Mister, I get da plan fo my tesis.

In my thesis I want to explore how speaking Hawaiian Pidgin works as a type of code to signify a person’s Localness. In Hawaii, speaking Pidgin is a fundamental display of identity and it functions almost like a secret handshake. Knowing and using it helps you identify those like you, try to fake it and you are immediately recognized as an impostor. There are varying degrees of Pidgin, which can range from light and hardly noticeable to thick and difficult to understand by untrained ears. Most speakers are bilingual; they will switch between Pidgin and proper English based on the situation and who they are conversing with, often without even noticing.

I also want to explore my own Pidgin accent, and all the implications that come along with it. Growing up in a house where my mother (from the mainland) spoke proper english and my father (raised in Waimea) used a fair amount of Pidgin, I would place my accent towards the lighter end of the scale. But I still participate in the handshake.

I think its only fair that I explore my own relationship with Pidgin, because I believe that each speaker has a unique and distinct connection to the language. I definitely want to include other people in this project, but since I’m in Portland and unable to have many face to face conversations with people about their Pidgin, I think its best that I focus on myself.

I want both Mainlanders and people from Hawaii to be able to get something from this project. For non-Pidgin speakers, I want them to gain a better understanding of the nuances of Hawaii’s culture and language. This is going to go beyond hula, luaus, and flower leis; the superficial ideas that usually pop up when discussing Hawaiian society. As for the people from Hawaii, I’m not exactly sure what I want them to get from this. I definitely want them to reflect upon their language, how and when it is used and what it means. What I’m not sure about yet is how much of myself I want to expose in this; to bare my soul or not. To what extent do I want to discuss my experience of being born and raised a Haole (white person) in the islands? How personal will this become, what is appropriate? I suppose I’ll have to figure this out as I am working. 

Deliverable: I’d like to make a book of this. I could also publish it online.