FACTS VS FEELINGS: Is Hawaiian a Dead (or Nearly Dead) Language?

Forget for a moment that anyone researching the Hawaiian language will learn that UNESCO considers it to be “critically endangered”.

The numbers speak for themselves. Less than .1% of Hawai’i residents speak Hawaiian. More island people speak Japanese or Chinese or Filipino than Hawaiian. English is nearly universally spoken (followed by pidgin English), while only 2,000 part-Hawaiians out of 1.435 million speak Hawaiian. Only 24,000 people across the islands speak the language. That’s just .016% of the entire population. That’s a dead language or a near dead language.

Those are the facts.

Then, there are the

feelings.

Many people probably assume that far more people speak Hawaiian. But they are wrong. Everyone knows a few Hawaiian words or even phrases. But that’s a far cry from being able to put together sentences, paragraphs, two-way conversations and even books.

As with many touchy subjects, feelings often trump facts; especially when the facts contradict a widely accepted (though totally false) narrative. The emotionally-charged feelings aroused by the assertion that the Hawaiian language is dead include accusations of racism, insensitivity, colonizer mindset, and an assumed hatred of part-Hawaiians and a disdain for their perceived historical grievances.

While the fact is that Hawaiian is a nearly dead language, many have been radicalized into believing that the Hawaiian kingdom can be restored, that Hawaiian language and culture will triumph, and that those who aren’t part-Hawaiian will leave the islands. This is the source of the harsh and fact-ignoring reaction to the 100% accurate statement that almost nobody in this island state of nearly 1.5 million people have bothered to learn to speak Hawaiian, even though tools and classes and videos and other sources of instruction are easy to find

Tens of millions of tax dollars have been spent in Hawai’i. But there simply isn’t the demand for learning to speak a language which won’t get you ahead in the world. Sure, it’s a romantic and nostalgic and idealistic dream to want Hawai’i to be just like it was and just like sovereignty activists envision a future Hawai’i could be.

But those feelings can’t eliminate the pesky facts. Tribal tattoos are easier to obtain than linguistic achievement in a language which isn’t at all necessary to learn in the year 2025. Putting a sovereignty flagpole on the rear end of a pickup truck is also easy. Virtue signalling without doing real work (such as learning Hawaiian) is how most part-Hawaiians are actually embracing the lahui’s aspirations. It might be different if you needed Olelo Hawaiian to buy groceries or get a job or drive a car or go to school. But English and pidgin are everywhere. Hawaiian is far, far, far from everywhere. It’s a fact. Maybe it’s uncomfortable. Maybe it makes the easily triggered radicals lash out with accusations of racism. But it’s TRUE.

So, pick feelings over facts if you must. Kamala just finished assaulting us with months of feelings. But the country clearly chose reality when voting for the facts that Trump laid before the voters. It would be great if there was no crime, no inflation, no illegal immigration, and no threats from our adversaries. But, those wishes are just feelings. I’ll go with facts each and every day, even if the mob gets their panties in a bunch when their delusion is called into question.

I don’t personally see the value of spending billions teaching Hawaiian language to a population which doesn’t need it and isn’t clamoring for it. But, to those who want to increase the number of Hawaiian speakers, we surely can agree on the universal definition of a dead language is one which barely anyone speaks. 2,000 out of 1.5 million is dead, dead, dead. Don’t shoot the messenger. Don’t live in fantasyland. Accept the facts and accept the challenge.

Kai On Your Side 🌺