Could Hawaii be losing it's Aloha Spirit?

[ Edited by: Blue Hawaii 2008-02-07 06:30 ]

Aloha and welcome to TC.

I would challenge your question only this far:

As the 'native' population decreases, either in number or percentage of the whole, you will loose some of the spirit that makes wherever you are talking about the place you are talking about. For example, here in South Florida we have a huge influx of seasonal residents (snow-birds) and when they are in town it is a pain to live here. The traffic is horrible, the restaurants are all full, etc... But, as a stay-here resident I see a completely different South Florida because I know when and where to go for things and my South Florida is going to be way different that what you see when you are here or what you see in the media.

So, my challenge to your question is the perceived loss of aloha simply presentation and pacikaging? Or are the 'natives' really getting restless and getting ready to give new meaning to that War Chant of theirs?

And, as a follow up question, what are you doing to share the Aloha? I don't mean specifically, I mean in general... do you keep aloha in your heart and home?

I think you could say the decline in the "aloha spirit" (I've never exactly been sure what this is anyway, other than regular hospitality) would be a kin to the rise in crimes and decreasing general good manners evidenced everywhere.

On 2007-06-05 08:53, Blue Hawaii wrote:
I wonder if Hawaii could be losing it's Aloha Spirit? I hope not, and was wondering what some of your thoughts on this might be?

Mahalo for your time

Yes, but for completely different reasons.
I was struck by how few people could pronounce Happy New Year in Hawaiian ("Hau'oli Makahiki Hou"), either on Maui or the Big Island. Equally troubling was the absence, on a large scale, of Hawaiian natives, except maybe working cleaning cars at the airport car return or in a hula show. My concern is that the "Aloha spirit" will be a euphemism for first stealing the land, adopting certain aspects of the culture, and then getting rid of all of the Hawaiian natives for expensive jet-set hotels and golf courses where true Hawaiians are not allowed.

My first experience in Waikiki was seeing a pick-up with bruddas pulled over on the road by the police at the entrance to Waikiki - not even symbolic, but actual, no native Hawaiians allowed.

What a strange question. Obviously, it has been doing that since the 1970s, that's why we are choosing to rebuild the romantic version of it in our own home.

[ Edited by: Blue Hawaii 2008-02-07 06:30 ]

Uh...yeah, right!

Doesn't anyone watch Dog the Bounty Hunter??

Considering that 6 or 7 million people visit the islands each year, violence against visitors is incredibly low. You're just not going to get beat up or shot unless you're doing something stupid (like putting a move on a braddah's girl) or going places you ought not be and get unlucky. Having your stuff stolen out of your rental car - that's another story.

I see Japanese tourist girls (there's always two together) in some of the sketchiest areas of Honolulu, waiting for the bus, and nobody bothers them.

Christiki - if you literally think a pickup truck full of Hawaiians was pulled over and not allowed into Waikiki, I don't know what to say to you. That's just nonsense. Go to Queen's Beach or Kaimana Beach - right by the aquarium. You'll see locals of all types with their families having a wonderful time.

On 2007-06-09 13:12, Blue Hawaii wrote:
It seems that bigbrotiki likes to be condescending!

I don't think so. A perfectly valid response, IMHO.

And not only valid...but I think it goes directly to your question!

If you ask a question that solicits responses...

:)

On 2007-06-09 22:09, Koolau wrote:
Considering that 6 or 7 million people visit the islands each year, violence against visitors is incredibly low.
Christiki - if you literally think a pickup truck full of Hawaiians was pulled over and not allowed into Waikiki, I don't know what to say to you. That's just nonsense. Go to Queen's Beach or Kaimana Beach - right by the aquarium. You'll see locals of all types with their families having a wonderful time.

Although I saw what I said, I hope you are right. However, except for one picking up his Auntie who was selling leis outside of Tikis, I didn't see any other native Hawaiian men in Waikiki, which I found odd, being in Hawaii and all.

On the flip side, the Aloha spirit is present on all the islands in the various touristy ways:

1. The lei greeting which is available on package tours;
2. The Kukui nut necklaces given by the Ka'anapali Beach Hotel in Maui - where there is the giant tiki on the Tiki Terrace and morning hula dancing;
3. The nightly tiki torch lighting along Kalakaua in Waikiki;
4. On the Big Island, the octogenarian looking parking lot attendant eager to share advice, well wishes and a photo of his new wife who appeared to be half his age.

The Aloha Spirit is alive in the O.C.

Sunday, May 13, 2007
Orange Slices: Aloha spirit
Orange County Hawaiians are preserving their rich heritage by sharing a culture that transcends generations.
Photos and story by H. Lorren Au Jr.
The Orange County Register
Native Hawaiian Paddy Kakihara and her husband, Tom, are on a mission.

The Huntington Beach residents join fellow members of the 'Ainahau O Kaleponi Hawaiian Civic Club in Garden Grove in sharing their cultural heritage. They feel that in order for Hawaiian culture to flourish, individual Hawaiians must assume some personal responsibility.

