Self Hating Haoles?

[Mahi Waina]

Re: Self Hating Haoles?

It is disingenuous for anyone to purport that calling a person a haole is not racist. Why is it necessary to refer to someone's race at all? Why not just say, 'Hey, buddy!" or "This guy's a friend/coworker/neighbor." By using a racial description, you are making the point that he/she is different, doesn't belong, inferior.

[sinjin]

Re: Self Hating Haoles?

It is disingenuous for anyone to purport that calling a person a haole is not racist. Why is it necessary to refer to someone's race at all? Why not just say, 'Hey, buddy!" or "This guy's a friend/coworker/neighbor." By using a racial description, you are making the point that he/she is different, doesn't belong, inferior.

Inferior might be a bit strong IMO.

[Menehune Man]

Re: Self Hating Haoles?

To me, being called a haole is annoying. It's like being called a blonde. Yes, I'm blonde (yes, it's natural). Yes, I'm a haole. Many people don't consider calling someone blonde a negative thing. It's teasing or "all in fun" or just a fact, but there's always a little bit of malice behind it and you know it.

"You must be having a blonde moment."
"Oh, it's okay. SG's blonde! Ha ha!"
Or someone gently holds up a chunk of my hair to show me, like I don't know what color my own eff'n hair is.

It's not racial. It's not bullying. It's not something I can do anything about because again, it's just "all in fun." Except when you've heard it 50 million times and it's really not so funny anymore and it's just annoying. I'm more than just a blonde girl. But some people really get stuck on that and can't move past it.

That's what being called a haole is like for me. I know the backstory, I know it's not considered an insult, but that doesn't make it any less annoying. Sometimes it feels like when someone wants to insult you and can't think of anything more creative to say, they just throw haole at you.

Very well written SG! Alot of truth in every sentence.

[tutusue]

Re: Self Hating Haoles?

It is disingenuous for anyone to purport that calling a person a haole is not racist. Why is it necessary to refer to someone's race at all? Why not just say, 'Hey, buddy!" or "This guy's a friend/coworker/neighbor." By using a racial description, you are making the point that he/she is different, doesn't belong, inferior.

In advertising, the advertiser tends to have a target audience. Sometimes it's age related. Sometimes gender. Sometimes ethnicity. And, sometimes all 3. If, say, the target audience is everyone in the state of Hawaii (such as fast food chains might be, but not always!) then the demographics of the entire state are considered during the casting process. Ethnicity is very important. The 'breakdown', as we call it, has nothing to do with being different, not belonging or being inferior.

Many years ago I had an advertiser request that I not audition anyone of a certain ethnicity. That request was based solely on racism. I walked away from the job.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Self Hating Haoles?

It is disingenuous for anyone to purport that calling a person a haole is not racist. --- By using a racial description, you are making the point that he/she is different, doesn't belong, inferior.

"Racism" is certainly, by definition, judging someone as superior or inferior solely on the basis of their racial characteristics. But using "a racial description" in and of itself is not necessarily "racism."

Police and the media use racial descriptions to help describe a suspect to the public. That's not the same as being racist. But what if they used a term that is generally accepted as derogatory as their descriptor, such as "nigger?" I think you'd get agreement that it was racist to do so. Problem is, there isn't the same level of agreement as to whether or not "haole" is a derogatory term.

When I play Hawaiian music with folks here on the Mainland, some of the other musicians are of Hawaiian ancestry, some of them are of ancestries common to the Islands (where they were raised), and some of them are born-and-raised Mainlanders, with a variety of racial backgrounds. Some of the musicians do, on mic, refer to me as "haole" - and they do it with love, respect and humor, and I view it as such. They don't put it in a context of superiority or inferiority, so I don't consider it racist when they do.

Meanwhile, there are other musicians who are uncomfortable with the word, and never use it. So there's no consensus, as there is in the case of other terms. If you don't like the word, by all means, don't use it. But trying to impose how you feel about it upon others will likely fail; however, you can certainly adjust your perception of someone based upon the terms they choose to use.

[SusieMisajon]

Re: Self Hating Haoles?

The British Royals and their subjects are, at this very moment, discussing the same thing.

[Menehune Man]

Re: Self Hating Haoles?

The British Royals and their subjects are, at this very moment, discussing the same thing.

Intriguing... what do you mean?

[SusieMisajon]

Re: Self Hating Haoles?

Intriguing... what do you mean?

It seems that the son of Prince Charles has called someone in his battalion by what might be considered a racial slur, and that Charles calls one of his friends 'Sooty'.

Same kind of discussion, as both side say that it was in friendship and not racist....but...as the PC world goes...or the reality of the world goes...

Maybe Barry will chime in on this one.

[Barry]

Re: Self Hating Haoles?

It seems that the son of Prince Charles has called someone in his battalion by what might be considered a racial slur, and that Charles calls one of his friends 'Sooty'.

Same kind of discussion, as both side say that it was in friendship and not racist....but...as the PC world goes...or the reality of the world goes...

Maybe Barry will chime in on this one.

Am I allowed to correct you here ?

It was Prince Harry - - I know and live here. He is only a kid and we all make mistakes. He appologised and went away with 'dare I say ??? A red face.'

C'mon ,,,,, we all make mistakes at some time. To put your hand up and take the blame takes a bit of courage. Would you agree ?.

[SusieMisajon]

Re: Self Hating Haoles?

Am I allowed to correct you here ?

It was Prince Harry - - I know and live here. He is only a kid and we all make mistakes. He appologised and went away with 'dare I say ??? A red face.'

C'mon ,,,,, we all make mistakes at some time. To put your hand up and take the blame takes a bit of courage. Would you agree ?.

But WAS he blame-able? Or was it like being called 'Haole' in a friendly kind of way? Should it even have been something to discuss?

[Barry]

Re: Self Hating Haoles?

Of course being Royalty, he is in the limelight.

There are now a lot of words here which are tabaoo. Having served in the armed forces, I know that they are used and Prince Harry went away with his tongue in his cheek.

Can I give you an example ?


Tommy Manor is one of my best mates. He is Black.
If I ask him how he is and he says ,,,"Off colour." or "Browned off" then I accept that in the spirit it is given.

This banter does go on and is not meant to be harmful.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Self Hating Haoles?

It was Prince Harry - - I know and live here. He is only a kid and we all make mistakes. He appologised and went away with 'dare I say ??? A red face.'

C'mon ,,,,, we all make mistakes at some time. To put your hand up and take the blame takes a bit of courage. Would you agree ?.

Perhaps - but he's 24 years old, he's a member of the military, he's been in the public eye his entire life, AND this comes on the heels of his wearing a Nazi uniform to a party four years ago.

But the word he used ("Paki") is another of those where it is offensive to some, and acceptable to others.

[cyleet99]

Re: Self Hating Haoles?

If I ask him how he is and he says ,,,"Off colour." or "Browned off" then I accept that in the spirit it is given.

If he were my friend, I would probably smile and say, "hey, you look pretty good to me--what's wrong?"

Makes me think of the phrase "off his feed" (meaning a lack of appetite)

Is that what he means?

[surlygirly]

Re: Self Hating Haoles?

"Off his feed" makes me think of a horse with a nose feed bag that's come loose! And that is a really funny thing to see!