|
ID |
Nickname |
Country / City |
Languages |
Taxonomies |
Comment |
Project / Group |
Map |
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47352
|
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United States
Honolulu
|
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“Try wait I gotta go Shishi” — “Please wait. I need to go pee.”
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Multilingual Hawaiʻi
|
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47605
|
|
United States
Honolulu
|
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two hands holding up Hawaiian "ola i ka wai" and in the hands is written "water is life" (left) and "let us live" (right)
|
Multilingual Hawaiʻi
|
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47807
|
|
United States
Honolulu
|
|
|
—
|
Multilingual Hawaiʻi
|
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51317
|
|
United States
Honolulu
|
|
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Mauna Loa macadamia nuts had a promotional table at the finish line for the 2022 Hapalua half marathon. This sign uses pidgin to congratulate locals on finishing the race while also promoting their products
|
Multilingual Hawaiʻi
|
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51318
|
|
United States
Honolulu
|
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Sign at the end of the 2022 hapalua half marathon instructing runners to “please Kokua” so that all runners can get a treat at the end. It thanks participants with mahalo.
|
Multilingual Hawaiʻi
|
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51319
|
|
United States
Kapaʻa
|
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Graffiti in chalk behind a map of the ke ala hele makalae path in Kapaʻa. The graffiti says “everythin mayjah”
|
Multilingual Hawaiʻi
|
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51320
|
|
United States
Kapaʻa
|
|
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This graffiti says “fuck da system” as some sort of transgressive political message
|
Multilingual Hawaiʻi
|
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51321
|
|
United States
Kapaʻa
|
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Lots of graffiti on the back of this informational sign in English, pidgin, and Hawaiian.
|
Multilingual Hawaiʻi
|
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51322
|
|
United States
Kapaʻa
|
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The sticker on this car parked in the side of the road says “can,” which is most likely from the phrase “if can, can; if no can, no can”. It is not referring to a soda can, but to possibility.
|
Multilingual Hawaiʻi
|
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|
59564
|
|
United States
Honolulu
|
|
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This is the exit sign for a popular local store that sells local shirts with Pidgin on it. The style of the store is a beach or surfer theme but any local can shop there. Because it’s in Ala Moana Shopping Center, it’s also a site for tourists.
|
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.
|
Multilingual Hawaiʻi
|
|
|
59566
|
|
United States
Honolulu
|
|
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Here we see Pidgin being used in a sign in a retail clothing store to educate probably tourists about where the beaches are and probably some locals who are not aware of where all the beaches are in Hawaii. This is accompanied by a drawing of a hula dancer which I’m not sure what the associated of hula and beaches are. The design is also drawn with a blackboard and chalk looking design to reinforce the education purpose of the sign.
|
Multilingual Hawaiʻi
|
|
|
59567
|
|
United States
Honolulu
|
|
|
This s
|
Multilingual Hawaiʻi
|
|
|
63613
|
|
United States
Kaneohe
|
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This sticker, made by a local company, features the Pidgin phrase “Cheehoo” stylized as the Champion brand logo. Cheehoo is an exclamatory phrase used when something exciting is happening. I think that stylizing this local phrase as a trendy apparel company makes it more accessible for younger audiences.
|
Multilingual Hawaiʻi
|
|
|
63614
|
|
United States
Kaneohe
|
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This is one of my favorite Pidgin phrases and it just means “No worries!”. The “beef curry” part doesn’t mean anything and is only used for the rhyme, but this sticker shows a more literal representation with beef curry as the background. I chose to put this sticker on my water bottle because if someone recognizes it, I know they’re local!
|
Multilingual Hawaiʻi
|
|
|
154893
|
Amelia O
|
United States
Honolulu
|
|
|
Normally, I am used to seeing QR codes that link to digital menus in other languages, so I was very surprised when I saw this physical stand in full Japanese at the Ala Moana Cane’s location. I took a moment to think about how many international visitors I see at Ala Moana daily. I realized I had not really thought about why multiple languages appear on menus. Taking this photo made me realize that multilingual signage is used to welcome different groups of people. I thought about how businesses here adapt to different communities to reflect the diversity in Hawaii.
|
Multilingual Hawaiʻi
|
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|
154891
|
Amelia O
|
United States
Laie
|
|
|
Pidgin and English
At the Polynesian Cultural Center, I came across this “Soda Bomb” soda truck. What struck me was that the menu was mainly in English but had incorporated Pidgin elements. For example, the “Shoots,” “Ho Nah,” “Ho Cuz,” “Das Cherreh,” and “Broke Da Mouth” drinks are all elements/phrases within the Pidgin language. This showed me how businesses use elements such as Pidgin to connect to local customers. The use of Pidgin here reflects the community around it. It made me realize that multilingualism also represents culture, and that language choices in public spaces can make people feel recognized and embodied.
|
Multilingual Hawaiʻi
|
|
|
154892
|
Amelia O
|
United States
Honolulu
|
|
|
I took this photo of directions in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi at Ala Moana Shopping Center. “Mauka” means “towards the mountains” in ʻŌlelo, and “Ewa” can refer to the Western direction. This example stood out to me because it reflects efforts to revitalize the Hawaiian language in public spaces. Since Hawaiian was once banned in schools, seeing it used publicly today helps normalize and celebrate Hawaiian culture. I thought about how many visitors/tourists go to Ala Moana. Having these ʻŌlelo directions in public encourages people to learn and recognize the language. It showed me how public signage can help preserve language.
|
Multilingual Hawaiʻi
|
|
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147939
|
catherine
|
United States
Honolulu
|
|
|
While I was driving on Kapiolani Blvd, getting ready to turn onto Atkinson, I noticed this Korean restaurant, Chogajip, with its name written in English and “초가집” written next to it. After searching up what this means, I found that it says “thatched house,” which refers to a traditional Korean home. I found this interesting because it’s not only multicultural, but it’s also something only someone proficient in Korean would understand. The only English on the sign is “Korean Restaurant and Bar,” while the Korean wording conveys a homelike taste and environment. Seeing this bilingual signage sending different messages to different audiences shows how openly multicultural Hawaiʻi is.
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Multilingual Hawaiʻi
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147940
|
catherine
|
United States
Honolulu
|
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While I was driving through the Ala Moana parking lot on the main level next to Target, it was the first time I noticed this “Mall Access” sign, even though I’ve driven past it many times. It caught my attention because the sign is in English, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. Since this sign is in an older wing of the mall, it’s probably been here for many years without me noticing, which shows how long Hawai‘i has been a multicultural environment. Although Ala Moana is a touristy place, it was still interesting to see such a general sign in four languages. The Japanese, Korean, and Chinese all translate to “Mall Access.” Seeing multiple languages layered into a simple directional sign made me realize how deeply multilingualism is built into Hawai‘i’s public spaces, even in areas we overlook.
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Multilingual Hawaiʻi
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