outside his apartment to kick his ass and stuff like that. I would recommend not telling people that they will go to hell, and you will not have any problems whatsoever. lol...
In short... Don't think about it. Keep racism out of your mind and it will not be a part of your life in Hawaii.
This is a really good post.
I'm in Japan as well. White guy as well.
Was thinking a few things:
Really a matter of perspective. No denying the Japan policies with foreigners here and there. Yet, overall, I really gel well in Japan, and experience almost nothing at all on a day-to-day basis ever. Just a few areas like that, although I understand the underlying reasons between both apartments and some clubs - and can't argue with the reasoning. (I won't get into those, unless someone asks).
I was just thinking. Being a white person who grew up in rural Michigan. Just being a white guy and going to other white towns, you'll get your occassional jerks who want you out of their bar, or out of their town, or want to start something. Granted this is usually when you are well under 30 years old however. It's interesting how the exact same things that occur everywhere, can happen between two people of different races, and suddenly it's perceived as some great exception that would never happen if everyone were the same color.
Your post gives me great hope for Hawaii. I am white and have lived in Japan and Korea for over 10 years. I don't have even a small fraction of the problems of some of my counterparts have over here. Some guys I know seem to run into racial incidents all day everyday.
I was just thinking...again, if that guy were just back in some place with all white people. He'd probably be complaining that his co-workers and friends and everyone around him are jerks, and on and on. I think it really comes down to who you are, and what you attract because of who you are.
That being said, I'd probably be perceived as an 'apologist' for stating that among my white counterpart who view it all as very racist. But nontheless...
Ah, nothing like blanket statements to describe an entire State full of people! So, I suppose that you are including the Haoles who live here as well, right?
I can tell you that Hawaii is nowhere near the top of the "racist" list of places that I have lived during my years with the Military. I have lived in places where it was actually dangerous to be brown after sunset and it did not matter if you were female. Oh, the White people would try anything to be tan (tanning beds, self-tanners,etc). It was okay to pay for a tan but Heaven forbid if you were (horror of horrors) born with a tan!
Still, in the middle of some of the most racist places I have found sweet, sincere individuals living there. I have never found an entire State to be racist (as you claim). You make absolutely no attempt to be fair or moderate so perhaps it is no surprise that you failed to make friends...
Name one state in the US where you can just walk around calling black people the N word without chaos.
But its perfectly fine to walk around in Hawaii and call white people Haoles in derogatory means.
And PLEASE spare me the "oh its just a hawaiian word for white people"
No its not AND its almost ALWAYS used in derogatory way just as the N word is.
Vanskills, grow up! You sound just like a little racist Politically Correct yuppie dips**t!
My wife was born in Mississippi and still has family there, including her Uncle who is a Bishop in their church and has written several books on religion. She will not visit them with me because she is afraid we will be shot or hung! Much worse than being called "haole"! Oh I'm a 72 year old white guy and she is a 60 year old black lady who I've been lucky enough to be married to for 29 years.
My brother-in-law, who is married to her sister, calls me h o n k e y to his friends. I don't let it bother me, because I consider who it came from.
I get so tired of all this "they called me haole and I don't like it" bulls**t! Study the Hawaiian language a bit, lose the "I'm a white guy from the mainland and I'm much, much better than you islanders" attitude, quit getting drunk in the wrong area and you will be much better off.
We have not been to Hilo yet, but have been to Oahu and Maui and have been treated with nothing but respect. We renewed our vows in Maui in 2006. Our nephew was married in Maui, he is black the girl he married is white, their (and our) children are the beautiful tan color most white people pay good money at tanning salons to get.
Sorry to rant guys, but that's a prerogative of us old fellers, and I do get tired of every other thread being about someone upset because they are called haole.
Name one state in the US where you can just walk around calling black people the N word without chaos.
But its perfectly fine to walk around in Hawaii and call white people Haoles in derogatory means.
And PLEASE spare me the "oh its just a hawaiian word for white people"
No its not AND its almost ALWAYS used in derogatory way just as the N word is.
Name one state in the US where people from a completely different ethnic background pick fresh fruit from their garden and leave it on your doorstep in the early morning for you to have for breakfast.
They say that you only need one rose for people to ignore a bush full of thorns.
I have been in alot of places around the world (military) and Hawaii (especially hilo) is the most racist place i have EVER been.
Dont waste your money on Hawaii, spend your dollars on a place that actually WANTS you there.
Bumped up another thread?
Someone on the 'Don't go to Hilo if you are white' thread compiled your posts.
I thought it was interesting that you hate Mexicans coming into California...which implies to me, that if you were Hawaiian, you would absolutely hate whites coming to Hawaii.
I find it so interesting that this comes up so much about Hawaii. Yeah, there are people in the world who have prejudices. Surprise! In fact, it's sort of a prejudiced thing to ask the question. And it's prejudiced when people from Politically Correct cities come and "instruct" the brown people how they should act, what they should call themselves, and how they should talk. Yep, we get that a LOT in Hawaii. IMHO it makes some people nervous when the shoe is on the other foot.
That being said, some groups on both sides of the pond are worse than others. But for the most part, the people of Hawaii are pretty cool.
And - for the record, this topic has been beaten to death. For the newbies (and I notice most of the people who post this question only have a couple of bars on their rep points and only a few posts under their belts) you can type in the words "racism" and "Hawaii" - or any other state -- in the search bar at the top and read to your heart's content.
Please go read those posts.
Please use this wonderful forum as a way to contribute rather than just bash
There are a lot of great people on the Hawaii forum who can help you understand what it takes to live here. No, it isn't easy. No it isn't like anywhere else on the planet. And yes, there are things about Hawaii that need to be fixed. But there are also a lot of really great people, awesome places to go, exciting adventures to experience, and once-in-a-lifetime moments that you won't find anywhere else.
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