Why Life in HAWAII Today Feels So Different
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- Опубликовано: 5 июл 2024
- So if you’re from Hawaii or have lived here for a while, you know that things are changing. Some things have stayed the same, but I think there’s an underlying shift in Hawaii’s culture. It’s been shifting for a while, my mom said since statehood, but I think I started noticing it more now that things are getting expensive and my friends and family members are moving away.
Some say things aren’t like they used to be and how Hawaii’s best days are behind us. Maybe. But we sometimes push that discussion aside because it’s too uncomfortable to talk about. So, of course, I want to talk about it.
For me, I think it comes down to this: People make Hawaii's culture and when the people change, the culture changes.
If you think things are changing in Hawaii and know why, please let me know in the comments below.
DBEDT Report - files.hawaii.gov/dbedt/econom...
Intro - 0:00
What It Comes Down To - 0:53
What the Numbers Say - 1:22
On People Who Move to Hawaii - 1:42
Changing Demographics Using Props - 3:28
The Result of People Moving Here - 5:21
The Struggle for Locals - 5:58
Culture Needs Maintenance - 6:47
What We Can Do About It - 7:37
Maybe It's All in My Head - 7:49
Why The Numbers Are Confusing - 8:40
The Baby Boomers - 9:19
#lifeinhawaii
#hawaiilife
#livinginhawaii
Filmed on the Canon Vixia G60.
📷 IG - / hello_from_hawaii
Really looking forward to hearing what others think about this one. Like I mentioned in the video, I'm still formulating my thoughts on this issue, but I think it's important to talk about it, especially with the impacts of the past year and a half. Aloha! 🤙
This must have been hard for you to make. The topic is so hard for people (who are not locals and natives of Hawai'i) to grasp. How to go over what changes have gone on in your state without sounding like you regret tourism, and such?
I like this video.
I have always liked your candour.
Locals don't have the education because no brains. Locals are lazy. Locals like to play bully to non locals. Maui is the worst. What's the difference between mainlanders and people in Hawaii? You act like all mainlanders are rich. Locals are very ignorant...just look at all the mask wearing idiots.
Locals that move to the mainland don't do well either...the gangs and drugs is what they like
@@skooltyme3379 I got constantly told "Oh, it's so much cheaper on the mainland, it's so easy to own a house" - it's not, it's all BS. I moved in the late 80s and wow, everything was about 2X-3X as much. Everything from plate lunch to rent to even gasoline because the distances are so much further. So to go from $5 an hour to $9.50 was actually a step down. And I also call it "The beginning of living in fear" - everyone was so worried about crime. I never worried about crime when I was a young adult in Hawaii. I didn't really have much worth stealing, who was gonna steal books, or a calculator? Sure I used to get my mirrors taken off of my scooter at Ala Moana once in a while, but that was it. But on the mainland, there's all this worry about breakins, and having a gun, and all kinds of crazy stuff like that. It's just a lot rougher on the mainland.
I noticed it in 2013. .changes
You handle sensitive topics with maturity and grace. Mahalo. Culture is changing everywhere, more noticeable in some places than others. It is difficult to live through change and see the area where you have roots change so quickly. Its up to each of us to adapt to it the best we can.
Mahalo. We can't stop the change. Just hope that the outcome is better than what we've had.
Its not just Hawaii - every place is changing. One thing we can constantly count on is change, no matter where you live. Things are not the same as when I grew up either, they are not even the same as they were 5 years ago. People are constantly moving for jobs, family, whatever. I also think as a whole, we are becoming more tribal and more and more people are wanting to be with their "tribe" - alienating people who don't think the same way. If we all can't live together, work together, and laugh together, we are doomed. But - I do understand what you're saying. And thats the first sign of getting older - when you say " remember when...."
🤙 Lol I must be getting older
Amen Brother. You honestly couldn't have written that anymore beautifully. Things change, whether it's people, places or things. It's a way of life & we just gotta accept it & cooperate w/ it w/o the times completely changing our true selves. I'm from Hawaii (Kailua & Mililani side) & I'm one a local that accepts change. Kailua isn't the same now as it once was back in the day & that's fine w/ me. There's no growth & evolution if there is no change. I accept the changing times, but will never ever let the changing times ever change who I really am.
True. I look back at how Atlanta has changed from the time I moved here from Hawaii. The most dramatic changes followed events that caused a huge influx from other states and countries. Atlanta used to be more slow paced and trusting enough to leave purses in shopping carts to get something a few paces away or to leave doors unlocked. No more. Every house seems to have security cameras and motion detection. Double locks on doors. Crossbody purses. Road rage. Trigger tempers. Sadly, times have changed and clashing cultures have made tolerance a bygone virtue.
I think extreme stress is changing the culture in Hawaii. When you're on the edge of poverty or are working 3 jobs, you don't have a lot of Aloha left at the end of the day. Add to that the difficulty of having the resources to move away and start a new life when the furthest you ever travelled was Ala Moana Center, it becomes very difficult. I think many locals feel trapped and this leads to anger. Rage driving and verbal abuse is really common now. And now you add the pandemic on top of it all. You can't help but be changed by all of this. I use to have more Aloha but I've lost a bit of it.
Sad to say, I agree with everything you stated. I saw a car on the road with a window sticker that said Conditional Aloha...that kinda sums up my feelings about it. Practice at home (Aloha) and among your closest friends. My 2 cents.
Agree with stress being a contributing factor. People seem to be on edge.
I feel you Oahu is really like the mainland now. I lived there more than 25 years… more aloha on neighbor islands now what’s left
I strongly agree with you the locals who lived here I’ve grinded it out all of my life my Aloha is done I don’t have any left.
@@HelloFromHawaii First of all, thank you for your videos and this one, they are always very interesting and so considerate. We communicated in the past, I'm originally from France but lived and worked elsewhere all my adult life, mainly in Japan, immigrated to the States just before the pandemic. I agree with the above about stress. Because of my connections with several countries around the world, I hear about that change everywhere. Lockdowns and curfews were fierce in some countries, especially France, and have aggravated many things, the economy of course but also the moods. People are a lot more aggressive (even more, should I say) and everyone is quite depressed. Also about demographics, again what you say is so true about other places, too. Like you, not to say it's bad or reproach anything to anyone, but the massive immigration in Europe has changed the cultures. England, Germany or else France are not the same countries they were in the 70s when I was a kid. With the globalization and transports enabling easier movements between countries, exchanges of all kinds have enabled more people (us, the "commoners", the 99%) to start new lives away from the place where they were born and very cosmopolitan places like New York, Paris, London or now Tokyo change with the influx of people. The more outsiders, the less people need to adapt, because they tend to join their own communities, just like expats. It takes a lifetime to really belong to a place, and when your childhood - let alone most of adulthood - is elsewhere, even if you master the language and lose your accent (which is already very rare), the subtleties of that dialect/language/culture, the children's songs, the common jokes, the local references are constant reminders you'll never quite feel "from there", which is the reason why most people don't even try. Then for those who do try, there's always someone who doesn't want you there anyway, and it takes a lot of determination and some thick skin to keep going nonetheless (in Japan for example, but applicable anywhere). So that's my humble take on it. I thought you might be interested. Now, I have a question, is it also that the Japanese tourists aren't around. There was a special atmosphere pre-2020 that I loved about Hawaii because it did take me back to Japan at times. Would that be one of the reasons? Is tourism in Hawaii back or not totally? Certainly not the same tourism, I guess... I am sending you and your family lots of Aloha from the other sunshine state!
