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Kuulei Nitta English 305: Multicultural Literature Dr. A. Francis 11 June 2011 The Misrepresentation of Hawaii Creole English Hawaii is such a unique place filled with influences from many different cultures. Thats why Hawaii is commonly known as the Melting Pot where all these different cultures come together to form an exclusive way of life. Because of this special mixture of the different cultures, a new distinctive language was born: Hawaii Creole English, or Pidgin. Although, sadly, speakers of Hawaii Creole English are stereotyped as being uneducated, the language itself is looked at as a lesser form of English when this is not the case; rather, the language should be seen as that, just a language and a form of communication. Many people born and raised in Hawaii speak the Pidgin dialect and they arent as uneducated as most people assume they are. The book Wild meat and Bully Burgers by Lois-Ann Yamanaka gives the reader an insight into a little girls world while growing up on the Big Island in Hawaii. Lovey is an interesting character that feels constantly rejected. Shes not really sure of whom she really is, but she does want what any other little girl growing up wants, a place to belong. She grew up with little money, but with a loving and supporting family. Her neighbors, friends, and interactions helped to create who she became. There are many times in the novel where Lovey wants to be haole because of the perks that come with it. She also mentions that she doesnt like the way she talks, but she cant help it and its a constant battle for her because to fit in, she believes she has to speak haole. One of the opening chapters in the book talks about how Lovey is in English class and her teacher is attempting to teach the students how to speak Standard English. Being based in

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Hilo, Hawaii, the children in the class are after the plantation generation where their parents and grandparents spoke Pidgin to communicate. Lovey sees talking haole as more of a pretend thing. To her, speaking Standard English is something that isnt real, you only speak it when talking to a haole person, and even then, its hard. I like how Yamanaka puts it when Lovey says, I can make my words straight, thats pretty easy if I concentrate real hard. But the sound, the sound from my mouth, if I let it rip right out the lips, my words will always come out like home. (Yamanaka 13) The literature, and author, impacted the worlds view on Hawaii Creole English, and its effect on the people living in Hawaii. People stereotype Pidgin as being an unintelligent way to speak. Lovey knows it by the way she feels when her cousins talk, or how her family talks, even sometimes when she talks. In the book, Loveys father, Hubert, recognized how speaking the language makes other people assume you are unintelligent or ignorant. He tells Lovey, You better learn for talk like one haole like meyou smart, but they think you dumb. (Yamanaka 148). These are precious words of wisdom coming from Hubert, and although the book was placed in the 70s, those words still ring true to this day. In the article Speak pidgin, think pidgin, write pidgin? the author, Crystal Kua, looks at the timeless debate on how Hawaii Creole English is a hindrance to a childs learning in the classroom. On one side, the argument is that the reason why Hawaii has such low scores in English in national tests is because of the use of Pidgin English by the children. Mitsugi Nakashima, the Board of Education Chairman at the time, says that Standard English should be the norm in the classroom (article). His hypothesis is that students are speaking Pidgin English, so they are writing and thinking in Pidgin English too. This is a disadvantage because

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schoolwork at the national level is in Standard English. The further in education students go, Standard English is more essential for advancement. The other side of the argument, where Lois-Ann Yamanaka the author of Wild Meat and Bully Burgers stands, talks about how Pidgin is healthy for children to know. The language is a part of growing up in Hawaii and part of the culture. She says that every time we close the door on Pidgin, we close the door on culture which is very true. Pidgin is the local language of Hawaii, and if you speak it, it comes with a sense of belonging. Some students can speak both Pidgin and Standard English, depending on the environment and situation, they are known as code switchers (article). This is looked as a good thing because students can negotiate in different situations (qtd. In article). In the end, Pidgin has to be looked at as what it is, another language and form of communication. There is no problem with students thinking, writing, and speaking in Pidgin; if anything, it gives them their roots in their culture and belonging in their community. If students are having trouble in class writing in Standard English, they will have to be taught how to translate their Pidgin thoughts into Standard English text. There is really no getting rid of Pidgin; it is being passed down from generation to generation, always changing, and always being used. Hawaii Creole English, or whats more commonly referred to as Pidgin English, was created around 1852 when immigrants were brought in to Hawaii to work on the various pineapple and sugar cane plantations. The beginnings of Pidgin mostly consisted of a mix of Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, and Portuguese languages. It was only spoken among the plantation workers, who didnt go to school because they worked all day, which is probably why it got such a bad reputation for being stupid and an uneducated way of speaking. Essentially, the

