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HAWAIIAN CREOLE ENGLISH: DEVELOPMENT AND CHALLENGES
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Hawaiian Creole English: Development and Challenges
Hawaiian Creole English (HCE), also called Pidgin, emerged in the early 20th century as
a working-class language in Hawaii. These factors were the main driving force behind the
development of HCE within socio-political and geographic contexts. Many labourers on the
plantation were recruited from different linguistic origins, such as Japanese, Portuguese,
Chinese, and Filipino; thus, a medium language was essential. According to Romaine (1994),
HCE had its roots in these various languages and was a creolized English that enabled the
workers to communicate. Its geographical isolation helped cement HCE as a separate language
variety different from SE and other dialects.
Map of Hawaii Islands
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Link: (https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.goholoholo.com
%2Fhawaii.html&psig=AOvVaw3sfvIFbioo0eA4Y7uTKGy4&ust=1720886114851000&source=
images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CAMQjB1qFwoTCOiDgdDuoYcDFQAAAAAdAAAAAB
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From the social perspective, HCE has been hugely marginalized and today is regarded
more as broken English than as an actual language. Khan and Akter (2021) note that such
stigmatization stems from colonialist-oriented perceptions that deem anything other than
Standard English inferior. Hawaii's educational system in the past excluded HCE. It encouraged
using Standard English in academic settings and educational advancement, making it difficult for
HCE speakers to get education and employment opportunities.
On the political level, the demand for sovereignty and the Hawaiian cultural renewal have
been instrumental in continuing the practice of HCE. Yamauchi et al. (2024) affirm that activists
and educators have tried to integrate HCE into curricula and literature because of its roles in
cultural and linguistic vitality. New practices aspire to provide academic and public recognition
to HCE, fight against the biases that faced it in the past, and implement linguistic variation.
In summary, the socio-political and geographical factors played a crucial role in forming
Hawaiian Creole English. Preventing HCE from being marginalized and eliminated emphasizes
its factors of cultural and linguistic diversity.
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References
Khan, I. J., & Akter, S. (2021). Pidgin and Creole: concept, origin and evolution. British Journal
of Arts and Humanities,:3(6), 164-170.https://doi.org/10.34104/bjah.02101640170
Romaine, S. (1994). Hawai'i Creole English as a literary language.:Language in Society,:23(4),
527-554. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047404500018182
Yamauchi, L. A., Chapman de Sousa, E. B., Ka ‘anehe, R. I., & Jensen, B. (2024). Instructional
Conversations for Equitable Participation to Challenge Deficit Views of Pidgin in Hawai
‘i.:Journal of Language, Identity & Education, 1-16.
https://doi.org/10.1080/15348458.2024.2366382
