Sunday, September 25, 2011

Kama'ina

Kama'aina

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kamaʻāina (pronounced ka-ma-EYE-na) is the Hawaiian language word for a long-term resident of the Hawaiian Islands. Literally "child of the land," it derives from the words "kama", meaning "child", and "ʻāina", meaning 'land'.[1] The word "kama'aina" describes Hawai'i residents regardless of their racial background, as opposed to "kanaka" which means a person of native Hawai'an ancestry.
A kama'aina may be considered to be someone who currently lives in Hawai'i, or someone who once lived there but has moved away. The State of Hawai'i sponsors an official "Kama'aina Come Home" event each year, intended to increase the state’s labor pool by inducing Hawaii college students and former residents who are now living in the continental United States to return to Hawaii. The program has been successful in bringing qualified kama‘ainas back to the Islands and in doing so, reuniting families.[2]
A common usage in Hawai'i is the "Kama'aina discount", an often sizable discount given to local residents. The usual requirement to obtain the discount is to show a Hawai'i driver's license, local military ID, or other local identification. The discounts are widespread throughout the islands, particularly at restaurants, hotels, and tourist attractions.[3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kamaaina
  2. ^ State of Hawai'i Kama'aina Come Home page
  3. ^ Honolulu Magazine, June 2009

No comments:

Post a Comment