Haoles in Hawai'i

Haoles in Hawai‘istrives to make sense of haole (Hawaiian for “white person”) and “the politics of haole” in current debates about race in Hawai‘i.

Recognizing it as a form of American whiteness specific to Hawai‘i, the author (who grew up in Kaua‘i and O‘ahu) argues that haole was forged and reforged over two centuries of colonization and needs to be understood in that context.

Haole reminds us that race is about more than skin color as it identifies a certain amalgamation of attitude and behavior that is at odds with Hawaiian and local values and social norms.

By situating haole historically and politically, the author asks readers to think about ongoing processes of colonization and possibilities for reformulating the meaning of haole.