So I'm a semi-typical California blonde hair white kid. After high school I didn't have a whole lot of direction in life, so eventually I joined the Navy because I wanted to experience the world and other cultures. I had never been to Hawaii in my life, so I got lucky with the chance to get stationed in Pearl Harbor. I only lived there for three years, but those three years had me in awe of the friendly and loving culture. In some ways it reminded me of the "dude" culture here in California. After I got out of the Navy I always felt this draw of wanting to go back to the aloha vibe, it just has always suited me more than anywhere else. I recently landed a new job on Oahu and will be going back in the next week after ten long years. The last thing I want is to change the culture there. If anything I want to embrace more of it. I know my presence there will probably rub a few people wrong, that's okay, that's just how the world works, but maybe hopefully I can show a few of them that I'm not there to change what is sacred to so many.
Aloha from Kauai
Mahalo for sharing. Good luck on the move. It's pretty different from what you probably experienced before. But embrace the changes. And enjoy the food 🤙
Good points I was there 11 years
Aloha.
Aloha from Canada
I live in Hilo, been here for about 18 years (moved over from Honolulu). Coming from Honolulu, Hilo culture was noticeably different at that time. I grew up in a small village (450 people) on an island that had a few thousand people, everybody pretty much blue collar. Hilo felt very familiar. There was a village mentality where you don't live too big, because you don't want to make people who have less feel that, you don't stand out as thinking you're better than everybody. Hilo, was like that. The need to flex was still there, but it was more modest. You didn't see a lot of luxury cars, people weren't building McMansions, but you'd still see people buy a truck because all their high school friends had trucks, they felt they needed to keep up.
But that has totally changed. Now, a lot of luxury cars, 4Runners, higher end Tacomas, a lot of McMansions. Mind you, this is mostly local people, or people from other islands. Lot of people from other islands selling there places and moving here, when they can get more for less. Mainland haoles who come to Hilo side are... different, so I don't see that same impact coming from them. A lot more luxury items, bags, &c., a lot more flex. People aren't trying to keep up, they're trying to exceed.
That could be mainland culture, but... it feels like the desire for that was always there, and it's just sort of been uncaged?
Plantation culture, I'm never really sure I understand it. I will get lectured on mainland culture vs plantation culture, and how they're different, but then I'll look at that person lecturing me, and how they behave, and see nothing in their behaviors that represents what they've talked about, other than they'll speak pidgin with some of their friends.
A lot of my local friends, they'll tell me that I'm one of them, something along those lines, but I tell them I'm really not, I'm just one of me. I've traveled around the US mainland a lot, I get that there are areas that are very different from Hawai'i, culturally, but those places are also not appreciated throughout most of the mainland, places with values pretty similar to Hawai'i. They just don't know that.
Mahalo for sharing. I have family in Hilo and we've been there a lot over the years. Thanks for pointing out the changes over the years, especially among locals.
Appreciate your thoughtful post.
The first time I went to Puna was around 1980. Never went back until probably around 2016. I was totally blown away at how much Puna/Pahoa had changed. It was nothing like I remembered. The people was different. The places were different. The entire vibe was different. Totally different place.
Thank you so much for your generosity of Spirit in sharing emerging insights. Your words are timely for me as I ponder/grieve the loss of what I have known and its absence from the lives of my tiny little Grandsons. They will likely never know the freedom that I did, growing up. Now in my early 70's, I was lamenting this loss to my younger son (in his 30's) and sadness for my Grandsons when he said to me: "Mom, they've never known what you're talking about. This world... the one they are in... will be their normal and they will adapt." Sad? Yes. True? Yes. In that moment of my own sense of loss, your words reminded me that every stone, over time, is redesigned with the passing forces of Life. Mahalo for sharing.
Mahalo. Yeah, kind of sad. The technology has advanced, but not in all the right ways.
@@HelloFromHawaii After 10 years of frequent travel to Hawaii (mostly, Big Island), I finally recognized that what kept calling me there was not just the majesty of the physical space but the hope that the Aloha Spirit kept alive in me. That undercurrent of being willing to be kind… patient… curious... welcoming and accepting. That deeply rooted and long-expressed willingness and ability to invite and allow. These are essential to being willing to be unsure… to not know… and to remain open to the potential that Life has to offer. In my world, I see far too much evidence that we - as a species - are rapidly becoming bereft of such realities. The alternative is the suffocating press to ‘be right’… at the cost of being willing to be open to the discovery of another.
And - truth be told - perhaps the Hawaiian people know better than most that at some point, despite our willingness to invite and allow and welcome others into our homes with open arms, we must stand and declare: You cannot have my house!
Today, in my world (as in yours), I recognize that I must take that stand or have no home for my Grandchildren.
Mahalo for your open mind and heart. Yours is a Voice that calls us forward into a deeper consideration.
Been watching you since near the beginning. You’re amazing- Hawaii’s Mr. Rogers. 😊 Thanks for sharing your true aloha spirit, in touch with the land and people, accepting of people and not blaming everyone. You’re what makes Hawaii so special.
Mahalo! Appreciate the comment. And thanks for supporting from the beginning. 🤙
Mahalo for this video. What you saying is sad, but the truth. The old Hawaii ways are not the same. Aloha spirit is hard to find or hard to come by anymore. The mainlanders and new generations don’t get it or have never experienced it. But, I must say I’m one of those wahine who does get it and will always share it if received or not. I’m still going to roll my window down in my carwela after a merge and throw my Shaka 🤙🏽 to the one who let me in 😊🌺. That is what was taught to me as part of the Aloha Spirit. Maybe your next video idea….What acts are “truly” the Aloha Spirit. This will help make Hawaii a better place.
As someone who tries to contribute to the economy and community, respects the culture, truly wants to live Aloha, and respects the land and water, I know I will never truly be a local. I understand. But I want to be a part of this amazing, beautiful world here. I want to be your friend and neighbor, someone you and my community can count on. Thank you so much for your wonderful videos and you should listen to your uncle he's a pretty smart dude. He might need to be a guest commentator with you. Mahalo!
Chris keep spreading that real Aloha that has no boundaries, location or country. Aloha is a word from Hawaii but shared and lived across the world in a different word.
🤙
A really great piece of discussion and thought. It would be interesting to dive into this deeper with a guest or two that have different view points.
Yeah, I agree. Definitely something that would benefit from different perspectives.
My son pleaded with me to go to UH; his HS friends were going ,they all surf and play music. Against my better judgement I okayed it. Came back to CA after the first year, said they were not a lot of local kids to hang out with....most had jobs they had to get to after school. Some kids worked several jobs and lots of hours. Lot of stress going around and little Aloha Spirit. Turned out well for him got a degree here in CA and works as Engineer. My wife and I go often but mostly to see family in Kauai or to Big Island where there is a more relaxed vibe. I remember ...people saying howzit, playing streams and raising tropical fish in porcelin tubs in backyard. Lot of us old timers in 60s and 70s won't be around that much longer. I think we may be group that still embraces old Hawaii.. Thx for your videos....enjoy your take.
Welina mai.
I was brought here by my mom who followed my dad who sailed here from California he was a fisherman waterman surfer.
She had Hopes to get back with my dad.
Well long story short, she went crazy (literally) and at 3 I was raised by the community.
First Maui then On Kauai.
I am 57 now with 26 moopuna, and am married to a Hawaiian Mexican. We have 7 natural born kids and 2 hanai.
I have always known that my "haole" is not present in my mentality or lifestyle.
I taught my ohana Kanaka mentality by just living it everyday without thinking about it.
I speak Olelo Hawaii, I cook kanaka local food and most of my ohana speaks and lives kanaka.
I paddled Canoe, dove, fished, pulled kalo, sing in olelo, play ukulele, and draw kanaka art and all dat.
Not hookano but its just me. I've taught in Punana Leo and Kamehameha preschools as well as Kula Kaiapuni o Hawaii ma Kapaa. For around 28 years.
Mahalo Ke Akua.
