Haoles in Hawai'i

Haoles in Hawai‘i strives to make sense of haole (white person/whiteness in Hawai‘i) 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 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.

For more information on Haoles in Hawaii, visit http://haolesinhawaii.blogspot.com/

Judy Rohrer grew up a haole girl on Kaua‘i and O‘ahu. She received her Ph.D. in political science from the University of Hawai‘i.