Fuck Haoles: The Syndrome

There is an unquestioned point of view that is shared amongst many of those living in Hawaii - that mainland caucasians, or "haoles," are disliked for reasons stemming anywhere from appearance, lack of understanding of the local Hawaii culture, or simply from the way they go about their daily lives. Besides the native Hawaiians who believe they were unfairly treated by these Americans' ancestors, I find that this common outlook to be rather close-minded, unfortunately.

For a state driven by the success of its tourism, I find it ironic that so many of its residents dislike their visitors. The abundant Asian tourist population may escape with a mild snicker or a rude comment, however, the white tourist would quite possibly receive either, "fucking haole" or "stupid haole." Why is this? I unfortunately don't have an answer for this, but I would guess it would have something to do with either the conflicts between cultures, or that perhaps many of the locals on the world's most isolated islands just aren't cultured enough. Those fortunate to have experienced life at any level elsewhere seem to have a better understanding that there is much more of a world beyond the tropical beaches.

Of course, I am generalizing somewhat but I am in no way saying that there aren't those out there who haven't been "out there" who aren't so small-minded. There are many. What bothers me are the instances such as being asked, "Why would you want to go to school on the mainland? Everything you need is here." True, it can be said that everything you've experienced up to that point is everything, but what I wonder is how can someone grow up literally on an island, and not feel that the rest of the world has something to offer them? And to be quick at saying something like "fucking haole" on top of that, I just see it as arrogance from ignorance - oddly what we Americans generally suffer from.

The worst part of this syndrome, I feel, is that many locals' bosses at work are "stupid haoles." I hear this quite a bit. Now let's face it, the face of Hawaii is changing rather rapidly. Just as has happened in other desirable cities, the locals end up moving out because they can't afford to live where they grew up. The booming construction of homes in Honolulu are listed at prices that the majority of locals cannot afford. Who's buying them? - foreigners and "fucking haoles." Liliha and Ewa Beach are being bought up by outsiders; it would be unwise to think that those areas will be the same for much longer. As one who has grown up in Hawaii, it is sad to see this happening all while many locals of my age end up choosing to not go to college, or to drop out and work a low end, entry-level job which may be for a company managed or owned by a "fucking haole" who could afford to move into one of the new luxury condos. This, in the end, is an automatic submission to a higher power. "Fucking haole" ends up looking like an excuse, because while all this is happening right around them, they live as if they aren't helping the very thing they hate take place.

It's unfortunate that sometimes we have to adapt to change, especially when we're not ready for it or we simply are blind to it. I would hope that Hawaii's locals see that their world is changing whether they like it or not, and realize that they should do something positive about it. I would hate to go back to a home I don't recognize, all because some were too busy saying, "fucking haoles."