Ask a Local

Dear Local Guy,
Last month we moved to the Big Island from Oregon. My son, age 14, will attend our local public high school as a freshman. We've heard terrible stories about the tradition of Kill a Haole Day. Do these things really happen? If so, can you advise us on the best way to avoid trouble? We really want to be accepted in our new home and, as I always tell my son, it begins with respect. You need to give it to get it.
Down vest to aloha shirt
Dear Formerly Vested,
Remember the words of the wise Keli'i Ioane: A Haole is not a Caucasian. A Haole is a corrupt Caucasian.
While entrenched firmly in the lore of local history (including local Caucasians-transplant braddahs and sistas who moved here long time ago), I believe Kill Haole Day was indeed that: lore. No get me wrong. There may be days that brought a bit more "heat" to the kids that had blond hair or whatevah outward characteristic that represented "haole." I'll refer to these youngsters as Outwardly Haole-Looking Students, or OHLS.
Where I went to school, there was no Kill Haole Day. We heard about how it happened at the "Honolulu schools," but we never saw it. Haole kids had it hard every day at my school, or at least it seemed that way. Maybe it's just the pilau side of humans-the need to always have someone around you who got it worst.
I was one of the key tormentors of the youth of lighter skin-local Portuguese included, because plenty of them looked haole. I would be with them at catechism at the Catholic Church, so we at least behaved during the sacred time called "church." If there was a Kill Haole Day, I would have been one of the chief conspirators. After all, I was in "gifted and talented."
A lot of the haole braddahs and sistas in my school grew up to be good people. They love the 'aina as much as anybody and have received a tender education of soul for surviving those crazy years in school, being one OHLS in a school full of us browns. As crazy as this sound, I gotta believe that experience was one good blessing for them. For those of you who grew up haole in "brown" Hawai'i, you guys have one understanding of folks that not too many of your counterparts on the continent will ever have.
Just because there were three fights one day at school, and all the fights happen to include an OHLS, it would be real easy for the rumor mill to fire up-proclaiming "Kill Haole Day."
In order for any day to happen-Kill Haole Day, Chicken Papaya Day, or Garden Compost Day- there needs to planning. I no think this is happening. Schools are fertile rumor grounds and the "plans" to pull off one Kill Haole Day would leak out to somebody before. Garanz. But-I believe that there are random violent acts. Sad, but true.
Have you noticed the recent Hawai'i census? Caucasians and OHLS represent one of the largest segments of the population. If there was a Kill Haole Day tradition in the 1970's or '80's, I gotta believe it was one whole different time for OHLS.
Today OHLS are well represented in numbers and much more connected to local students-even in the so-called "country" schools. These OHLS are, in fact, local. True blue, (and blue-eyed) Big Island-born local kids who grow up with other beautiful kids from all kind races, cultures, ethnicities and economic levels. I not saying that they will not encounter episodes of hate and ignorance-but all kids do.
Everybody has had their shitty days in school. Sadly, some kids have more than just days. Maybe you were fat or pimple-faced. Maybe you no could read real good, or your teeth was all silver or crooked. I guess that along with learning words and numbers, we were also learning real life lessons on how being a young human can be more tough than we grown humans like to believe.
Victims still exist. That will never end. I been seeing a trend lately that is as equally heartbreaking as a supposed Kill Haole Day, or torment the fat kid in class. It seems like everybody who has had their "day" have now found a new group to corner-our cousins from Micronesia. Parents, please check your kids (and yourselves) on their rude and oftentimes mean actions toward our friends from the Pacific. Maybe we gotta tell our people that we no should use the term "Micronesian."
It's not too often that you see a Kanaka walking around telling everybody he is "Polynesian." Learn that our Micronesia is an area in the Pacific Ocean that is home to beautiful island nations and states like Phonpei, Chuuk, Belau, Kosrae, Yap, Majuro and all the beautiful surrounding Marshall Islands. Most of the people who live there are just simple island people-just like we used to be. Many come here for a better life. How we going teach hate toward our Pacific cousins if our own existence was based on our previous generations' "big journey" to Hawai'i? I been to the island nations in Micronesia. They are all unique and equally beautiful. As a local, I feel shame when I see our people act the way they do toward our island cousins.
So to your son entering his freshman year: Don't let your fears, or what you have heard, keep you from all the good things that high school will offer. Learn to breathe the air and get a sense of versatility that will give you ability to be loud when you need to be and to close your mouth when you need to also. For local people and Kanaka, loud mouth that never closes is a common characteristic of haole-ness. Open your eyes. Learn and enjoy.
And if you happen to hear that there is going to be a Kill Haole Day, tell a teacher about it. Slip a note in the Vice Principal's box. Don't just sit back and be scared. Better yet, maybe you can take one of those "waiver" days teachers always seem to have. High school is a tough time for teenagers across the nation. Moving to a whole new state can only make it tougher with having to make new friends and adjusting to a new place. You'll be fine. Smile. Meet people. There'll be some not-so-nice people, but I'm sure they exist in Oregon too. No worries, young braddah-you'll be fine. n
Local Guy wants to hear from you. Email localguy@hawaiiislandjournal.com.
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