Reid Ginoza at 00:38, 10 April 2006

2006-04-10T00:38:22Z

Jennifer Wada at 10:45, 8 March 2006

2006-03-08T10:45:40Z

New page

44) requiring debates in the legislature
to be in English resulted in
the need for interpreters and
translators for the Territorial House
and Senate (until 1907) just to conply
with the law for those legislators not
fluent in English. The laws were
disseminated to the general electorate
through the Hawaiian press, and
ballots remained in Hawaiian until the
1960's. At the beginning of the
territorial period, English speakers
in government not fluent in Hawaiian
were often closed out of political
discussion.
While the Hawaiian language was
still quite strong in public life in
the early days of the Territory, the
main loss of language came through the
r,;hool system, which attacked the
-anguage at its most vulnerable and
important point, the children from
Hawaiian-speaking homes. During the
Republic and Territory, Hawaiian was
strictly forbidden anywhere within
school yards or buildings, and
physical punishment for using it could
be harsh. Teachers who were native
speakers of Hawaiian (many were in the
first three decades of the Territory)
were threatened with dismissal for
using Hawaiian in school. Some were
even a hit leery of using Hawaiian
place names in class. Teachers were
sent to Hawaiian-speaking homes to
reprimand parents for speaking
Hawaiian to their children. Most
subtle of all, but most effective, was
a psychological approach emphasizing a
European view of precontact Hawai'i as
a simple world that alternated between
paradise and hell; a world whose
original language had no relevance as
a first language in modern or future
Hawai'i. The reference to Hawaiian as
an obsolete language is especically
audacious in light'of modern use of
Hawaiian to conduct monarchical
business, the legislature, and other
Western activities.
This psychological approach stem»e<
from an ideological belief in the
superiority of the American ethnic
group and its culture by the
administration of the Department of
Education. This department was
controlled, not by the popularlyelected
legislature, but by the
appointed governor, who was part of
the Engish-speaking community. The
administrative bias against Hawaiian
language was so powerful that the
Department of Education effectively
ignored both the letter and spirit of
laws emanating from the legislature tc
ensure the survival of the Hawaiian
language through the school system.
The major laws referred to here are
the act of 1919 requiring that
Hawaiian be taught in high schools and
teachers' colleges, and a 1935
provision requiring daily instruction
in the language in schools serving
Hawaiian Home areas. Both provisions
were deleted from the law in 1968, but
a new requirement was revived in the
form of an amendment to the Hawai'i
Constitution in 1978.
Resistance to English usage was
steadfast in Hawaiian churches, where
reading and writing Hawaiian language
was incorporated into the Sunday
school curriculum. It has only been
in the past two decades that English
services have predominated in many
Hawaiian churches, and this has
occurred primarily because most
native-speaking Hawaiian ministers
have died. While other Hawaiian
churches go to considerable efforts
to include Hawaiian readings, lessons,
and hymns in the predominantly English
services today, there are still
congregations that conduct their
services entirely in Hawaiian. Like
the churches, Hawaiian benevolent
organizations strictly maintain the
Hawaiian language.
{{p|196}}

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 were often closed out of political
 discussion.
 While the Hawaiian language was
 still quite strong in public life in
 the early days of the Territory, the
 main loss of language came through the
-r,;hool system, which attacked the
+school system, which attacked the
--anguage at its most vulnerable and
+language at its most vulnerable and
 important point, the children from
 Hawaiian-speaking homes. During the
@@ Line 31: / Line 32: @@
 were threatened with dismissal for
 using Hawaiian in school. Some were
-even a hit leery of using Hawaiian
+even a bit leery of using Hawaiian
 place names in class. Teachers were
 sent to Hawaiian-speaking homes to
@@ Line 45: / Line 46: @@
 Hawai'i. The reference to Hawaiian as
 an obsolete language is especically
-audacious in light'of modern use of
+audacious in light of modern use of
 Hawaiian to conduct monarchical
 business, the legislature, and other
 Western activities.
-This psychological approach stem»e<
 from an ideological belief in the
 superiority of the American ethnic
@@ Line 55: / Line 57: @@
 administration of the Department of
 Education. This department was
-controlled, not by the popularlyelected
+controlled, not by the popularly-elected
 legislature, but by the
 appointed governor, who was part of
@@ Line 77: / Line 79: @@
 form of an amendment to the Hawai'i
 Constitution in 1978.
 Resistance to English usage was
 steadfast in Hawaiian churches, where

Template:Nhsc-v1-196 - Revision history

Reid Ginoza at 00:38, 10 April 2006

Jennifer Wada at 10:45, 8 March 2006