Pidgin Hawaii

In the nineteenth century in Hawaii, a vernacular was created that English speakers and Non-English speakers used to communicate. The language is called Hawaiian Creole English or what's locally known as Pidgin. Pidgin is a vernacular that originated on the plantation fields in Hawaii in the 1920’s. Pidgin is part of Hawaii’s roots and should not be abandoned because it is more that just a language, it is a dialect that makes locals in Hawaii who we are. Despite the fact that Pidgin is unique to Hawaii, Pidgin is judged and discriminated against by some Standard English speakers. Some mainlanders think Pidgin is nonsense. I believe Pidgin should be preserved because future generations should get to experience the dialect. Although I think Hawaiian

Pidgin is the voice of Hawaii. Some people in Hawaii are non Standard English speakers, so they communicate using Pidgin. Pidgin is judged and discriminated against by other vernaculars such as Standard English. Eileen Tamura, a historian and professor of education at UH, informs us that the mainlanders that came to Hawaii in the 1920’s did not like the fact that Hawaiian Creole English speakers were integrating with the Standard English speakers. (Pidgin: The Voice of Hawai'i) In the 1920’s school segregated the Standard English speakers and the Non-Standard english speakers. The administrators created a Standard English speaking schools for the children who were caucasian and spoke like caucasians. Today Pidgin is still being discriminated against by some mainlanders because they think Hawaiian Creole English sounds unprofessional or it is a street talk. Some mainlanders think Hawaiian Creole english is like street talk because it is a Hawaii slang. Furthermore, the Department of Education has treated Hawaiian Creole English as a subdialect and not its own language. Charlene Sato, former chair of UH’s PH.D program states “Native HCE speakers who learn Standard English are generally considered deficient in English rather that bilingual.” I disagree with Charlene Sato because I plead that Hawaiian Creole English is considered a language and

Standard English is the universal language everyone knows. People are taught from elementary school how to speak Standard English. In Hawaii some of the locals are bilingual and can speak Hawaiian Creole English and Standard English, but others only know how to speak Hawaiian Creole English. When I was going to school I often spoke Hawaiian Creole English and my teachers would tell me to speak English. My teachers told me to speak Standard English in school but at home my parents and grandparents would speak to me in Pidgin. Now I know when the appropriate times to speak Hawaiian Creole English is. At home I speak pidgin but when in the classroom or somewhere professional I speak Standard English. I speak pidgin only at home and to my friends because some people may not understand Hawaiian Creole English the way my friends and family do. I understand that Standard English is the universal language because if it weren't for Standard English people would have a difficulty understanding each other. Former Hawaii Governor Ben Cayetano, who spoke the language growing up claimed that “If you use Pidgin, it can really affect your grammar.” I agree with Cayetano because Hawaiian Creole English is broken English and should be used in a casual conversation and not in a work or school force. Standard English is an asset in the classroom