 Hawaii
– an Ethnically Mixed Plate
Hawaii is one of the most racially diverse places in the world as there
is no majority – everyone is in a minority. In the 2000 census, more
than 20 percent claimed multi-ethnic backgrounds, far more than any
other state. You will find a “mixed plate” of ethnic groups in Hawaii,
including Hawaiian, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Caucasian
and Japanese. More than half of
Hawaii’s population is at least part
Asian, about the same is part Caucasian, and about a quarter claim Hawaiian
ancestry.
As Hawaii has become a home to many different ethnic groups in the last
200 years, each ethnic group has added elements of its own culture to
local life. Today, contemporary
culture in Hawaii is a mix of the different
cultures and ethnic groups that make up its unique population.
 You
will also find a variety of cuisine in Hawaii, including beef stew,
chow fun, man doo, sukiyaki, and Portuguese sausage. The rich heritage
of cultures in Hawaii can be traced back to the old “plantation days”
in the islands, when various ethnic groups migrated to Hawaii to earn
a living and support their growing families.
It’s no doubt that the
Hawaiian culture has left an indelible mark in
the Hawaiian history. From the skillful, innovative ways of Polynesian sea voyaging,
to the ancient traditions of the Hawaiian ohana (family), we continuously
learn from our ancestors.
There are many ways to connect with both contemporary and historical
cultural activities throughout each island. The culture of Hawaii has
its origins in the traditional culture of the Native Hawaiians.
The Hawaiian language is now being taught throughout
Hawaii schools
and the legacy of the Hawaiian monarchy is still revered today. The
revitalization of the Hawaiian culture continues to remind us that the
past clearly defines the present.
Decline of Native Hawaiian Population
When Capt. James Cook arrived in Hawaii in 1778, there were, depending
on the various estimates available, between 300,000 and 400,000 Native
Hawaiians. Over the next century, the Native Hawaiian population dropped
between 80-90 percent. This decline was due, in large part, to the diseases
that included small pox, measles, whooping cough and influenza.
By 1878, the native population was estimated to be between 40,000 and
50,000 people. While drastically smaller than the population of just
one hundred years previously, the Native Hawaiians still comprised over
75 percent of the total population.
Over the last 120 years, the numbers of pure Hawaiians, those with only
Hawaiian blood, have continued to decline. Today, there are less than
8,000 pure Hawaiians alive. The number of those who are at least part
Hawaiian, and who consider themselves to be Hawaiian, has increased
steadily since the turn of the century.
Native Hawaiians Today
Today, there are estimated to be between 255,000 and 275,000 Native
Hawaiians living in Hawaii. What can be said about the Native Hawaiian
population of today is that it is growing at a rate of about 6,000 people
per year and at a higher rate than any other ethnic group in Hawaii.
The majority of the Native Hawaiian people, however, have less than
50 percent pure Hawaiian blood. As of the 1990 U.S. Census, there were
1,108,229 people living in Hawaii. Of those people, 369, 616 were Caucasian,
247,486 were of Japanese descent, 168,682 were of Filipino descent,
138,742 were of Hawaiian descent and 68,804 were of Chinese descent.
The Health Surveillance Program’s figures are different, showing Native
Hawaiians (205,079) to be the third largest ethnic group after Caucasians
(262,605) and Japanese (222,014). The Office of Hawaiian Affairs believes
that this discrepancy between the Health Surveillance Program numbers
and those of the U.S. Census Bureau is due to the fact that the HSP’s
numbers include those of mixed Hawaiian ancestry with any measure of
Hawaiian blood.
It is probable that many of these individuals, when asked to identify
themselves under a single ethnic category of the U.S. Census form, chose
an ethnic group other than Hawaiian. The Office of Management and Budget
of the U.S. Government announced in late October of 1997 that beginning
with the year 2000, census Native Hawaiians will have their own census
category.
 An
Ethnically Diverse State
Hawaii is clearly the most racially integrated state in the United States.
This ethnic diversity makes for a significantly different society than
is seen in the rest of the country. While Hawaii is in many ways a much
more culturally, ethnically and racially blended society than the rest
of the U.S. it is not, however, a society without its own racial and
ethnic issues.
It is often said that there are two types of Hawaiians, those of Hawaiian
blood and those who are Hawaiian-at-heart. There are also those who
are citizens of the state of Hawaii and who also call the islands their
home. The people of Hawaii will continue to cultivate a rich legacy
of culture and heritage with the passing of time – to ensure that such
a legacy is carried on for generations to come.
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