Category: United States

Submitted by Catherine Cooper on the 2019 winter session study abroad program in Hawaii sponsored by the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences and the School of Education…

This week, our class had the opportunity to visit the Village Plantation to learn more about Hawaiian culture. We learned about what drew different groups of people to the Hawaiian plantation life. For example, Chinese people came to Hawaii in order to teach the Hawaiians how to field the sugar plantation. Hawaiians take pride in their diverse culture that includes the influence of the Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, and other groups of people.

We also learned about life on the plantation. The picture represents a hut that only Hawaiian men were allowed to build. If a female touched the hut, then the man would have to start over. Additionally, we learned that different huts had different purposes. One hut was meant for sleeping, one was meant for cooking, and one was meant for labor.

Submitted by Selena Calabrese on the 2019 winter session study abroad program in Hawaii sponsored by the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences and the School of Education…

Public transportation has become a major part of my study abroad experience. The bus is our main form of transportation to any excursions, markets, or meetings for class. From taking the bus daily, I have learned a lot about local Hawaiians on the island of Oahu. There is an eclectic group of people who take the bus. I have seen business women and men ride the bus, labor workers, moms, dads, grandparents, people with a lot of baggage, and people with nothing. The bus is what makes this program unique. Through taking the bus, I have learned that the people of Hawaii, no matter how diverse they are, will always be proud of their Hawaiian culture and want to share everything there is to know about it. Also, through taking the bus, I have learned how challenging it is to travel far distances, navigate switching buses, and to have patience when the bus is not exactly on time.

 

 

 

Submitted by Krista Johnson on the 2019 winter session study abroad program in Hawaii sponsored by the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences and the School of Education…

After just two weeks of staying in Oahu, Hawaii I have already gotten a true sense of what it is like to live as a local. Although many people view Hawaii as merely a tourist destination, the people of the islands have a strong sense of unity, family, and culture that is so unique to their islands. This week, I have learned that the Hawaiian people value their land and its preservation above almost everything. The Hawaiian people make use of the land in as many ways as possible. From the land’s natural beauty to its unique source of natural resources, the Hawaiian Islands are unlike any other place I’ve experienced.

On one of my days here, a group of people on my program and I went hiking at Manoa Falls Trail, near the University of Hawaii’s campus. This hike was beautiful. Along the trail were unreal plants, streams, flowers, and winding trees. The rich luscious forest was shaded by hundreds of years old trees taller than the eyes can see. At the end of the hike was a beautiful waterfall. After our hike as  we were walking back to the bus stop headed towards campus, a woman approached my group of friends and I. She had stopped us to mention the types of plants that were growing on the side of the road we had been walking on. Most of us where taken aback at first because back in Delaware it’s rather uncommon to have a stranger approach you to tell you anything. After listening for a while to this woman talk, she had made it clear that her only intention was to teach us about her land. She mentioned that she just enjoys sharing her knowledge about the land she loves so much with others. She taught us about the Achiote plant also known as the lipstick plant, which is native to Hawaii. This plant when cut in half, was once used as women’s lipstick because the color from inside the plant could stain for over a week.

I have never seen more people than I have in Hawaii who care for their land so much. The locals for the most part are so respectful, giving, and insightful. This experience made me think about how important it is to cherish all these natural resources that we have around us and appreciate our land just a little bit more.

 

Submitted by Nicole Bellucci on the 2019 winter session study abroad program in Hawaii sponsored by the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences and the School of Education…

For one of our excursions, we had the opportunity to work with the Access Surf program. This program is on one of the beaches located in Honolulu. This program is designed to help those with disabilities learn to have access to the water, to make connections with people in the community, and to connect more with Hawaiian culture. Surfing and water sports are a huge part of Hawaiian culture, and for a long time, those with disabilities were not able to be a part of that culture or be able to participate. As a volunteer, I was able to learn how to move people out of their wheelchairs and into water safe mobility chairs. This allowed me to learn to communicate and think more about those with disabilities. I asked them what is more comfortable for them, made sure they felt safe, and worked with them to accomplish a task. I also learned how to adaptive surf. I was able to see an adaptable board designed for those who cannot lay on their stomachs and arch up. The board had foam that had a slope that made it easier on their bodies, and leg stints made from a hose that held their legs in place. This whole experience was very eye -opening to me. I learned how being isolated from a part of one’s culture can affect people, and how simple changes and adjustments can include them.

