Do Hawaiians still speak Hawaiian?

Today there are only about 2,000 people who speak Hawaiian as their native language. Currently, only English is required to be taught in Aloha State. With proposed legislation to teach Hawaiian in public schools, learning Olelo Hawai?i at every grade level could have a profound impact on Hawaiian culture.



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Haole is a Hawaiian word for non-native Hawaiian or Polynesian people, often referring to white people. Usage can be in an insulting or pejorative manner, but it usually refers to a foreigner or tourist.

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Hawaiian is a Polynesian member of the Austronesian language family. It is closely related to other Polynesian languages, such as Samoan, Marquesan, Tahitian, Maori, Rapa Nui (the language of Easter Island) and Tongan.

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Although it's a more complex transition than a relocation on the mainland, moving to Hawaii offers plentiful rewards: beautiful weather year-round, easy access to miles of gorgeous white sand beaches, abundant outdoor activities, and, of course, Hawaii's unique aloha spirit that infuses the local culture.

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And not all residents greet one another with Aloha. Remember, most of the population are not Kanaka Ma'oli (native Hawaiian). Hello, hi, or more often “howzit” is appropriate. Howzit especially is a typical greeting among those of us who have grown up here.

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White people in Hawaii, also known as Haole, are people of predominantly European descent. They form 22.9% of the population according to the 2020 United States Census.

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Pick up a few local words The two most important native words that you will likely hear all the time are Aloha and Mahalo. Aloha means both “hello,” and “goodbye,” and is used as a greeting when seeing someone for the first time and wishing them well at parting.

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“Native Hawaiian” is a racial classification used by the United States. In the most recent Census, 690,000 people reported that they were Native Hawaiian or of a mixed race that includes Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. There may now be as few as 5,000 pure-blood Native Hawaiians remaining in the world.

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The hierarchy of the richest and poorest ethnic groups in Hawai'i hasn't changed much since the 1970s, Okamura says. That ranking puts Japanese, Chinese and Whites at the top, with Filipinos and Native Hawaiians nearer the bottom.

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