Many Cultures

First came the Polynesian voyagers, then European and American explorers, missionaries, whalers, traders, ranchers and entrepreneurs, then waves of laborers from Japan, China, the Philippines. Now Hawaii is home to all these cultures, plus other immigrants from Southeast Asia and around the Pacific Basin.

With each people has come their culture—their food, religion, language, music and sense of family. And let us say again: their food. Poi and imu (earth-oven) roasted pig from Polynesia, saimin from Japan, won ton from China, kim chee from Korea, curries from Thailand, fish sauces from Vietnam, soup and sausages from Portugal—don’t get us started. As you drive around the Big Island you will come across countless eateries, ranging from holes-in-the-wall serving local-style piled-high plate lunches to restaurants famous for Hawaii Regional Cuisine.

The Islands’ incredibly rich tapestry of cultures also presents itself in the performing arts. Hawaiian hula and slack-key guitar, the ukulele with its Portuguese roots, Caribbean-influenced “Jawaiian” pop music, Japanese obon folk dancing and taiko drumming, Tahitian dance, Italian opera, Russian ballet, African drums—on Hawaii Island you can see all of these whether they’re at a street party or a world-class theater.

Considering that, geographically, Hawaii is the most isolated place on the planet, it may seem surprising that we have come to be such a rich multi-cultural community. But it’s really not surprising at all that Hawaii has become home to so many peoples from so many cultures. It all springs from what the first stewards of these islands taught us—the spirit of aloha.