Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm just curious what children in the mainland United States are taught about Hawaiian history in your average public schools. I realize that many people here are history buffs and know a lot aboutt lots of different regions, but I just want to know what your average American knows about Hawaiian History...
I recall my parochial school had a book on Hawaii that had the history in it, about how the islands were united followed by the various Kamekahama (sp) kings (one of who adopted what is now the state flag, the design showing that they were freindly to the English as it incorporates a union jack). There was also the US influence from whalers & missionaries.
Then, finally, there was Queen Lillilkulani (sp), who built that palace and wrote what later became the state song. She was deposed, and Stanford Dole became president of a "Republic of Hawaii", then it was annexed to the US. And then it was a territory, then there was Pearl Harbor, then it became a state.
I'm just curious what children in the mainland United States are taught about Hawaiian history in your average public schools. I realize that many people here are history buffs and know a lot aboutt lots of different regions, but I just want to know what your average American knows about Hawaiian History...
I was in high school between 1952 - 1956.
We were taught that Hawaii was one of the U.S. acquisitions in its late entry into the empire game. And, surprisingly, we were taught that a coup was staged by rich U.S. immigrants to Hawaii and though the U.S. flag was raised that the U.S. government delayed annexation for two years out of embarrassment.
I was an anthropology major at university, and I had a one semester course on Hawaii that met once a week. The instructor was particularly interested in King Kalakaua, so we did get a bit bogged down on the family intrigues of his reign, though that was certainly a pivotal point in the history of an independent Hawaii.
I was taught Nothing Except Pearl Horbor. My son Graduated in 1993 Was not tought a thing!! I think it Sucks that Schools only consintrate on there states. My gf who home schools was just talking about that this morning!
I'm just curious what children in the mainland United States are taught about Hawaiian history in your average public schools. I realize that many people here are history buffs and know a lot aboutt lots of different regions, but I just want to know what your average American knows about Hawaiian History...
I bet you are going to find the responses deeply disappointing.
We aren't taught much of anything about it except that Pearl Harbor happened there. Most on the mainland have no idea of the various ethnic strains that make up modern Hawaii, nor when those came to the islands. But don't feel bad; the teaching of mainland history isn't much better. I'll give you what I know and what I presume to fill in gaps where I don't know, and if you'd like you can tell me how wrong I got it. No Googling on my part.
If memory serves, native Hawaiians are Polynesians whose ancestors migrated there centuries before from the southern Polynesian islands. The navigation itself was testimony to their ability as master seafarers, probably far more accomplished than most cultures of that timeframe. I don't remember when exactly the Polynesians came, but I'm pretty sure they were first. For some time they lived in their own way unmolested by anything except the considerable natural hazards of a region prone to danger from sea and land alike. I don't remember when foreigners first came to the islands, or which foreigners they were. Would not surprise me if they were Chinese.
As for my own understanding of Hawaiian history from the 1800s on, it is that once the United States decided it was going to own Owhyhee/the Sandwich Islands, the government did what it did with every other indigenous people: facilitate business interests raping the place for every dime they could extract from the land and its labor, brushing aside objections and indigenous leaders, doing all in its power to eradicate native religion, language and culture in order to turn the locals into imitations of Anglo-Americans, just with darker skin. Happened everywhere we went. The religion of the US has always been money, and our expansion is the story of the evangelizers and crusaders of this golden idol. I assume the result was that the locals had everything of value stolen from them, from children to land to religion, and were herded into the crappiest and least promising areas with the admonition to stay out of the way. No reason to expect we were gentler in Hawaii than in South Dakota or Tennessee.
As for today, a former girlfriend of mine teaches on the Big Island and she tells me it's dominated by the Japanese (I presume she means Japanese Americans, probably Sansei and post-Sansei). As in, anyone not Japanese (Anglo, Portuguese, Hawaiian, Chinese, Filipino, etc.) is in a lower social class. I don't know how widespread that is, but it doesn't really matter to me because Hawaii is the state I would least like to visit, except maybe South Carolina. I don't much care for tropical climates, and I've heard enough about outward friendliness concealing a seething resentment of outsiders and tourism to talk me out of going.
I'll go if necessary someday to make my wife happy, but I got the message loud and clear and I'm abiding by it. I don't fault them for it, because having seen American tourists on the loose in several foreign countries, if I were Hawaiian I wouldn't want 'em around either. Hawaiians have told me that the best approach in the islands is to be humble and polite and respectful, never arrogant. While that's true of most places, to me the most respectful thing I can do is just stay away and not join in the overrunning. Can do.
I'm not surprised, a tourist recently insulted our culture by telling me that Hawaii doesn't have any important history aside from Pearl Harbor. While this upset me, I was curious if this ignorance was mainstream on the mainland. I don't expect many to know much (every state has its own interesting history and it would be difficult to teach children everywhere all of the states individual history). Another odd unrelated reason was that I hear they are trying to work on a film on King Kamehameha for nation-wide release (united the Hawaiian islands). I was curious if anyone on the mainland would know who he was or would care about the story of Hawaii.
I was the first generation of Hawaiians on my mother's side born on the mainland, but my family was large and scattered between Lanai, Molokai and Maui as well as the Oakland and San Leandro area, so we spent a lot of time at get-togethers where the elders talked a lot of story. Just sitting around and listening afforded us a lot of history lessons about our people and their ancestors. I made sure to teach all that I remembered to my daughter and when visiting Hawaii make sure that she enjoys some cultural aspects - not just recreational. In Northern California we attended May Day and other heritage festivals, too. She has a lot of respect for her family's past and is really proud of her heritage! I also bought her a really good book which is well-worn and dogeared today - it's called Pacific Voices Talk Story by Margo King Lenson. It chronicles the lives of transplanted Hawaiians, Tongans, Maoris and Samoans. Not so much a history of our past as it is a living history of our people and where they are today. Excellent read.
Because I went to school in California I think we learned a little more about Hawaiian culture there than people in say - Nebraska, or Ohio. I married a native Texan who didn't know a darned thing about Hawaii and couldn't even name all the islands when we met. We changed that and when we married on Kahekili Beach our service was conducted in Hawaiian as well as English. I moved to Texas almost two years ago and have only seen one transplanted local since I got here. We introduced ourselves and hugged like we were sisters ... lol.
What I learned was ... beautiful beaches, kind and peaceful people and one really nasty shadowy figure who always eluded Jack Lord and Dano on Hawaii 50.
I'm just curious what children in the mainland United States are taught about Hawaiian history in your average public schools. I realize that many people here are history buffs and know a lot aboutt lots of different regions, but I just want to know what your average American knows about Hawaiian History...
We're not. Hawaiian history starts on 12-7-41 apparently.
I guess we don't like to brag how we took down the Hawiaan monarchy and stole the whole island chain.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
media