I have never come across a haole who is like me cos they live here but they are totally malihini not absorbing the kanaka life for real.
The Hawaiian lifestyle becomes something in a book, a song, or put on a shelf wen they get home.
It breaks my heart to see how the kupuna humble themselves and mainland style guys walk all over them. Eha ko'u naau.
I could write a book but dats something I no can do.
My heartbeat is Kauai.
My ohana
My belief in Ke Akua.
I not one poser.
Posers is so easy to see and its any race.
I actually no can stand the way mainlanders act as if they is betta than locals, hookano or high makamaka.
Anyways
I mahalo you for wat you guys are talking about.
I've seen Kauai change in so many ways.
Eha ka na'au.
Good English is spoken by most and The Kanaka is being reduced and lessened in the fact that they are the Host Culture... respect dat ...
Ok dats my mana'o.
Iesu pu.🕊
Aloha🌺
TutuMama Kuhaulua
I’m so glad that I stumbled on your post. My father was military (USAF) and his last assignment before he retired was at Hickam. We ( younger brother and I along with parents) moved to Alewa Heights and attended Kawananakoa. At that time I couldn’t become local fast enough! So many things to learn and speaking pigeon was top of the list! I feel like local people had the capacity back then to really embrace and acculturate new arrivals and in a way I wanted so badly to acculturate and I think it happened for me. Learning to respect the Aina and traditions and culture ( including song and dance) were all a part of it. But Hawaii became a place for everyone in the world to live and hang out and adoption of local culture didn’t seem important in a way. I have a lot of thoughts on this topic.. thank your bringing it up…
I can only speak for myself and my wife in this regard but we understand what locals are going through, relative to human beings. We are not native Hawaiians but appreciate the local people and culture and would hate to see it change because we “mainlanders” don’t take the time to be acclimated to the culture, the everyday traditions of local peoples. For ourselves, we have signed the Pono pledge and promise to follow it when next we visit, and to bring the Aloha spirit back to share with others. Mahalo for your earnest and forthright discussion of the topic.
Awesome that you signed the Pono pledge. I'm not sure how many people do that, not appreciate the gesture. 🤙
I understand a little of the grief the Hawaiians are experiencing. I grew up in a small town on the mainland. Then a LOT of people from California moved in and transformed our little town. When I was little, it was safe to walk a mile to my elementary school, but now it is too dangerous. Now my people are a minority and we are hated. My heart hurts and I don't know what future my children have because it is no longer affordable to own a home in that town which is a big city now. There are now dangerous criminal cartels. The media is deliberately stirring hatred.
This is havening everywhere in America.
I hope Hawaiians keep their aloha spirit. At least Hawaii is being spared the worst of the criminal cartels who are targeting all the cities.
Right now, I believe that all Americans, rich and poor are being targeted with drugs to destroy our families. I pray every day for our children.
IMO…it’s a two way street. The “old neighborhood” for people everywhere on Earth likely will change significantly over the years…there will be development, evolution, etc. that all areas go through. Hawaii is no different…newer stores replace old ones, newer technology replaces old ones, newer buildings replace older ones, etc.
But, as much as the “old neighborhood” has changed, it’s likely that the change in the old area one grew up in will be less so than the change that the individual has gone through as well.
Nostalgia is a powerful human emotion/feeling because we desire to “go back home” to our younger days and our old neighborhoods with the same buildings, the same friends, etc. because life becomes more stressful and difficult for all of us as we age.
There is never a time and place where someone goes back to the home of their youth and somehow the old neighborhood, the old friends, and the person themselves has not changed…”You can’t go home again” is a timeless adage.
PS This video could have been made about a century ago by a Kanaka as he/she discuss all the changes that were occurring as the plantation farmers and their families were arriving onto the islands…humanity is destined to wander so much, that they will end up where they started.
Good points. Nostalgia is powerful. Miss the old, but we have to look forward with hope.
@@HelloFromHawaii Your child will soon live the part of their own lives in the next few yrs that they will look back upon decades later and reminisce and have nostalgia about…and prob wonder why things had to change so much!
I don't get mainland transplant I always use from the mainland but I'm almost 50. I think the pandemic made even locals cold so we have that dynamic. Second from 20 yes ago is everyone is on their dam phone and don't care about others. 3rd is 20 yes ago it seemed mainlanders would bend over backwards to learn the culture here. It seems now they can care less if that makes sense.
You bring up a good point about the pandemic. It's definitely impacted the local culture with a coldness. We can't gather and talk story and do all the things that locals do.
As a local I noticed the changes too. One thing I do noticed about locals after living in the mainland and other countries and then coming back is that Hawaii locals are very slow to changes and stubborn about implementing new ideas. That and we also lack a sense of cohesive unity (with the exception of some outspoken native Hawaiians) and identity for that matter. Also local people and it's government lack direction in where we want to be in the future and for our future generations. If anything, this probably stems from us grinding all the time because it's so expensive in Hawaii and then chill with our close ones, enjoying the moments when we get the chance. No one wants to be the odd Man out. We just follow and try to stay afloat or grind because it's an island with limited resources and land. Local culture is still there don't get me wrong. Just the kine older people used to know is currently being water downed every year.
Agree. The grinding is tough and the tiredness has an impact on the culture. I'm going to miss the ol' kine Hawaii culture.
Lets keep Hawaii Hawaiian as the saying goes. I am a typical mix of races my Dad was Filipino, Hawn. Chinese my mom was Portuguese, Puerto Rican and German. Most people in da world cant relate to being that mixed but its common here in Hawaii
Yeah, very common to be so mixed.
Love the way you talk, seeing something from a different perspective, Aloha!
I appreciate that!
In a lot of ways our culture is dying. There will come a time that when people think of Hawaii/Hawaiians they will think of luaus and hula. You know da kine, it isn't even authentic. Our language is dying our history is still not taught to school kids. It makes my heart ache and I think of our Kapunas - it's so heavy. All I can do is live evey day with Aloha, pure Aloha.
100%
Agreed…America has a history of erasing our voices
If it comes to that, it will be sad since Hawaii is more than just luaus and hula.
Yes, attitudes are changing. I remember 50 years ago when the worst local road rage was some guys at a 4-way stop intersection yelling at each other: "Hell, no. I'm not going first. You go first." Driving on O'ahu now seems like a constant duel with rude, selfish, impatient drivers, but you know what? There's still plenty of those who wave you to go first or change lanes and give the shockah to say mahalo. I have to remind myself to not let run ins with the nasty drivers to blind me to all the others who drive with aloha.
Yeah, the roads are tough. Cracked me up to hear about the 4-way stop. lol 😆
Aloha. Lots to think about. I just visit Kaua’i and Hawaii for the first time recently. Loved it, and I’ve been watching some of your videos to learn more about the place.
Thank you. Glad you enjoy the videos.
I recently came back to visit after being away for 34 years. I have noticed so many changes. Not like the good old days.
Yeah, that's a long time. I'm sure the changes are big.
What a great way to Analyze this issue! I Can tell you are a true, pure, kind Hawaiian! When I Come to Hawaii as a Tourist, I really want to meet more Hawaiians, Listen to Hawaiian music and Eat Hawaiian food, Be Surrounded by the Culture and Even Learn Words more than ALOHA AND MAHALO, BUT YOU ARE RIGHT, Last time I Came after a few years, I Did Notice a Dramatic change and I really felt I missed So much Of How it was Before. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, 🏖🏞
Thank you. Just to clarify, I'm not Hawaiian, but "from Hawaii". Big difference, but common misconception. 😆
I'm terribly sorry if I misunderstood. Thanks for explaining it to me 🌻🦋🍃
As a kanaka I feel that social media has changed our culture. Everyone and there kids have access to some of the toxicity on the web. Slowly we as Kanaka Maoli are slowly forgetting our identity and what it is like to have Aloha. It is definitely internal.