They join club members in keeping alive the islands' cultural practices including 'ôlelo Hawai'i (language), hula (dance), mele (song and music) and the traditional values of their nâ kûpuna (ancestors.)

The club takes cultural programs to churches and elementary schools in Orange and Los Angeles counties. They also visit convalescent and senior homes, hospitals and senior centers, where members entertain – Hawaiian style.

By sharing what they know about their heritage, the Kakiharas can relive the days of their youth in Hawaii while also planting the seeds for future generations' curiosity about their culture, says Paddy Kakihara.

"For a long time, it seemed Hawaiian culture was kept under a rock but since the late '60s there has been a renaissance. Now being Hawaiian is something to be proud of," she says.

Orange Slices is a weekly feature documenting life in Orange County. Send ideas to Lorren Au at [email protected].

one more for the road........

http://www.khnl.com/Global/story.asp?S=6629962&nav=menu55_2

I grew up there from the late 60’s to the late 90’s and people asked the same question in the mid 70’s (At least that’s the first time I remember hear it). “Aloha Spirit” depends on your attitude. A lot of the beaten down types say the phrase is something invented by the Hawaii Visitors Bureau while others find something see island culture as special and unique. A friend of mine recently told me that a lot of the local kids stopped speaking pidgin in favor of rap “street” talk and it kind of bummed me out. In Bigbrother’s defense a lot of the “tiki’ in this forum is based on a stylized deconstruction of Hawaiian culture and it’s fetish. This site might be a better avenue for a question of that nature. http://www.hawaiithreads.com/

Amen! On this site, we suck up Aloha spirit from long tall glasses, or from fiery godheads. To the natives, we are tackier than the tackiest tourists, and to the missionaries, we are more pagan than any savage heathen ever were! We are free of any pre-conceived notions of cultural correctness: We are Tiki Trash, and we are proud! (a nod to Trader Jim). This is the Tiki spirit!

On 2007-06-10 11:45, bigbrotiki wrote:
Amen! On this site, we suck up Aloha spirit from long tall glasses, or from fiery godheads. To the natives, we are tackier than the tackiest tourists, and to the missionaries, we are more pagan than any savage heathen ever were! We are free of any pre-conceived notions of cultural correctness: We are Tiki Trash, and we are proud! (a nod to Trader Jim). This is the Tiki spirit!

Another AMEN!

Hey Rev,

That info is awesome! Thanks for the links! Great to hear!

Tiki trash...now there's a label I can FINALLy identify with!

On 2007-06-09 20:51, RevBambooBen wrote:
Doesn't anyone watch Dog the Bounty Hunter??

:>:> :>:> :>:> :> :>

Love when dog's wife runs !!!! best 12 seconds in TV history !!!

So I was on Oahu last week, and the following occurred:

We took "The Bus" from Waikiki to the Bishop Museum. It's a ride... because it stops everywhere, unless you get the "Express" version (The 'C' Bus") which stops at every other stop... we learned later), anyway... we went to the museum, then I figured out we need another $4 for two people to ride the bus back. We had 2 one dollar bills, and EXACTLY two dollars in various change. I had pennies.

I asked a local guy washing his car, if the Bus would take pennies, and he said no. I asked if he would change two bucks in change for two one dollar bills, and he refused. He walked over to this car and got out two bucks from the console, and GAVE it to me. He wouldn't take my change.

I was very impressed that a complete stranger would help us out like that, and not take anything in return.

I think I know people sort of. This guy either wanted me, a haole, out of his neighborhood, or he was just being a nice guy. I'm all over the nice guy theory. He genuinly wanted to help us out.

The hawaiians are very cool and friendly people.

Aloha! I love you!

gap

On 2007-07-22 19:17, tikigap wrote:
So I was on Oahu last week, and the following occurred:

We took "The Bus" from Waikiki to the Bishop Museum. It's a ride... because it stops everywhere, unless you get the "Express" version (The 'C' Bus") which stops at every other stop... we learned later), anyway... we went to the museum, then I figured out we need another $4 for two people to ride the bus back. We had 2 one dollar bills, and EXACTLY two dollars in various change. I had pennies.

I asked a local guy washing his car, if the Bus would take pennies, and he said no. I asked if he would change two bucks in change for two one dollar bills, and he refused. He walked over to this car and got out two bucks from the console, and GAVE it to me. He wouldn't take my change.

I was very impressed that a complete stranger would help us out like that, and not take anything in return.

I think I know people sort of. This guy either wanted me, a haole, out of his neighborhood, or he was just being a nice guy. I'm all over the nice guy theory. He genuinly wanted to help us out.

The hawaiians are very cool and friendly people.

Aloha! I love you!

gap

Thanks for reporting this . I would do the same for anybody visiting ( or otherwise in ) my hinterland Japanese homeland . Domo ...

I think it started when the American government stole it from the queen and claimed it for it's own .
Otherwise everytime I've gone it's been aloha-tastic .

