Posted by Kaapuikinaea on March 12, 2009 at 12:00pm
There's a manager here at work who is about to have a baby and was curious about a Hawaiian name for her baby girl yet to be born. Just now she was talking to a co-worker and I had my earphones in my ear and noticed them laughing so when I turned to them to find out what they were talking about, she and my co-worker said "Riley Kalani Oku". That was in reference to the possible name she may use for her child. Whatever.But to make matters worse, I hate it when people are picky about Hawaiian names based on the "sound" of it. This applies to other Hawaiians too. It's either too long or too short/not long enough for them to use, or as in the case of a cousin of mine, associate the name by a street. So fucking ridiculous!This woman also said how my name sounded like a girl's name. But before she said that, she said that Kalani would sound good for a girl. She asked if it could be for a girl and I told her that it could. I said how Hawaiian names do not have a gender attached to it, and that's when she said it sounded it could be for a girl.So she and my co-worker just laughed.I get so sick and tired of these Chinese and Mexicans or any other ethnic groups who are like some Haole if not cultureless people, who feel that laughing at our culture, etc. is okay but we can't talk shit about their culture, etc. because then we're seen as racists. Fucking shit, that really pisses me off.I swear if it wasn't for the bad economy, these people really would hear shit they wouldn't want to. Keep in mind I don't openly talk personal stuff like that, about my culture or heritage with others. I always let them ask me the questions and usually just answer what they ask, rather than give out too much information.Fucking assholes.To make matters worse, this woman (again) talked about her mother-in-law's family is from Hawaii. And I said, "oh, so her family is from O'ahu." You know how apparently Hawaii and Oahu are synonymous. Then she said that her mother-in-law is Japanese....Japanese Hawaiian. So I said, "oh, she's part Hawaiian then?" I had even asked the family name, which she gave a Japanese name. *rolls eyes* She said that her family has been there for 3 generations. Big fucking deal. My filipino side has been there for 7 generations, doesn't mean anything really.First of all, if they're not going to recognize the nationality, they better understand how many people use it as the ethnicity. It definitely isn't a REGIONAL term.
Hey, just give her the suggestion "Kukae"... or worse yet, like my anakala Hanalei, "Hene". Ha! He told my haole ex-wife, that it meant flower, holy shit we busted up!!!
See, at least you use more traditional namingnpractices, as in inoa hoomanao which is a commemorative name that marksnsomething in time, or an inoa kupuna which is a family name or a name named after a kupuna. I was just telling my other friend of KUKAE and how my uncle in the 70s joked with people abt Kukae bei g a nice sounding name. I dunno why I didn't think of that name which, if she's concerned abt how it sounds good, or maybe that's what she may think. But because I see her daily, that could cost me my job. LOL
Naming a child should be more significant to give him or her a genealogy with it. As for all my children, at least they know where their inoa comes from. Each name is significant to their grandmother and a mo'olelo that goes with it which is unique in time.
Worst scenrio, the woman will give the wrong meaning or interpretation and still screw up using the Hawaiian name incorrectly. If it sounds good to them, it will use it without regards to its meaning. LOL
And one of my best friends is a cop who deals with major crimes and he always tells me dat about some locals. It makes some local people say and/or do WHACK things. Hello... what kine Hawaiian YOU know who act LIDAT? Who ack so HO'OHAOLE and uh... WHACK. Seriously... TELL ME but if they smoke it you can't really tell by the teeth. Instead it's how dey ACK as in WHACK.
Yeah I actually deleted my responses to you... because it was something else then ICEbox came into mind them bam! ICE addict. Tell me if that is not a sign LOL Things happen for a reason... and I think that may be THE reason why you had that with the ICE box because eventually you would come into contact with an ICE head. It makes sense you know and I am serious LOL
See... I had a feeling they asked you. AGAIN LOL People here know NOT to ask me because when they do I IGNORE the question LOL You only being your name though ....
Hmm, actually, she did ask me about Hawaiian names. I told her that I had some already chosen, but I wouldn't share w/ her. lol I told her to ask her husband's family and she said, "yeah, I'll do that" but never did. Only to hear her talking to my coworker about my own name. Fuck. lol
Them wanting to use my name or any Hawaiian name is one thing. When they start analyzing w/ stupidity, like saying it SOUNDS this way, or SOUNDS that way, like more for a girl, or not, or too long, that fucking bugs me and just ignores our culture and naming practices pre-missoinary days.
Comments
Naming a child should be more significant to give him or her a genealogy with it. As for all my children, at least they know where their inoa comes from. Each name is significant to their grandmother and a mo'olelo that goes with it which is unique in time.
Worst scenrio, the woman will give the wrong meaning or interpretation and still screw up using the Hawaiian name incorrectly. If it sounds good to them, it will use it without regards to its meaning. LOL
namaka'eha
Ohhhh ICEbox... ICE ADDICT. See I knew there was a reason why you did that with the icebox. He hoailona?
Them wanting to use my name or any Hawaiian name is one thing. When they start analyzing w/ stupidity, like saying it SOUNDS this way, or SOUNDS that way, like more for a girl, or not, or too long, that fucking bugs me and just ignores our culture and naming practices pre-missoinary days.
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