Greetings from a foreign land

Greetings from a foreign land

Advertiser columnist Bob Krauss has an amusing piece today that reflects how Hawaii is perceived by Americans as a foreign country. This is a somewhat surprisingly common thing. I have had people on planes returning to Hawaii, or when I'm traveling and I mention that I live here, ask me questions about what currency we use in Hawaii, whether they speak English here, etc. On one hand, that indicates the remarkable failure of American education in basic geography. On the other hand, when people are uninformed about what they are "supposed" to know about Hawaii, their common sense actually is closer to the truth. Hawaii is thousands of miles from the continent, with a distinct history and culture, and it makes common sense that it be an independent country. It is just helpful to keep in mind, for those who might have difficulty imagining Hawaii being an independent country, that those who don't know any better already think it is. And in spite of their ignorance, they're actually right!

And on a related note, from the other perspective, I was hanging out with some locals yesterday afternoon in Kipahulu, and a Hawaiian man from here who now lives in Seattle was visiting, and when he arrived and was introduced to those of us who didn't know him, he said, "I live in America." Everyone laughed knowingly. Everyone there—kanakas and haoles—understood exactly what he meant. And it is important for those outside Hawaii, or malihini (newcomers), to realize that this is just the way an increasing number of people think. There are a lot of people I know (including myself) who have made a conscious choice to stop calling it "the mainland" and instead refer to America or the United States. Just this one small semantic difference embodies, reinforces and communicates a whole historical and political perspective—the United States is a foreign country. While a lot of people who support independence still refer to "the mainland" out of habit, it is becoming increasingly common to hear people consciously choose other terms, and in just about any context most people here will know exactly what is meant and what message is being sent.

Posted: Wed - March 23, 2005 at 09:10 AM

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is about Hawaii's status as an independent country under prolonged illegal occupation by the United States, and the history, culture, law & politics of the islands.

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Published On: Dec 27, 2005 10:13 PM

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