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plantation workers made up their own language so they can understand each other, and some of the plantation bosses wouldnt know what they were saying. A Pidgin Language is when one or more languages are put together to form a means of communication and when there is no need, it dies off. A Creole (like Hawaii Creole English) is when that pidgin lasts longer than two generations (Robin). Hawaii Creole English is unique to Hawaii and its people; it helps to form a special bond between families and friends near and far. Pidgin is considered to be an integral part of Hawaiis culture and many people, like Yamanakas quote from earlier, see it as the language of home. Hawaii Pidgin isnt just a language (although there are many people out there that would argue that it really isnt); it is a form of communication. Pidgin is a part of the melting pot culture of Hawaii, its a way of identification, and gives the speaker a sense of familiarity. The people who werent from Hawaii, or who hasnt resided in Hawaii for a really long time wont know or understand Hawaii Creole English. Usually, with misunderstanding comes misinterpretation. Because Hawaii Creole English is a language unique to Hawaii, those who havent heard of it or dont understand it are left in the dark. This misunderstanding is what breeds the stereotype, along with Hawaiis test scores, of the people of Hawaii being uneducated. Sadly, the stigma of Hawaii Creole English speakers being unintelligent is still in action today. What is more depressing is the fact that with the Hawaiian culture becoming more popular, people confuse Hawaii Creole English with the Native Hawaiian Language. People then assume they can speak Hawaiian when they are actually speaking Hawaii Creole English. Hollywood and the Mainstream always end up showing the negative side of Hawaii and the locals that reside here. For Example, in the movie 50 First Dates, starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, one of the actors (Rob Schnider) was playing a local named Ula who had a

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glass eye and five children. His accent wasnt anything like the local accent in Hawaii, and his lines had some Hawaiian language thrown in. Its mainstream movies and tv shows that add to the negative stereotype that Hawaii ends up being stuck with. With Pidgin Gaining popularity (whether good or bad), there are more books and literary work being published and sold mainstream. There is Da Jesus Book which is the New Testament was translated into Hawaii Creole English by the Pidgin Bible Translation Group. It took 13 years and a team of 27 people to collaborate the book, and it is sold in Walmart and various bookstores. Because it sold so much and many people are buying it, the same creators of Da Jesus Book are translating the Old Testament and it will be called Da Befo Jesus Book (website). There are also the Pidgin to Da Max books written by Douglas Simonson, Pat Sasaki, and Ken Sakata. These two books inform readers, through illustrations and comics, the definition of words and phrases found in the Language. The first book was published in 1981 and a second Pidgin to Da Max: Hana Hou followed in 1992. There are many more dictionaries and grammar books coming out that explain and decipher Pidgin. Lois-Ann Yamanakas first publication came out in 1993; it was a collection of short stories titled, Saturday Night at the Pahala theatre. The book had mixed reviews because of her use of Hawaii Creole English. Although, Yamanaka did do what many people were afraid to, or didnt know how to do: put Pidgin into a story and got it published as literature. She put it out there that Pidgin isnt something to be afraid of and that you should be proud of your culture and embrace it with open arms. This attitude is infectious and has spread to many local publishers, playwrights, authors, and artists.

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The University of Hawaii at Manoa offers an Undergraduate Certificate in Pidgin and Creole Studies (uhm). This is under the Department of Second Language Studies. The program was established in 2007 and is particularly helpful to students that want to become teachers in Hawaii, or are studying Hawaiian studies and linguistics. Hawaii Creole English is still growing and evolving, there are new vocabulary words being added with every new fad that comes around. Some words are getting phased out wither because theyre too old, or because no one uses them anymore. With such a national widespread acceptance of Hawaii Creole English, why is it that the language still has many negative connotations, and not only the language, but the people who speak it? The public should be more accepting of the Hawaii Creole English language and not see it as a lesser form of English, but rather an interesting, unique, and culture-filled form of communication.

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Bibliography 50 First Dates. Dir. Peter Segal. Perf. Rob Schnider. 2004. Hargrove, Ermile, Kent Sakoda and Jeff Siegel. "Hawai'i Creole." Lanugage Varieties. 14 February 2011 <http://www.hawaii.edu/satocenter/langnet/definitions/hce.html>. Kua, Crystal. "Speak pidgin, think pidgin, write pidgin?" Honolulu Star-Bulliten 2 November 1999. Net Industries. Lois-Ann Yamanaka Biography. 2011. 4 June 2011 <http://biography.jrank.org/pages/4852/Yamanaka-Lois-Ann.html>. Pidgin Bible Translation Group. "Who Make?" 2009. Da Pidgin Bible. 3 June 2011 <http://www.pidginbible.org/2-who_make.htm>. Robin, Jennifer. "What is the Difference Between Pidgin and Creole?" 15 April 2010. ehow.com. 13 February 2011 <http://www.ehow.com/about_6308029_difference-between-pidgincreole_.html#ixzz1E5zoFGRz>. University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Second Lanugage Studies. Charlene Sato Center for Pidgin, Creole and Dialect Studies. 14 February 2011 <http://www.hawaii.edu/satocenter/pace/index.htm>. University of Hawaii at Manoa, Second Language Studies Program. Pidgin and Creole. 4 June 2011 <http://www.hawaii.edu/sls/index.php?link=view_handbook&section=106>. Yamanaka, Lois-Ann. Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers. New York: Farrah Straus Giroux, 1996.