On Thu, 25 Sep 2003, Dan Birchall wrote:
> robefortu1@nojunk (RobeFortu1) wrote:
> > I learned something interesting. While it was
> > illegal for Hawaiians to speak their Native
> > language in Hawaii other races such as the Japanese
> > were permitted to teach their language and cultures
> > in private schools, etc... Why were Native
> > Hawaiians singled out during that time forbidden to
> > speak their Native language while others were not?
>
> I believe the word used in policy circles would be
> "assimilation." -Dan
Saw the show too. I think the problem with the Indians
was slightly different from the Hawaiians. The Indians
had to go to boarding schools because they did not live
as close distances to the school. So they lost the
language because they did not speak to their parents in
that language. And their white teachers who did not
speak the native language insisted that the students
speak English. How else could they teach? An immersion
in English was the only way that they could communicate
with the students. This is similar to the way that
other races in Hawaii lost their native language. Since
they were bi-lingual they began speaking to their kids
in English. The private schools really weren't that
good at preserving the native language of non-speakers.
With Hawaiians, yes assimilation seems to dominate,
since there seemed to be a culture clash with the
Christian missionaries. It would have been better for
the early Christian missionaries to just shuck their
New England prudishness and values, and to have gone
native. It's too hot to wear much clothes in the
islands. Those early pictures with victorian clothes
and arms all covered must have been uncomfortable to
shoot.
--alvin
Matters of Race 
