What are the classes in Hawaiian society?

Hawaiians were sharply divided into three main social classes: ali'i (chiefs), maka'ainana (commoners), and kahuna (priests). Oral legends tell us that the Islands were usually divided into six to eight small kingdoms consisting of an island or part of an island, each governed by an ali'i nui (ruling chief).



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Hawaiian people are an ethnically diverse group. Only about 10% of Hawaii's total population of 1.5 million identifies as ethnically Hawaiian. People that are ethnically Hawaiian have Polynesian roots and are part of the Pacific Islander group. The largest ethnic group of Hawaii is Asian, followed by White.

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Stereotypes of Native Hawaiians include: territorial bullies, overweight fellows, uneducated imbeciles, seductive hula dancers, drug addicts, and more (Tsai, 2004, p. 3).

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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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Hawaiian culture is based around age-old legends and superstitions, ranging from traditional gods and goddesses like Maui (a demi-god who pulled up the island from the sea bed), Pele (a wicked and deceptive volcano goddess) and her sister Poliahu (a snow god).

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