Your National Dish Of Shame

[Isamu]

@CairoCarol

Not in the circles I travel in! Of course, it is an extremely minor mistake and no one would jump on anyone who left it out. But it is DEFINITELY considered wrong, unless part of a name that was legally created as “Hawaii.” For example, the trust I wrote many posts about had the word “Hawaii” in the name (no okina) and I always spelled it that way.

But if I’m writing a proposal or a press release and I refer to the Big Island by its actual name, I never leave it out. (The local newspaper always removes it, though - I assume that is a style guide decision they made, perhaps because their software isn’t able to handle a macron and they’d like to be consistent.)

A mildly humorous story (for those who know Hilo, anyway): When I first started coming to the Big Island over 2 decades ago, I quickly picked up on the fact that a major street in town was “Kinoole.” I assumed this was pronounced “Ki- NOOL-ee” and always wondered why a major street on the Big Island had an Irish-sounding name.

Eventually all the signage was updated and the okina added – now I know it is “Kino’ole Street.” I wonder if I ever called it KiNOOLee to locals who chuckled behind my back.

From your user name I tend to assume you are Hawai’i born and raised. I know that as a carpetbagger I shouldn’t tell you how things are done in Hawai’i. But I’m wondering if it has something to do with the sector one is in? I work with a non-profit cultural organization; for us it would be extremely wrong not to respect the Hawaiian language.

Thank you. You educate me about many pacific island issues and I am always thankful. I am not anything related to Hawaii at all. I’m an Irish-German mutt of an Australian who lives in Japan and has never been to Hawaii.

I don’t see things the way you do. It’s just a different way of viewing things I guess. I would never adopt the mindset of the people who hate me, just to try and fit in. I’m not exactly saying that’s what you are doing, but it would feel that way to me. Listen to people, they will tell you who they are. If they want to call you and your kind a racial slur, as they do in Hawaii, and you just take it, well that’s your choice. Some natives might like you just for who you are, but as a group, they hate you.