We as Hawaiians are getting pushed out. Money talks at the end of the day…
Lots of people are mentioning the impact of social media on the culture.
It is the abnormal immediacy of information from the internet and social media that contributes to this change. Whereas before it took a long time to get information about a place and people would think hard before moving somewhere, everything is instant and the former secret places that were Hawaii's jewels are known by everybody. That is part of it, the internet skews us all into a weird reality that is not real. To be able to access everything so easily, so you have people who move to Hi. from far away, after a couple clicks, not from knowing someone in Hi. It should be harder to transplant. Think Zuckerberg taking over all that land on Kauai, suing his neighbors, there should've been more pushback to him. Hawaii is special and ought to fight to keep it that way.
I agree with the impact of social media and the Internet. Hardly any "secrets" in Hawaii anymore.
Aloha 😊 my wife and I have visited Hawaii 4 times. We have seen lots of changes in 10 years. We love Hawaii. We find that Hawaii, although America isn't anything like the other 49 states. We concider Hawaii a separate country because the people are totally different. Better I would say. We will be coming again next summer 2022. See you soon Hawaii 😊 Mahalo Jonathan 🤙🏼 ❤ 💕
Mahalo for sharing. Glad you enjoy visiting. Yes, it's very different than most of the US.
What a great video. I have certainly seen this change on Maui, especially in the last 20 years. Sad.
Is the change all over Maui or in just certain parts?
@@HelloFromHawaii ,
All over, too many tourists on Maui each day. Changes the feel.. No more Shaka, aggressive local drivers, homeless overrunning island, beaches and parks overcrowded, reservations needed for Haleakala sunrise, etc.
Absolutely, there has been a drastic change in Hawaii over the years. I was first stationed in Schofield back in 96, and loved the islands and way of life. Over the years, I've noticed the change as the island started getting over crowded, traffic became ridiculous, and even the political aspect was not in tune with the people or Aloha, but instead selling out to foreign investment. Mainland companies involved, housing explosion with demand growing, and prices escalating to the point that small businesses couldn't survive. Money is the essence of all evil. Look now at Waikiki, it lacks the Aloha luster and party spirit that it used to have. More name-brand boutiques for tourists, instead of the island style lifestyle. Apparently the island culture has been infected by mainland and foreign transplants eroding this culture. Unfortunately, this island is going to get to the point only for the wealthy, and others are squeezed out.
Definitely different from the 90s. Used to have a more community vibe.
Too much negative outside influence that replaced our inside rooted values that makes Hawai'i.....Hawai'i. We need more positive outside influence and keep on keepin' on with what we have been and can still be. There's this international marketing technique called "soft power" where they dominate markets from the inside-out, verses the aggressive archaic "colonizing". Soft power can be considered a modern day, next step version of colonization, where technically it is used as a device to colonize a nation or similar bodies through enterprise and such. Our next generation, needs to be aware and equipped to deal AND change such tactics for the better for Hawai'i's overall well-being.
My area has tremendously changed as well. I unfortunately live in one of the most expensive parts of the country (the San Francisco Bay Area in California) and I never wanted it to be this way (unaffordable, overcrowded compared to before).
This is spot on feeling with solid information .thank you or MAHALO. I,'M ON Maui in kihei 5-7 months each.SO I DO practice and LIVE A TOTAL ALOHA FEELING..or try
I even print out hawaiian phrases ..to learn ..of course .
I'm a geographer so. I have that learning feeling to know. And involvement. Anyway MAHALO for excellent feelings by you .
Simply: E KOMO MAI ..with a right ALOHA spirit
So they're so true. On my street in Kailua 4 house sold within a arrives throw from me within this last year. All sold to couples from the mainland that can compete financially. Still working folks, (middle class). They've assimilated pretty well to the community. The pros and cons of living with local families. The nice thing is they care so much about their houses and maintaining it. All the houses were in pretty bad shape when they sold. The families that sold the homes were unable/unwilling to maintain the home (decades of not performing basic maintenance). So in the end it was easier for the families to sell them instead of fixing them up (pretty sad if you ask me). So local families out, mainland families move in because we locals can't have a plan to save our local families.
Amazing how quickly Kailua has changed over the years. The poor and middle class have been pushed out. Tourists up the ying yang. It's now a full-on uppity town with almost zero local vibes anymore. Sadly, a lot of Hawaii families sell for a nice profit, go to Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland or Texas then get homesick and cannot afford to buy back in Hawaii...auwe.
Mahalo for sharing. Yeah, I think you identified a good point: home maintenance. I've seen some pretty banged up houses and they are sold just for the land. Too bad they weren't maintained.
@@HelloFromHawaii definitely. By maintenance I mean simple stuff like painting, caulking, roofing, and termite control. And some people blame land taxes which drive me crazy. Hawaii has the lowest land tax in the nation and you get $100k break for your primary residence. Locals blaming taxes as why they can't keep their home isn't an excuse.
@@kaikaino2751 I think about the places were lived in on the Windward Side .... one place, I don't think anyone had a house key for it. Not the landlord, not us, not anyone. If you washed dishes too long, the dishwater ran down the dirt driveway. Washing machine didn't work, so it was washing board or the laundromat up the road by Payless. The next place, the paint was more off than on, we kids had to light the gas stove to cook with a match, and for a while we had ducks living underneath the house. At least we had the required cars that never ran parked on the lawn in both cases - gotta have those to truly be local.
@@alexcarter8807 wow 😲
Not to diminish anyone's emotional viewpoints, but part of getting older is you gain a sense of loss. You see the culture you grew up in change, you lose contact with friends that move away, loved ones die or fall into tragedy. The sense of loss is universal. I lived on Oahu 86-90. I'm sure if I visited there after all these years, there would be some bitter sweet memories and a sense of loss.
Mahalo for the perspective. Hope you do get a chance to visit. I'm sure it will be an interesting experience to reflect back on your time here.
My Daughter and I were in Hawaii in December, 2019. And, we had some Hawaiian Locals we met at our hotel tell exactly what you are conveying in your Video. That these people that have arrived in Hawaii have caused prices in housing to be cost prohibitive for the original Hawaiian People. That made us sad! I enjoy your Videos. 🌺
This episode is so important and you did an amazing job with it. I'm a mainland high school science teacher, my wife is native Filipina, and we have two boys. I have my Hawaii teacher license and we plan to move to Hawaii this summer if I am offered a teaching position. I have taught skills in GIS and earth science that have allowed many students to get well-paying jobs....on the mainland. However, I'm hopeful that I can introduce Hawaiian students to GIS and eventually become Geospatial Analysts who can STAY in Hawaii. GIS is a very powerful tool and already has been applied to many natural hazards, ecological, and agricultural problems in Hawaii. I don't want to prepare Hawaiian students to leave Hawaii to find work on the mainland (unless they want to experience the world...which is a good reason, as you know). This means I expect to have to build some school to business/career connections within Hawaii (internships). My courses are dual-enrollment credit through James Madison University. The Dean who created the DE offering has suggested I try to start the DE Geospatial Semester program in Hawaii (Big Island), which ideally would include getting UH Hilo involved. I'm in my late 50s but my students were shocked because they thought I'm in my late 30 to early 40s. I still have the energy and the enthusiasm. I teach more than a class...I can honestly say I've changed lives - including lives of first generation immigrant students who've escaped the violence of El Salvador, Syria, and many who've experienced economic hardship. They have become professionals and and they return to buy me dinner :) I hope I can bring geospatial analysis to Big Island high school students and prepare them for careers in Hawaii.
Mahalo for sharing and making a difference in your students' lives. I think GIS would be a great field to expand here because of the different geographical features we have, especially on the Big Island. Hope that you get to collaborate with UH Hilo.