Submitted by Taylor Kligerman on the 2019 winter session study abroad program in Hawaii sponsored by the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences and the School of Education…

It has been another beautiful week here in Honolulu. This week has really shown me some of the culture and diversity that Hawaii has in comparison with the mainland. Our group went to Plantation Village and we learned all about how Hawaii became so diverse. All different people from China, Japan, Puerto Rico, Philippines, and Korea moved to Hawaii to make money working on sugarcane plantations. With all these different people trying to make a living on one island, they had to get along and find a way to communicate with each other. This is how the Pidgin language was formed and it is still widely used across the islands. By learning this history of Hawaii, it is easy to see how it still carries over into daily life. Hawaii is a melting pot of all different cultures and this can be seen in the numerous languages, cuisines, and population. Everyone is so open to diversity and loves finding out where others originated from. I cannot wait to see what else Hawaii has in store.

Submitted by Nicole Bellucci on the 2019 winter session study abroad program in Hawaii sponsored by the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences and the School of Education…

For one of our excursions, we had the opportunity to go to the Bishop Museum. This is the State Museum for Culture and Natural History. The museum taught me many things that I had previously been ignorant about. When we first walked into the museum,  we entered a room covered in posters from movies, TV shows, books, etc. This was showing us all the stereotypes that the mainland had perceived about the island. Just hula skirts, beaches, and coconuts. On the opposite side of the room was a beautiful mural. It showed how the water and the land were a part of the people and how it influences their lifestyle. I was able to see how the citizens of this beautiful island saw themselves and how the outside world did. Throughout the museum, I was able to learn how the Hawaiian culture came about. How they adopted skills, language, trades, and life from other Polynesian cultures that surround them. It was eye -opening to see how they still use these customs today and how the past has such a big impact on how they live their lives today.

Submitted by Jacqueline Shand on the 2019 winter session study abroad program in Hawaii sponsored by the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences and the School of Education…

This week I had the privilege of visiting Pearl Harbor in Oahu, Hawaii. At first, I was not too excited about this visit because I was never into history. However, after my time there, I felt so much more connected to United States history. First, I watched a documentary explaining the Japanese motive behind the attack, the day of the attack itself, and the pain all Americans felt during this time. Learning about each vessel and the brutal attack showed how this devastating event brought Americans together. Hawaiians hold this day close in their hearts in memory for those they have lost, holding an annual ceremony at Pearl Harbor on December 7th. This made me so much more appreciative of the men who had died for our country. I am truly thankful.

Submitted by Karen Cimaglia on the 2019 winter session study abroad program in Hawaii sponsored by the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences and the School of Education…

Just this past week, I had the opportunity to explore Hawaii’s Plantation Village. Located in the town of Waipahu, this plantation village told the story of the famous point in history where sugar was looked at as a King. The plantation village took off when the demand for sugar was at an all-time high during the World War.

We first started off this tour by being introduced to the types of workers that were on the plantation fields. Those in the Hawaiian culture had to recruit workers for cheap labor all across the globe. This included going to China, Portugal, Japan, Korea, Puerto Rico, and Polynesia. This brought a melting pot of cultures to Hawaii and even what started the Pidgin language that Hawaii is famously known for.

Walking through this tour allowed me and my classmates to explore what life was like for those on the plantations. Extremely small huts were made to fit up to eight people, but in very tight quarters. Children as young as three years old were working on the plantations gathering water, women were shucking the sugar, and men would carry pounds of bushels from one end of the plantation to the other.

The entire experience of walking through Hawaii’s first plantation was one that I will never forget. I learned so much behind why Hawaiian culture is important, and how Hawaii came to be the melting pot that it is today. Hawaiian culture is known for its community and warm-welcoming nature. The Plantation Village was able to showcase the differences between cultures, yet explain the importance behind the community relying on each other to survive during the times of the plantation days.