2 min readfrom Hawaii News, Advice, and Aloha

Any other locals (non-kanaka) feel guilt living in Hawaii, even though you're born and raised?

My other half is kanaka (Filipino-Hawaiian), and I am local (Filipino-White). All our family is here and we had our whole education from K-12 and to UH for undergraduate and graduate school. I'm a teacher and he is a state worker on Oahu. Life is good, but recently I've been having this feeling that I don't belong here even though my whole life has been here. I literally grew up hating America (history from my 7th grade Kumu), in the lo'i, danced hula, made lei to pass time, and took Hawaiian language classes.

When I see the Hawaiian sovereignty movement, I get sad. I know economically it'd be tough, but when I watch reruns of Haunani Trask's videos on youtube, I just sit and cry. When I see my other half's family with their Hawaiian wives and kids, I can't help but feel said like I'm "diluting" the Hawaiian bloodline. Also, as I get older, I'm starting to look more white and people are just so judgmental when they see a Hawaiian dating a white-looking person. His family doesn't make me feel this way, but you can see it from all the girls when we're walking through the mall or at restaurants. It's like I always have to prove that I'm local enough, and I am so over it. I want to live somewhere that I can just be and don't have provide qualifiers for my existence.

I've talked to my other half about moving to the mainland where we have family that moved there, but then I feel worse for potentially moving another Hawaiian from the islands. I obviously don't want to break up, but I just have so many mixed emotions. I feel like I've built my life up in a place that was never meant for me.

Are there any other locals feel this kind of guilt?

submitted by /u/Accomplished-Fix1360
[link] [comments]

Want to read more?

Check out the full article on the original site

View original article

Tagged with

#Hawaiian mixology
#family activities Kauai
#local dining Kauai
#kanaka
#Hawaiian
#local
#Filipino
#Oahu
#sovereignty movement
#mixed emotions
#diluting
#bloodline
#Hula
#lei
#Hawaiian language
#graduate school
#identity
#education
#guilt
#qualifiers