First thing I need to say is affordable housing is an issue everywhere that I know of. Not just a Hawaii problem. Same for cultural changes. They are happening everywhere. I remember being in Waikiki in the 1980's. When the light turned green you waited because someone was going to run the light. Then we went to Kona to see family. There they would slow when approaching the green light. You know might turn. Now it seems everyone is in a hurry. No more might turn mentalities.
I noticed that people are in a hurry a lot more too. I wonder why.
This is a good one! When I try to explain Hawai'i culture, the simplest way to understand it is it's of East Asian/Hawaiian values with the democratic practices of America. But, if those values ever come into conflict, the East Asian/Hawaiian takes precedence, like the good of the community over comfort of oneself (as exemplified by our strict covid response embraced by majority of locals) and humility over self-promotion (locals get Toyota Tacomas, and roll eyes at Porshes on island). Those coming to the islands have more of this "Americanized" way of thinking that contrasts with those local values. Tourists and people that move here think that as long as they "live and let live", that's all there is to it. But, what it really is is stripping A LOT of what is engrained in their way of thinking. Honestly, it's literally knocking yourself off the high horse, letting others ride it instead because they need it more. It's complicated... What I find interesting is the core of our culture is still VERY much alive in the places it originated. Like honor and respect for elders, humility, etc. in East Asia and like Tahiti/Samoa/etc. Care for the 'aina, the authority of women from Polynesian cultures, etc. It's nice to know such aspects still VERY much exist in the world, even if it may be dying here.
I miss the neighborhood where I grew up. We knew everyone. There was a sense of community. Small talk. People stayed for decades. Now the neighbors move more often. Less connection. It is different.
Agreed. 🤙
Thank you for taking the time to share this insight.
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I was stationed in Hawaii in 1993. I spent my whole 22 years in the Marines in Hawaii and retired here. I go to the mainland to see my daughter. It would feel very strange to move.
If you were to move, where would you go?
The good old days are gone! There's so much I want to say about what the real issues are. If you're local and aware of things happening throughout the Islands. You know what it is. Sad to see what has happened to the Aloha State. 🤙
Too bad you can't make a video response. Would like to hear the real issues 😆
Hawaii will always be changing. If it’s desirable, it will change. We can only hope that the spirit of Aloha and community remain, no matter where the people come from.
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I had lived on Oahu out in Hawaii Kai, but visited the other islands many times. I think it is true that when Dole and other corporations left, the small towns began to become homes of resorts and the chain stores. It was heart breaking. I think this applies mostly to Molokai and Lanai. Maui was changing at a slower pace than Oahu, but it, too, is now full of mainland stores.
Hey Braddah you’re right on the Kala. As someone who grew up in Hawai’i before being Statehood and after I think you’re correct when mentioning our military folks. I should know because my father from Waihole Wakane on the Windward side was in the U.S. Army and most of my Uncles from the Cabral side. Also my wife, her father and sister were in the military at some point in time and myself. If you live in Hawai’i now days it’s rough and not easy. We both still have family members there and my dad who just turned 92 years old is still there in Mililani where we used to live twice. The last time I had visited Hawai’i was in 2016. The last time my wife and I lived in Hawai’i was 2014. We left and came back to San Diego California because of our son’s who lived there. Folks from the Mainland bring their unique ways of living and their unique cultures. Think of it like this, when I fly back to Hawai’i it’s usually on Hawaiian Air out of San Diego. I could count on one hand how many local natives are returning home. That’s not many. So as you can see the influx of tourists or Military folks have a great impact in Hawai’i. Believe me when I say I don’t recognize Hawai’i anymore than you do. Many years ago when I was a young boy my Grandmother who spoke mainly Hawaiian told me that if Hawai’i continues with its tourism and military growing here and businesses starting to move here these Islands will just be concrete and nothing to grow or raised to feed your families. I look back 60+ years ago and she was right. I don’t envy anyone who want to live in Hawai’i. I do know that once I’m with God my body will come back home. Aloha Kako!
Mahalo for sharing. You're grandmother had very wise insight into what Hawaii has become
I really really appreciate your videos....
Glad you like them! 🤙
@@HelloFromHawaii , You really put our state in perfect perspective
This is the same in California, everyone used to be friendly 20 years ago but now with cost of living and the tech industry, it's too fast paced which means a lot of people feel self entitled. I usually get the middle finger twice a week.
Sad to hear that.
Good topic. I lived on Oahu from 1975 to 1981 (non-military). For you, the "old" Hawaii. It didn't seem so to me. Honolulu was a very modern city. I worked at Dillingham Shipyards (where by necessity I learned Pigin), and then as a manager at an employment office on Hotel St. At that time, as I recall, the majority population was Japanese. I married a cute Japanese girl from Wahiawa. Now, per census data, the majority population is Filipino. The actual Hawaiians have been a minority population of the islands from long before I lived there. Each island has it's own demographics too, as the majority population of the state lives on Oahu. Cultural change in Hawai'i has been ongoing since Europeans first showed up there.
Yeah, I think back then there were more Japanese, but yes, it's changed in terms of demographics.
Been in Hawaii 20 years and don’t have ‘a home to go back to’. But still consider leaving to escape the ‘trashy’ behavior that so many locals think is normal behavior. Just this morning I hear a neighbor screaming bloody murder at a guy walking down the street with his dogs. Why couldn’t he have tried to have a polite conversation? Because that’s not how people talk here when they have a disagreement. They immediately go nuclear.
@@user-db9lz2yl7i Is yelling at the top of your lungs and disturbing the entire neighborhood the solution? Yeah, maybe they had history, but making everyone’s lives hell because of it sucks.
Crazy that that happens. I see it in Town too.
yes, uncomfortable topics are the best. appreciate you perspective
Thanks. 🤙
The good old days were gone long ago.
I miss the real Hawaii, but then I’m in my 60s.
Yeah, there were some good times, from what I hear. But this is the Hawaii we have now. Just have to look forward.
I have slready started learning Hawaiian culture and language.
Feel the same way about Colorado - more of the population are transplants and not local born people - population has doubled in my life time. As you saw it grow when you were here! My wife and most of my friends are not from Colorado etc. A lot of people that were born here have also moved elsewhere - including to Hawaii! Thank you for spreading love and positivity keep doing what you do!
Where are the CO transplants coming from? Is it mostly the Denver area?
@@HelloFromHawaiiwould say from Denver and its suburbs, Boulder, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, or ski towns parents have places in Vail, Aspen, and in Honolulu, maybe north shore, maybe grew up in both locations. Some possibly went to college there and stayed as Hawaii and Colorado are "sister states" and at one time students could get in state tuition for wanting to study on the main land or in Hawaii. Seeing your UNC gear lead me to think maybe that was something you had done?
I liked the rock in the stream analogy Chris!!! 👍🤙
Thanks
I have to agree with you. Hawaiian culture is being influenced by others but specifically western culture of “me me me.” It’s sad to see we have to compare our differences but can’t love one another. Hope we can develop, learn and love from each other.
Yeah, it's tough when the cultures conflict with each other.
I agree that the culture on Oahu feels like it’s changing. And you made a good observation about the change being more in the younger demographic. Unfortunately, this is not just unique to Hawaii. It is generationally changing everywhere. The culture on the mainland is also changing also ... and not for the better in my mind. My spouse is from Vietnam and same thing there. I feel it’s happening everywhere and likely changing more rapidly now due to social media influences.
I wonder if the neighbor islands also feel different. I should ask my cousins on Kauai and Big Island.
