Identity In Kristiana's The Old Paniolo Way

As a native Hawaiian, Kristiana Kahakauwila has extensive knowledge on Hawaiian customs and culture. Though she was not raised in Hawaii, Kristiana is still connected to the culture. Her upbringing in California did not separate her from the customs of Hawaii. Kristiana has a master’s in fine arts and a degree in comparative literature. Her degrees and background with Hawaiian culture led her to write the book “This is Paradise,” which is composed of multiple short stories. Each short story unveils a new layer of Hawaiian culture that many people tend to overlook. Before the first short story begins, Kristiana sets the tone for the novel with the cover of the book. At first look the cover of the book features warm tones and the silhouette

“The Old Paniolo Way” focuses on the identity we form away from home and the identity we have when we return home. Kristiana expresses the theme through the tension the son has with his family after being embraced in a culture away from home. The story follows the tension between the old Hawaiian traditions and the new perspectives the son has learned on the continent. The story also focuses on how we address the fluctuations between our identities across place in a stressful situation. In the story, the narrator has an identity disturbance when he returns home as his father’s death draws near. The customs of his family frown upon his identity, which makes it hard for the narrator to open up to his family. In one scene in the story, the narrator tries to come out to his father but once again hides his identity (Kahakauwila 217). The narrator has become used to an accepting culture, but is once again thrown backwards when he returns home. The final story perfectly examines the different identities an individual can have across place. Kristiana uses this narration and Hawaiian terms once again in order to address the cultural differences present in