What a great topic!

I've lived here on the big island for over 8 years and it was a definite culture shock coming from the midwest. One of my friends is a native Hawaiian activist, so I get a lot of good information from her. I recently heard that there are only a few living Hawaiians who learned to carve tikis from their ancestors (uncles and whatnot). The first thing I thought of was contacting these people and setting up workshops. Then comes the rub - how to teach aloha?

It's a problem facing the Hawaiians. So many Hawaiians have left, that they are now one of the smaller ethnic groups in the islands. Even considering the hapa (mixed) population. The aunties teaching weaving give classes, but the only people attending are retired white ladies from the mainland.

So what is Aloha? Can you teach it? Is is something you can gain or lose?

I have no idea. Being a Ha'ole here I see some people with it, some without. There is still a vein of racism here, but nothing like I saw back in Detroit. A lot of it is anti-caucasian though. I'd rather shop locally, but I've had enough bad experiences that I no longer feel guilty about shopping at Wal-Mart or Home Depot.

I've also seen the Hilo side of the big island change a lot in the last 3 or 4 years, it's incredible. There are a ton of transplanted californians here now. Puna was once considered a wild west type of place with a lot of drugs, hippies, and criminals, and it has transformed into the suburbs.

I think, if anything, things are better now. the racial tensions are less. There are a lot more programs in the schools that teach hawaiian culture. There are a lot of people who study the hawaiian language.

I notice that a lot of local folks, a mix of polynesian and asian cultures, so not show friendliness in the same way and may seem flat or stoic. On the other hand, they are usually very polite and never sarcastic.

Just my 2 cents here. The spirit is alive, for those who seek it.

Aloha, Blue Hawaii, you only mentioned an experiance in Waikiki, which in my opinion is most unlike the real Hawaii. If you have not traveled to any of the other islands, you cannot truly feel aloha. I just spent some time looking for land on the Big Island, and found that although sceptical of haole's, if you show respect than you will be respected. I surf, and the culture in the water is a real good sign as how to deal. If you look / act like a tourist / mainlander, thats how your treated. Once again show respect and the locals "sense" your cool. I have found nothing but warm open arms when visiting, but I don't tend to stay at the Honolulu Marriott either.

[ Edited by: Surfer 2007-07-31 06:01 ]

Wherever one goes one should be respectful of local customs , the culture and take a sense of " when in Rome " with one ...Nothing I hate worse ( here in the Japanese hinterland ) is " city folk " who come here with their superior attitude , pushing the locals around and treating them like inferiors . There are a lot of bast---s out there .

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.

I understand that crime is way , way up in Hawaii , especially burgalry , larceny , and car theft . Drugs also a big problem .

On 2007-08-03 18:12, sushiman wrote:
I understand that crime is way , way up in Hawaii , especially burgalry , larceny , and car theft . Drugs also a big problem .

That's the thing. Petty crime is up so that folks can have cash for ice (meth). They should just grow pakalolo for free like they did when I was a kid.

Of course crime is up. You have to remember that Waikiki is a major city. If you took L.A. and stuck it on a piece of dry dirt in the middle of the South Pacific, you'd have Oahu.

It's sad, but a reality. Although it's known as "paradise" it also has poverty, crime, prostitution, alcoholism, and many uneducated people.

The real sad part is that many Hawaiians can‘t afford the cost of living on the island. Therefore, you don’t see them in the tourist areas… unless they’re performing, cleaning, or serving you a drink.

Aloha spirit comes from the happiness and pride of the people. If it’s constant aloha spirit you want, the service industry will wrap it up and deliver it…. for a reasonable price.

On 2007-08-07 18:15, MTKahuna wrote:
The real sad part is that many Hawaiians can‘t afford the cost of living on the island. Therefore, you don’t see them in the tourist areas… unless they’re performing, cleaning, or serving you a drink.

It is true that the cost of living - and by this I am speaking specifically on the cost of housing (both rental and owning) - has priced a lot of folks out of living here in the islands. This isn't the reason the only "locals" you see in Waikiki are serving you drinks, though. Locals don't go to Waikiki because it caters to tourists and is super expensive. Why would we want to pay a fortune to park and eat the same food we can get elsewhere on the island at half the price? It is crowded, noisy, and dirty - I'd rather hang out on the north shore thank you very much! The only locals I know who head to Waikiki on a regular basis do it for the surfing. Now - please don't think I hate Waikiki or anything - I do like the place - it is simply that is is designed entirely for tourists, and I can only take that in small doses :)

Henrik "VanTiki"

Kauai :

http://pacificlegal.org/?mvcTask=pressReleases&id=830

We have exactly the same problem in South Florida. The beach relys on the tourist / hotel industry yet the staff can't afford to live within fifty miles of the beach. The property taxes aren't to bad if you have owned for awhile, but if I were to buy my house right now, I wold be paying 400% more. The cost of paradise is the same no matter where you go.