Academic

DOES HAWAII HAVE A RACISM PROBLEM? Celia Padron went on a Hawaiian vacation last year, lured by t?

By Glenn Reynolds

DOES HAWAII HAVE A RACISM PROBLEM?

Celia Padron went on a Hawaiian vacation last year, lured by the prospect of beautiful beaches and friendly people. She, her husband and two teenage daughters enjoyed the black sand beach at Makena State Park on Maui. But a Hawaiian girl accosted her two teenage daughters, saying, “Go back to the mainland” and “Take your white ass off our beaches,” says Padron, a pediatric gastroenterologist in New Jersey.

When her husband, 68 at the time, stepped between the girls, three young Hawaiian men slammed him against a vehicle, cutting his ear, and choked and punched him, Padron says. Police officers persuaded the Padrons not to press charges, saying it would be expensive for them to return for court appearances and a Hawaiian judge would side with the Hawaiian assailants, the doctor contends. . . . With no known hate groups and a much-trumpeted spirit of aloha or tolerance, few people outside Hawaii realize the state has a racism issue. One reason: The tourism-dependent state barely acknowledges hate crimes. That makes it hard to know how often racial violence is directed at Caucasians, who comprise about 25% of the ethnically diverse state’s 1.3 million residents. Those who identify themselves as Native Hawaiian ? most residents are of mixed race ? account for nearly 20%.

The Southern Poverty Law Center has a full report at the link. Interesting to see the SPLC taking notice.

UPDATE: Reader Bob Gailey writes:

Thanks to Clinton coming here and apologizing for the U.S.A overthrowing the Hawaiian Kingdom (there is another side to that story if one cares to look) and the subsequent movement by Senators Akaka and Inouye to push for Hawaiians getting their own government thanks to the Akaka Bill, it’s not surprisng the natives are getting bolder.

The story is also correct about the law enforcement over here. The judges and many on the police force are related to many of those who create problems here so when they were told it would be useless to press charges, they were correct. Again, thanks to Clinton for opening Pandora’s Box and Akaka keeping it from closing with the racist Akaka Bill…Hawaii will never be the same.

Another reader emails:

You betcha. The University of Hawaii had a ton of stuff posted on how Hawaii was for Natives and how non-natives should not have voting rights when I visited last year to lecture. I was warned by some freinds that lived there to be careful outside the cities and if I got into problems with a native, not to expect the police to take my side. There are lots of native only area, from what I was told, and despite the fact they are legally open to all, its not in reality. It was kinda like being a Christian in Saudi Arabia again. There is a strong secessionist movement that is very anti-white and wants the return of the old royality.

See what happens when the public schools stop pushing integration and instead push diversity. The SW next?

And SayUncle writes: “I spent my formative years there. Check out Kill Haole Day. Haole = derogatory term for whites.”

I’ve never vacationed in Hawaii — the Caribbean is closer and cheaper — but this doesn’t make me want to go anytime soon . . . .

Full post as published by Instapundit.com on August 31, 2009 (boomark / email).