Post #322945 by YankeeAirPirate on Fri, Aug 3, 2007 6:13 AM

I had a hard time growing up haole in Hilo. Mostly, people would be nasty and rude to me until they figured out that I love the town, island, people, and culture as much as they do. Once they figured out that I was local, it was cool. And it is true, there are people who are haole by skin color and then there are people who are haole by attitude. And no matter what people try to say, haoles will get treated different. I have three adopted sisters. All dark skin. One Korean, one Filipina, one Thai. They all get treated more local than me, even though none of them speak pidgin like me. But, no worries. I still love the Big Island and Hawaii, even though they no love me back as much.

I try to go back as much as possible. I was there over Christmas, visiting my parents. It was the first time all the kids were back in town for the holidays in ten years. Not too much has changed. More drugs and crime, but at the same time, more young kids interested in preserving the unique culture of Hawaii and other pacific islands. The academic population is growing as well, with students coming from the mainland and from other countries.

In Hawaii, no one honks their horn unless they see someone they know. You don't have to be afraid to help someone on the side of the road. You are raised by your entire neighborhood. You can use a Hawaiian, a Chinese, a Japanese, and a Filipino word in the same sentence and make sense. Good stuffs. The Aloha Spirit isn't dying. It's changing and trying to grow.

Let me put it this way: My best friend is Egyptian, Muslim, married to a Japanese national, and teaches at the Kamehameha school on the Big Island. He sticks out like a sore thumb, but he is totally accepted by Hilo because he loves Hilo back.