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Re: sending my "haole" children to Hawaii's schools
Posted by Kirt Nieft on 2/13/06

    All the negative stories in this thread?!?

    I have taught in Milwaukee, Peru, Thailand, New Zealand, California, and in Hawaii (Big Island) for the last
    several years, mostly in elementary schools. Our 8 year old daughter went to the wonderful local
    Montessori school (very mixed) through kinder and the local elementary school since 1st grade. We are
    haole and there has never been a story to tell about racism with our daughter. She doesn't even know
    what haole means when I mention it. When I explain, she remembers it.

    I have been called a f-ing haole one time, on my first day here teaching highschool SPED. I have been
    called VERY much worse in Milwaukee SPED classes.

    Much depends on the kids I guess, and how they handle it. Our duaghter has been hanging out with all
    the nationalities of the Big Island melting pot since birth and isn't intimidated much by cultural
    differences. There have been occasions where she has been thrown into a rough and tumble situation of
    local kids she has never met before at various celebrations. She always finds someone to play with.

    Some of our haole friends have sent their kids to private schools (tending to be more haole) and these
    kids often have a harder time in mixed sitiuations. If a kids sits on the side and expects the other kids to
    invite them in, it may not happen. If they are outgoing and/or confident enough, it won't likely be a big
    problem.

    Also the term "haole" isn't really degrading or anything. "F-ing haole" is, of course. But I use "haole" daily
    to reference whites usually. So does everyone I know.

    My take on the underlying racism here is that it is less of a problem than in any metropolitan area on the
    mainland. The resentment of locals about haoles moving in does very much vary depending on the
    attitude of the haole. It appears similar to to how Northern Wisconsin "locals" feel about arogant Chicago
    yuppies who buy lake property and then complain that it isn't like the suburbs of Chicago, or Oregon
    locals resenting Californians moving in.

    So in response to the orginal querie, it probably has less to do with how light your kids skin is as with
    your own attitudes, and your kids' "flexibility" and general sociality.

    Cheers,
    Kirt

     
     

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