@@HelloFromHawaii It's changing wherever they can get good signal or WiFi
Yes I agree totally. My husband is from Laos. His family had to all relocate after the war. They are all in Thailand. I see culture changing there too from our last visit six years ago and also from social media posts. The mainland is also changing. I live in an affordable state but the house market has also risen so much that it has priced most people out of the market . I am in a state that transplants are moving to also. I still consider my small town friendly but venture just 8 miles away an the attitudes are very different.
very interesting topic. Your concept of the red and green widgets is spot on. In old hawaii there were lots of green, however, as time marches on the green gets diluted with a lot of red and the values change and green has to deal with it, and I think many don't like that. We see the "haolification" for better or worse of Hawaii. Just look at waikiki, Ala Moana area. Tall expensive skyscrapers that very few locals can afford to own. I think the Ala Moana center is a very good example of the "lost of Hawaii". Built in the late 50's and early 60's, Ala Moana was a very local shopping place and a "gathering place" on Oahu. Now it has been gutted of the local and replaced with the "mainland" stuff. All of this is for better or worse.Gone ate the old style family style homes that covered the land scape, now being replaced with more "modern" larger "mainlandy" type homes. So the change in cities, homes and people are inevitable and will happen.for many reason in yiour control and out side your control My wife and I moved to California 30 years ago to live. It was never our home, Hawaii is and will always be our home. We returned, as planned, One daughter has her life and family in California, the other here in Hawaii. Lots of changes in our families lives, yes, dilution of the family, but still family. Memories will never be the same, as we, my brother and I had with our passed relatives, but now we have our memories and lives to enjoy and to have with our "Ohana" now. Remembering the past yes, living the present, and hopeful for the future and the future generation. Sorry for being a bit wordy, excellent and thoughtful topic.
Mahalo for your thoughtful comment. Glad Hawaii will always be home. You brought up a great point about Ala Moana. So different from before. International Marketplace too.
@@HelloFromHawaii thank you.
Good conversation piece. Multitude of factors as you mentioned. It definitely is changing as you mentioned, and its noticeable for the 'working class' that no matter how much/hard they try to, property values are skyrocketing out of affordability. Its also truth for the educated younger generations, that trying to get decent employment/or what is considered decent employment. The population growth, economic basis and technological acceleration rate have all jumped multifold while 'local' values fragmented over the same time. One look at the growth of population say from the mid 50's to the 70's to the 90's, shows Oahu growth has huge jumps, which tourism/active duty/transplants increasing while the neighbor islands. Are the neighbor island locals migrating elsewhere at the same rate? The decline of agriculture, while military and tourist industries brings more transplants to the islands, especially on Oahu. Third, the technological acceleration of computing/communication, contributes not just information and availability, but interdependence by the younger generations which leads to continuation of it to function. As the technology keeps advancing and their is dependency on it, it moves people into relying on it. Going 'green' might be the direction of the State, but it relies on lots of technology to make it happen, which if there is few 'local' willing or available to support it, more transplants will come in. A reinforcing cycle of bring in from outside to perpetual what is there. Spiking housing, jobs, promotions, education competitions, leaving those not making to relocate.
Appreciate the comment and factors. I wish I had more time in the video to talk about population trends because I'm sure there is good data from the 70's.
I lived in Oahu from 1985 to 1991. I had a blast back then. This was the days of disco techs like Power Station, Masquerades etc. I also enjoyed the low rider around the island cruise. I’ve been coming back and forth since I have family there. I notice it’s more crowed, houses are even more expensive, traffic is worst. I was always broke living there but had a lot of fun. I had leave yo make big bucks and purchase properties. Now I acquired enough to be able to move back.
Mahalo for sharing. It's great that you could move back. Definitely different from before.
:53-:57 that sums it all up for better or worse 😳 Mahalo for this video
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Do you notice all the negative comments on the Hawaii news channel on RUclips? I am not in Hawaii right now and that channel is the only way I stay current with news about home. It breaks my heart.
Anyway, mahalos for your videos, you remind me of friends that I've had since small kid time days.
Some of the comments are pretty bad. The comments on Instagram are also rough. I just know understand where all this negativity is coming from.
Yep!
ALOHA friend just wanted 2 add 2 discussions went home b4 covid19 hit try. 2 go when I can lived in Honolulu from 81 /02 and the changes started after 9/11 so sad. My sons still live there and work constantly on better note it is still home to me mahalo for your program. Take care🐺🐺🌈🌈🐾🐾🌎💖💜
Mahalo for the comment 🤙
You make some really good points here. To save the culture, the children are the key. They need to be raised in the Aloha spirit with the help of educators. During the early Plantation days, it was my understanding the school officials actually had the kids brought up with "American Culture" and not Hawaiian culture. They got disconnected with the "old ways". My father-in law knew very little about his Hawaiian side even though his mother was from an Ali'i family. It was like they were ashamed and taught to not be proud of being Hawaiian. I know this generation experienced a lot of racism for being Hawaiian on the mainland.
I know the school system is trying really hard to implement culture into the school programs now. Kids are learning how to speak Hawaiian again. My children are 1/32 Hawaiian and half Japanese. I am hoping one of them will decide to go to Hawaii for college one day.
Thanks for sharing about your family. I agree that the kids are the key. Investing in them is going to help keep the culture. The influence of social media makes it easier for outside influences.
Great retrospective, Chris~
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Something similar has been happening in my native California. The prices are so crazy now that younger people are being forced to move away, myself included. What can you do when you want to start a family and all the homes are around a million dollars? Do people in Hawaii prefer to move to the cheaper islands, like Molokai or areas of the big island? Or do they move mainland? I imagine if you own a modest home in Hawaii that it's tempting to cash it out and live like a king elsewhere.
All we can hope for is that the newcomers to Hawaii have a true love for the islands and its traditions.
I've never thought about trying to move to those other islands, not because they aren't nice, but due to the lack of jobs. It's cheaper on the Big Island, but I'm not sure what I could find for work.
Typically the move is, other islands to Oahu, then Oahu to the mainland.
@@HelloFromHawaii I've looked at the land prices and .... on a sheer cost basis I could do it, buy some land for 20 or 30 thou that I save up and then get by on the thousand or so I'll get from Social Security but, there's a reason it's so cheap. It's the Wild West in the cheap places. Not just that you're getting your water from catching rain (people on Tantalus and Round Top on Oahu do that) and living in an unpermitted structure, but there's a ton of theft, a ton of drugs (ice ice baby) and all kinds of craziness. Plus if you need any kind of medical care chances are you're being flown to Oahu. I have no interest in the other islands. I grew up on Oahu and it's where my memories all are.
I like to think Aloha is a contagious.. and with enough Aloha love from the locals, the "transplants" could be changed to embrace Aloha as well.. because I think the Aloha spirit is also what brings new people to the islands
Mahalo for the comment. I appreciate the visitors and "transplants" who embrace aloha. I know it's not always natural, especially in today's society, but very much appreciated.
I dont know about that. Waikiki has no authentic aloha anymore. They hardly have any local people living there. Where does the aloha come from?
I like your outlook. The Aloha spirit is still there, maybe it shrunk a bit, but it is reversible. i still see in in my family on the outer islands and friends that I've known for years. As long as there is a sense of community/family, its spark will still be there waiting for the embers to fire up and warm the heart. Probably, what's forgotten is the 'community' that Hawaiian culture sparked with all of the early plantation worker transplants. Its infectious spreads when existing families brings in new people into their community when there are joyous times and in times of catastrophe. Just go to any typical high school graduation of your classmate's kids or baby shower or cleaning up after a flooding and the neighbors pitch in. Its still there.
It is indeed a lot to think about. I had a roommate from Puna in the 1990s when in college. Weather he moved back, not sure, however, it is an interesting phenomenon....always changing, unfortunately, not always for the better. 🤙
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I miss seeing the ladies in long dresses and with their hair done, and their hats. I miss the old Outrigger at Kahalu'u where they had the Hula Festival and the Mango Festival and parts of the Kona Coffee Festival. I miss seeing Uncle come down by the Hulihe'e Palace and sit and play guitar sometimes. And sometimes others and ukes, sometimes younger guys too.
