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…
Looking back on this past week spent in Hawaii, it has been so interesting learning about the Hawaiian culture. My favorite experience was talking with a Hawaiian local that I met on the bus. She spoke with me about how she had a stroke and was not able to drive anymore, which is why she uses the bus system. The woman looks at this as a positive way to see more of Hawaii and meet more people. She spoke with me about how Hawaiians value diversity because so much of their culture is based on the mixing of Chinese, Japanese, and Polynesian cultures. In fact, if you have an accent, it’s actually seen as valuable in Hawaii because it means you are bilingual. This contrasts with western culture where it is common for people to discriminate against others’ differences.