Midge Gorman

                         Mixed Culture of the Hawaiian Islands

I have always found Hawaii to be an amazing mix of traditional with modern culture and a beautiful combination of Polynesian, Asian, and English languages.

It is difficult to figure out who is the dominate culture, the immigrant, and the minority. One would think American would be the dominate culture since that is the group who invaded the Islands only to change and rearrange all Hawaii held dear.  However, there is heavy Japanese influence everywhere in Hawaii. Behind the scenes though, old traditions are held very sacred to young and old. There does not appear to be huge interest in the “American Dream” as that represents more of the invasion forced upon these people.

Hawaiians still hold tight to traditions that are gradually weakening, although they will probably not disappear completely due to their earnest efforts to promote the Hawaiian culture. The Polynesian Cultural Center is a major draw for those visiting to sample a bit of the exotic flavor of this way of life. Not only does it serve to promote and preserve the heritage, it is a major source of jobs and education to the local population.

The Polynesian Cultural Center is a 42-acre facility on the North Shore of Oahu. Founded in 1963, the nonprofit Center was created so that the students of nearby Brigham Young University Hawaii could work their way through college by sharing their island heritage with visitors. The students come from an area that covers approximately 12 million square miles of the Pacific Ocean.

Many South Pacific nations are represented at the Polynesian Cultural Center, where recreated villages, exhibits and hands-on activities highlight eight of them: Samoa, Aotearoa (Maori New Zealand), Fiji, Hawaii, Marquesas, Tahiti, Tonga and Rapa Nui (Easter Island). At the heart of the PCC experience are the island villages, which offer visitors a unique opportunity to learn about — and participate in — the customs of each island.                                             http://www.polynesia.com/about-the-pcc.html

Once away from the artificial tourist traps with their superficial “aloha spirit”, one can begin to sense the real Hawaii as it is behind the scenes.  The people do not have the choice of returning home if they are unhappy. They are home yet many feel like a stranger looking in from the outside.

 Hawaiians have been forced to take on a number of cultural attitudes in order to survive but fiercely hang on to their Polynesian culture. Their economic infrastructure has been removed and the way of life changed so that they are dependent on American influence to survive, now there is no going back. Without tourism and the presence of the American military, Hawaii would wither much like a flower out of water on a hot day.

There is a heavy presence of domestic violence in the native population.

Religion is modern day, yet traditional Polynesian practices and superstitions also prevail. I recall a landslide blocking a road near a popular surfing spot. The reason that happened, so it was said, was that the mountain God was not happy with all the cars parked at the base of his mountain. That these people wish to maintain their separate identity is not in dispute. Their pride and dignity leads them to resist assimilation by their conquerors.

"The cause of Hawaii and independence is larger and dearer than the life of any man connected with it. Love of country is deep-seated in the breast of every Hawaiian, whatever his station."   - Lili`uokalani, Hawaii's last Queen

http://www.hawaii-nation.org/

They didn’t come to America, America came upon them by force. Is this the dominant culture? They do not aspire to it. There is also a heavy influx of the Asian culture but they do not aspire to that either. During my stays I have seen a great divide in the wealth of the Islands. The native Hawaiians are usually quite poor or just poor, the middle class seems to be mostly the military population, but the people with money appear to have fairly great wealth. It seems to be brought with them more than a matter of “working hard and prospering”.

Polynesians are similar to American Indians in that they have taken on a variant of assimilation that is peculiar to traditional societies.  Whether it is a matter of either economic survival or something else, they do seem to absorb and incorporate some of the new ideas into the traditional culture.  For instance, men may choose to wear a dress suit to a formal event (if pressed to do so), but they will adorn it with a floral lei rather than a boutonniere. A family may go to church on Sunday, yet may pay homage to a tree god who has blessed their yard with fruitful bounty.

 “Although a Supreme Being was supposed to rule over the universe, there were many other gods that symbolized the manifold objects and aspects of nature, which had to be invoked or placated” (iii)

Extended families still are a way of life in the Islands.  There is a high dropout rate in this group but gender inequality does not seem to be such an issue.  This acculturation proceeds gradually, as opposed to assimilation, which moves in a more rapid and uneasy pace. 

Mahalo for your interest in Hawaiian national rights and for your willingness to learn and network the true history and current status of the Hawaiian people.

The Nation of Hawai'i has been at the forefront of the Hawaiian rights movement for the past several years. Through consistent educational endeavors we have significantly advanced the restoration of social justice in Hawai'i and fostered global awareness of our cause.  http://www.hawaii-nation.org/support.html

 Hawaii has experienced involuntary participation and exploitation when being colonized by American.  In all their innocence, the Polynesians were taken over before they realized it and saw their way of life slipping away. Heroic measures are being taken to turn that tide although Hawaii will, most likely, continue to be a bi-cultural society.

Works Cited:

William D. Westervelt. “Myths And Legends of Hawaii”. Hawaii:  Mutual Publishing,  1997.

http://www.hawaii-nation.org/support.html

http://www.hawaii-nation.org/

http://www.polynesia.com/about-the-pcc.html