But the skaters starting using that spot, and Uncle quit coming down.
I could never afford a home on mainland either. I finally realized that I can be one of the working poor here, just as easily as on mainland. It's not like I could move back and have it any easier there.
Lots of great memories that you and your family have. At least we have that
Everything has a cost or trade-off
I think Hawaiians and Locals are finally realizing the cost and willing to fight to restore the balance.
Reminds me of the song "Big Yellow Taxi":
"They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel (Royal Hawaiian), a boutique, and a swinging hot spot
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you got 'til it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
They took all the trees, and put em in a tree museum
And they charged the people a dollar and a half to see them
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you got 'til it's gone
They paved paradise, and put up a parking lot"
I think this is happening everywhere.
I personally think we are all having collective climate anxiety.
Especially as the effects are now becoming more and more visible.
There is a general feeling of loss in the background.
There seems no where to place this put constant background sense of dread and loss.
Also class divide between rich and poor.
Yes, there have always between poor and rich but because of social media, the "rich" collectively brag so much about being rich, social influencers, a sense of using people across the world for clout.
Its never been so shoved in the face of the "poor" on this level.
The constant barrage of how much less you have compared to others, especially outsiders.
A local you would get called out for bragging, "eh no get a big head".
But cultural outsiders don't know that bragging is frowned upon, at least the part of Hawaii I grew up in.
Finally I think, people get tired of being told by others what their own culture is supposed to be .
"Aloha" has been taken over by non-Hawaiians and made in to commodity to be bought and sold.
Things like this happen across the world to many peoples and personally I find it offensive.
It is like when people (mostly men) tell a women she should smile more or she is prettier when she smiles.
The last thing you want to do now is smile. Something else comes to mind instead.
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I grew up in Hawaii. I am likely your parent's age...Class of '76 Kaiser. Husband is Iolani '76. We both moved to NYC after Law School and raised 4 kids. We went back many time with those kids to see family. So now my kids are all adults -- your age likely. Lo and behold my second oldest and her husband used to take vacation in Hawaii all the time to the point I said hey...does he want to go somewhere else? She said no. Those two had some connection to Hawaii to the point they would go to Hawaiian music concerts when in Hawaii visiting and locals would mistake them for locals too. (Her husband is from NJ!). They had their wedding in Hawaii. One year later right before the Pandemic hit they up and moved to Hawaii. They are part of your cohort of Malahini moving to Hawaii. I would hope though that they are not shifting the culture so much as you think since they are really children of kamaina returning to the islands. They have a true connection that I don't understand but it was meant to be There is change -- I feel it every time we go back to Honolulu. I don't know if it's just due to who is living in the islands or if it's due to just time and change that comes to all things.
I am a few years younger than you and grew up in East Honolulu back when there was one road to koko head and one road back (before the freeway). Stayed home, went to UH, and now semi-retired and lucky to have bought a home back in the '80s. My stomping grounds were the Waialae Kahala area which seems so foreign to me today. Things change, sometimes not for the better. Not much Aloha anymore, such is Hawaii today...auwe.
Mahalo for sharing. Glad they are able to move "back" in a way. I'm sure it's a different experience moving to place your parents grew up. At least they were able to visit over the years and I'm sure your family culture inside the home had Hawaii "qualities" to it. Hawaii is a different place. Probably just changing with the times.
I'm sure that side of the island is different. It's nice, though.
As a recent transplant. I moved here because I was previously stationed here as military and didn't give Hawaii a fair shake at the time. I have now returned here as a civilian working for a company that provides accessibility for the physically disabled.
It's understandable how change can be difficult and intimidating. As long as we approach these changes with honesty, understanding and grace we will be better off for it in the long term. :)
Mahalo for your content and for providing a level headed perspective!
I love Hawaii !!! 👍💐😊
I’ve tried several times and found when returning to a place that held special meaning, it couldn’t be found again. Good observation that people are the culture and as they change, so does our culture.
As an old person, my bias is that it’s accelerated by our media environment. It draws us towards it, and away from those around us, changing how we socialize. Which affects us, our work, our family, and how our children are raised. That’s my bias anyways.
Sure, most cultures are experiencing rapid shifts, some are more subtle ways and others are more visibly, which we don't have control over. The foundation of the Hawaiian culture there is the Aloha sprits consisting of AKAHAI (considerate), LOKAHI (harmonious), ‘OLU‘OLU (joyous), HA‘AHA‘A (humble), AHONUI (perseverance). These are very much of DNA embedded in the locals. Unless the Hawaiian sprits are eroded, Hawaii will be prospering as you have alluded. The Japanese and Hawaiian cultures have a lot of things in common. I believe that the Aloha sprits are just enough to deal with the tough challenges Hawaii faces. What else do we need? From a student of Hawaii in Japan.
Everyone needs a little bit of Hawaii
Aloha I am 45 local from Oahu. And I definitely see a big change. One thing I notice is people don't speak Pidgin as much as they used to and even if you were raised in Hawaii it seems like people have lost local ways. On the flip side of the coin the focus on Hawaiian Lang. and Culture makes me feel more Local than ever. For instance the increase of kids attending Hawaiian Immersion Schools has made Hawaii feel more Hawaiian. When I was growing up in the 80's I used to wish I was Asian because I felt like I had no connection to a main culture because I am so mixed and Asians seemed to be so prized as still is today
Good point about Hawaiian immersion schools. Glad that there are more opportunities through charter schools and other programs.
I think this "non-locals" is so common these days. Idaho, FL, TX, SF ( techies) - all has this same issue from "outsiders" moving in
One thing I hardly see nowadays, is the shaka for letting a car cut lanes. I shouldn't expect it, but it's become way more rare to see while driving on the roads... quite a small thing, but sad.
I noticed that too. I usually wave. Gotta start giving more shakas. 🤙
the spirit of aloha is still around, but it's become more of an idealization than the actual living standard. I moved here about 10 years ago and over time, especially over the last couple years, people from other states (particularly california) are getting sick of the culture that's out there and they want that aloha spirit. I notice that people that move here are definitely in a soul search of some kind - and this state definitely allows room for people to really find themselves. i also notice that these same people are somewhat living a kind of front because they think that by living here they've adopted some kind of "idea" of aloha, but their actions and attitude seem to speak otherwise. they're still in a mainland kind of mentality - and that's why they're transplants. they can't let some of their bad habits go. so yeah, i notice that a lot of those crimes that have been happening in the past couple years were noticably from transplanted people. that doesn't mean that i still don't experience that authentic friendly localism, but that real spirit of aloha comes sparingly because everyone's on a kind of a guard from people who are what i like to think of as "culture vultures." look at some of the rallys that happen in the streets - you can see that most of them are ha'ole.. not in the sense of the color of their skin, but of their attitude and mentality. aloha is still around, but to get that kind of respect, you gotta give that kind of respect - you gotta understand the grind - you gotta understand the community. some people don't get it and that's why these transplants are just so ha'ole that they don't even know that they're ha'ole.
Mahalo! I liked what you said about people being on guard. When the walls are up, it's hard to trust.
What's the last day of school called?
We say transplants in Texas, too. By the way, your state is beautiful and gorgeous. And I'd love to try the food. Just say, "They're new to the area."
Former local here, now living on mainland. I have 5 brothers & sisters. My extended family includes 10 first cousins all Hawaii-born & of the ‘boomer’ generation. Of these 16 cousins & siblings of my generation only one remains in Hawaii… all the rest are over here. Most moved after attending mainland colleges & for better job opportunities. Our parents have all passed away. So only one cousin and a handful of distant relatives remain in Hawaii. I would move back home in a heartbeat but my kids & family are all here. Kind of sad.
