The newly opened Kalauao, Pearlridge rail station represents how multilingualism is woven into everyday life in Hawai’i. Seeing Hawaiian place names displayed prominently alongside English reminds me that movement through the islands is also movement through layered histories and languages. As I commute from Kalauao to Lagoon Drive (Āhua) and transfer to the bus to reach school, I am constantly navigating these linguistic landscapes and becoming more conscious of the stories they carry. This daily journey makes me more aware of how public infrastructure can honor Indigenous language, promote accessibility, and reinforce the cultural identity of Hawai’i’s communities in meaningful, visible ways.
Multilingual Hawaiʻi
149053
morenadanti
United States
Wailuku
When I took this picture at Pho Saigon in Wailuku, I noticed how the sign and menu include Vietnamese words that I usually don’t pay attention to. Being there made me realize how many languages are around us in Maui without us even thinking about it. The Vietnamese writing shows how important this restaurant is for the local Vietnamese community and anyone who enjoys their food. It also made me think about how language connects people to their culture, even far from home. Seeing Vietnamese used so naturally in public helped me understand how multilingual Hawaiʻi really is.
Multilingual Hawaiʻi
38975
United States
Wailuku
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Multilingual Hawaiʻi
39040
United States
Waianae
—
Multilingual Hawaiʻi
46082
United States
Pearl City
EL-S Checkup #2 : Pidgin is being used. All of the fonts are mostly the same size. The audience is for those who are grocery shopping. The domain is a grocery store. The sign is telling the people what kind of food that is being sold to them for what price.
Multilingual Hawaiʻi
25912
United States
Pearl City
Welcome card from Walmart. Synthetic symbolic. Don’t know any local person who says this. JAS
Multilingual Hawaiʻi
25913
United States
Pearl City
Another card from local kine cards at Walmart. I don’t even know the purpose of this card. Symbolic synthetic. JAS
Multilingual Hawaiʻi
25914
United States
Pearl City
Card meant to be given to someone going away on a trip. Symbolic synthetic. JAS
Multilingual Hawaiʻi
25915
United States
Pearl City
Birthday card from local kine cards. Symbolic synthetic. JAS
Multilingual Hawaiʻi
25916
United States
Pearl City
They’re just saying what they like about Christmas. Symbolic synthetic. JAS
Multilingual Hawaiʻi
25917
United States
Pearl City
Birthday card. Symbolic synthetic. Full of pidgin first part. Formal English second part. JAS
Multilingual Hawaiʻi
46434
United States
Pearl City
Here we see Pidgin being used on an advertisement inviting people to create music for a future party or event. This sign was located along a busy road and sometimes it’s difficult for drivers to actually read the sign. The Pidgin being used here is in large font so as to attract the locals on their commute. As this is a local community, it seems appropriate to use Pidgin.
Multilingual Hawaiʻi
47237
United States
Pearl City
This photo contains Pidgin, and was taken at Poke On Da Run in Pearl City. Not many tourists visit Pearl City, so Poke On Da Run seems to cater to the local demographic. They serve mostly local foods, and the Pidgin is used to contribute to this atmosphere. SM
Multilingual Hawaiʻi
38801
United States
Pearl City
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Multilingual Hawaiʻi
59565
United States
Pearl City
Here we see Pidgin being user as the name of a variety of Poke. The Pidgin implies that this poke is very ono. They probably used Pidgin to emphasize the deliciousness of the poke.
Lingscape
