Apr 24, 20241 min read

To Speak Hawaiian or Not: That is the Question

Ever since the overthrowal of the Kingdom of Hawai’i, efforts have been made to extinguish the native language from the Islands. Today, that is starting to change – just starting.

It was not a new issue when a member of the Hawaii House of Representatives was called down for speaking Hawaiian in chambers. She endorsed the issue being discussed, but she did so in Hawaiian. When she was asked to speak in English, she refused. The representatives did not know how to respond. Should they hire an interpreter? See the newscast about this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOw3LWDLYPU&t=2s

Today, children are being taught the Hawaiian language in schools. Because so few people still speak Hawaiian, an elderly woman was brought in to help a class learn the language. Not only is the Hawaiian language being brought back. So are Hawaiian culture and traditions. See a video about this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRSrTorWnho

As Martha Stewart would say, “It’s a very good thing.”

2 Comments

honu59

Apr 27, 2024

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It is a very good thing. The Hawaiian language should be preserved and passed down to the next generation. Otherwise, it will be lost forever. I always liked when, in the early seasons of Five-O, Kono would speak Hawaiian and Chin would speak Chinese when questioning suspects. In my mind, it made Chin and Kono even more valuable. I don't think that Steve or Danno could do that. Also showed the variety of cultures in Hawaii. As Governor Jameson said in "Kiss the Queen Goodbye," "We are all minorities here."

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So very true.

To Speak Hawaiian or Not: That is the Question

Ever since the overthrowal of the Kingdom of Hawai’i, efforts have been made to extinguish the native language from the Islands. Today, that is starting to change – just starting.

As Martha Stewart would say, “It’s a very good thing.”

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2 Comments