Mahalo for sharing. Yeah, I'm worried that that is how my family may be in the future. Mostly gone.
Aloha nui loa! Honolulu no longer feels like the Hawaii we remember but parts of the Big Island and other islands are still very special. Change is the only constant ~ Tahitians, Hawaiians, ali'i nuis, whalers and sailors, New England missionaries, white plantation owners, Chinese migrant workers, Portuguese cow herders, Japanese shopkeepers, Filipino farmhands, US military personnels, media and tech startup billionaires, homelessness, surfers, dreamers, dope heads, foreign tourists....and the biggest rainbows anywhere! From Kawaii to the Big Island... 4.5 million years.
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🌺"Aloha", The most powerful thing in The Universe. There is only One place on Earth called "The Land of Aloha".
Just "Live Aloha" & Everything will work out fine,,, eventually.
Shaka PONO, E!🤙
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As usual, this is a great and thoughtful piece. Lots of stuff to think about and explore. One thing you might address along with the changing demographics is the "purple pieces", the Hapa- haole or Hapa-whatever, that are more prevalent as the various ethnic groups intermarry. That changes the demographics and the culture. I believe I'm a better person for having been exposed to and studied the various cultures here. From working with a Kumu to understand the indigenous culture to studying Aikido and attending O-Bon festivals with my Japanese friends. AND the FOOD!! Mahalo, Brah!
Appreciate the comment. I never thought about influence of intermarrying.
Can`t say I agree, but it may be because I have always hung around a more working class blue collar crowd, I moved hear in 87 at 27 years of age and have always worked in transportation, bus, garbage, freight and mainland transplants have been the minority, locals 20-30%, Polynesians who moved hear as kids are the majority.
Mahalo! Appreciate the perspective. I realize that certain industries may have more locals than people from the mainland. 🤙
Younger i always wanted hawaii(maui) to catch up with the. Mainland thinking we were always 10 15 years behind but now in my 40s i wish we were 10 15 years behind and stey that way.. But plantation life changed the life of hawaiians so now new residents moving here changing the culture plus the internet is making a difference to.. At the end of the day we just all trying to survive. Plus some of my fam in the mainland hold on to the culture more than fam living here lol
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With time change comes to all things..however Aloha is still real and tangible. Every year we come 9yrs now except during the no travel restriction and its a place and people like no other place on earth. I pray blessing over the lands and its people. We spent the month of August❤❤❤❤
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Times definitely have change.
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Well articulated! Same for us in 🇸🇬 : like-dislike relationship with loud short-stay migrants, evolving culture, changing resident demographic etc
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Some of what you are missing (knowing everyone, playing as a keki) is more about density and overall cultural changes, not Hawaii specific. I grew up in rural Sacramento and have much the same fond memories of growing up without tech and with the same neighbors my whole life growing up.
I tried moving home in 2003 and even then .... I stopped in for dinner at a long-established restaurant in Hale'iwa, one where it was a great treat to get a big bowl of saimin when I was a kid, and I was waited on by this blonde, LOUD, haole lady obviously friggin' FOB from the mainland. And another time I was at Volcano Joe's, a coffee shop across from UH, and it was the 1st working day of the month so they tested the sirens, and the people around me, all mainlanders, where whooping it up over the sirens. Not saying that's bad, it was kind of fun. But I've heard those sirens since I was little and it was not something that remarkable.
So yeah, a lot of outsiders have been coming in. And my move back home in 2003 didn't work out that well because of some money tangles I was better able to un-tangle myself from back on the mainland, and I decided I'll return home when it's time to retire, so I won't be taking a job from someone who's stayed there all along, and I'll have tons more free time.
It's really a clash of cultures. Mainland culture is hyper-individualistic, everyone's on their own. Mainland people really do not understand why locals would value so much, having a cookout at the park and just hanging out with family all day. Family means nothing on the mainland. To mainlanders, if you "cling" to family, you're considered weak. It's pretty much exactly the opposite of Pacific/Asian culture.
And mainland culture is all about making "inferior" people be more like them. So it really bugs people who live in the mainland US culture when other people are not like them. An example that comes to mind is, I had a rare/collectible calculator I put on Craig's List for sale. A guy called and wanted to buy it, but what he wanted it for, it was a really bad choice. It was a computer-science calculator from the 80s and he wanted it for current use, in surveying. He was ready to jump in his car and come right over and give me $200 for it, and I would not sell it to him because it was not right for him. I actually looked up on the HP page online, figured out which of their calculators were right for what he was going to do, and both were cheaper. I told him he should get this or what model HP, this one because you can take it into the test, or this fancier one if you've already taken the test, etc. Which I guess he did. I told a mainland friend about this and the guy was astonished, and actually got angry with me that I didn't take the money and run, regardless of whether the calculator was the right one or not. That's how mainland culture is - just take the money and run with no consequences because on the mainland everyone's on their own. There's next to no social networking here and family networking, forget about it.
The best thing locals can do is keep being local. Learn to live frugally, don't make money your God. Learn to take more pride in a well-maintained "vintage" Toyota truck than the latest model. Keep helping out family, "Family means no one gets left behind" - mainlanders have no idea what that saying means. Value people over money. If Hawaii keeps being "strange" to mainland people, it will be less comfortable for the loud, money-grabbing types to live in and they'll prefer to stay on the mainland. And make Hawaii nice for nice people and well, you'll keep more nice people there.
I find that the Internet and television has an amazing effect on culture… I gave up television and movies for 10 years. Only going to live performances, plays art museums all kinds of music …. Talking to people. Talking story with friends and neighbors, family and strangers. Visiting the elderly . Only get first hand news … not the 💩 reporters spearing 👿😈
lol. That comment on reporting
I don't get to see alot of friends I grew up with in high school because they have moved away for a better life. But then again, I went to Ala Wai Elementary and a large percentage of my classmates were kids of foreigners.
Bayarea Mainlanders Sell a home in San Jose, ca for the average price of $2million and buy a nice home in Hawaii for $1million… and have $1million left… Only thing for the local to do is move or adapt.
Extreme stress is changing the culture I have to strongly agree with that let’s not bear around the bush Aloha is exactly like a the stone analogy the stone is being eroded bye the water yes it’s takeing a lot of time but it’s happening I’ve lived in Hawaii all my life and as a native Hawaiian I’ve seen the Aloha spirit dieing I have to admit I don’t have Aloha for the tourists at all that’s all gone now it’s been gone for a few years now there a great many things that upsets the Hawaiian community we’re I live and unfortunately all of it has to do with tourism and tourists sorry it’s a hard pill 💊 to take but it’s the truth. This decline of Aloha started way back before I was born and it’s amplified bye the covid outbreak it’s just a matter of time before most of the Aloha is gone from my community it’s sad but true and nothing can really stop from happening at lest from what I have seen .
Appreciate the comment. Hoping we don't lose aloha for each other.
incoming people need to embrace the culture and respect land/natives. its when the incoming want to chznge hawaii to what they left. this blows me away!!! you moved away from those things and yet you want it here!?! young love to explore, elderly realize home was more comfoting. H awaii em braced me , I'm an incoming, helping to raise my little g rand locals. change can be good, but don't lose the culture/ heritage
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When Hawaii requested statehood, that opened the Pandora's box. There are great benefits to being a state, but the drawback is anybody from the other states can now easily move there because it is now just like moving to another state, and since it's such a desirable place to live, just like any nice place on the mainland (Silicon Valley for exp.), it is becoming gentrified and the locals are priced out and therefore must move away. Happens on the mainland, happens all over the world, that's just economics, and Hawaiians are experiencing that aspect of being a small nice area of a very large country.
Truth