Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Is it time to stop saying 'aloha' and other culturally sensitive words out of context?
https://www.yahoo.com ^ | January 13, 2023 | David Oliver

Posted on 01/16/2023 6:14:56 AM PST by Red Badger

"Aloha." "Hola." "Shalom."

These are ways to say "hello" in Hawaiian, Spanish and Hebrew, respectively. But just because you can say something doesn't mean it's always appropriate.

On the surface, simple greetings and phrases from other races and cultures may seem fine to sprinkle into our vernacular. Inclusive even.

But did you know that "aloha" doesn't just mean hello or goodbye? "It's a greeting or a farewell, but the meaning is deeper," says Maile Arvin, the director of Pacific Islands Studies at the University of Utah. "One of my Hawaiian language teachers taught it to me as 'Aloha means recognizing yourself in everyone and everything you meet.'"

If you're not Hawaiian and you say it, it could come off as mockery. And that's just one word to think about.

The use of certain words requires education, knowledge and the foresight to understand when they should – or shouldn't – come out of your mouth.

'We live in a multilingual world' Of course, not all uses of language outside someone's culture are problematic.

"We live in a multilingual world where we're always influencing one another's language practices hand where we might come into contact with a variety of terms or language practices that we have not grown up in," says Nikki Lane, cultural and linguistic Anthropologist.

Intention matters most. Dropping "hola" or "shalom" to someone you know who speaks Spanish or Hebrew, for example, isn't something to worry about. Actively don a fake, exaggerated accent and say those words? Therein lies the problem.

Like saying "ni hao" to someone Asian American who isn't Chinese; this could be both othering and a microaggression.

(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: History; Society; Travel
KEYWORDS: aloha; hola; linguistic; nihao; shalom
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100101-103 next last
To: Drew68
re. " a settler colonial logic of possession through whiteness... "

I had no idea such a thing even existed. Learn something every day. /s

61 posted on 01/16/2023 7:02:18 AM PST by ken in texas
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger
Whenever any article starts with "It is time to ...", I wonder who elected you ....

Is "Up Yours" cultural appropriation?


62 posted on 01/16/2023 7:05:50 AM PST by TomGuy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger
The syntax and grammar may be a bit difficult for some but they always make it...................

Always? That don’t be true.

63 posted on 01/16/2023 7:07:30 AM PST by BykrBayb (Lung cancer free since 11/9/07. Colon cancer free since 7/7/15. PTL ~ Þ)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 56 | View Replies]

To: everyone

Oops…. He is a she. Or then again, I didn’t double check its pronoun for today.


64 posted on 01/16/2023 7:09:39 AM PST by Tess1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 60 | View Replies]

To: BykrBayb

They may sound funny, but at least they are understandable!.......😜


65 posted on 01/16/2023 7:11:50 AM PST by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 63 | View Replies]

To: Freedom4US

Amen. Do these morons have ANYTHING worthwhile to write about?

RLTW


66 posted on 01/16/2023 7:13:13 AM PST by military cop (I carry a .45....cause they don't make a .46....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

How about, “Hasta la vista” in a robotic Austrian accent?


67 posted on 01/16/2023 7:13:31 AM PST by jmcenanly (You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.” ― Winston)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger
By the same token, all people who are not native speakers of English (i.e., who do not have it as a First Language) should please refrain from using Anglicisms and Americanisms.

I can assure you that at least Germans would have a very hard time adhering to such an injunction.

Regards,

68 posted on 01/16/2023 7:16:14 AM PST by alexander_busek (Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: z3n
I took french and we never learned ‘Sacre Bleu!’ but i love dropping it.

What in Blue Blazes?

Regards,

69 posted on 01/16/2023 7:18:47 AM PST by alexander_busek (Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

No. It is time to kill all people who are woke.


70 posted on 01/16/2023 7:19:34 AM PST by GingisK
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

To those who care so much about microaggressions, I use a distinctive American phrase:

“F*** You”

It means: “I know you’re offended. And I don’t care. Go away before I taunt you again.”


71 posted on 01/16/2023 7:21:53 AM PST by SauronOfMordor (The rot of all principle begins with a single compromise.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger
I am not Buddhist or Hindu, but I do get annoyed when I see people who are not of these two 'faiths' doing a namaste when meeting an Asian person. But it is a good way to spot a libtard.

I am as conservative as they come - but "adopted" (or "expropriated," if you like) the namaste a few years back because I like it, so there!

Though I've never used it in greeting an Asian.

Regards,

72 posted on 01/16/2023 7:22:08 AM PST by alexander_busek (Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

“Intention matters most. Dropping “hola” or “shalom” to someone you know who speaks Spanish or Hebrew, for example, isn’t something to worry about. Actively don a fake, exaggerated accent and say those words? Therein lies the problem.”

These idiots are insufferable.


73 posted on 01/16/2023 7:24:14 AM PST by goodnesswins (The Chinese are teaching calculus to their 3rd graders wh to sile ours are trying to pick a pronoun.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: alexander_busek

Watch John Kerry when he is on a Asian trip sometime, he uses it every time..................


74 posted on 01/16/2023 7:25:42 AM PST by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 72 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Hafa adai, kia ora, talofa, and to the petty, aloha.


75 posted on 01/16/2023 7:26:06 AM PST by pops88 ( Helping usher the glory of God into Las Vegas)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: moovova

Well, I’ve never been to Spain
But I kinda like the music
Say the ladies are insane there
And they sure know how to use it


76 posted on 01/16/2023 7:29:48 AM PST by Do_Tar (All my comments are creative or artistic expression.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

It is HONERING a culture by taking the effort to leave your cultural vocabulary and insert another culture’s. I’m now woke to this woke BS. (Woke2?) While I was”sleeping”, queers and brain-dead people took over our churches and governments. They have attacked my values while I slept. Now a “woke2”, I am counter-attaching and in MY world it is already becoming right again.


77 posted on 01/16/2023 7:31:32 AM PST by ThePatriotsFlag (When Ashli Babbitt’s video-taped murderer Michael Byrd is indicted, I’ll start paying attention.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Let’s go back to arguing about how many angels can dance of the tip of a pin. It would be far more productive ... hell, it would be far more productive — and interesting (which isn’t much) — of arguing over the TP roll should be over or under. God help our “enlightened society.”


78 posted on 01/16/2023 7:32:06 AM PST by glennaro (Never give up ... never give in ... never surrender ... and enjoy every minute of doing so.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SauronOfMordor

I’ve heard that phrase in other countries as well. It must be universal!.............


79 posted on 01/16/2023 7:33:35 AM PST by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 71 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Hard pass from me!


80 posted on 01/16/2023 7:35:40 AM PST by aMorePerfectUnion (Fraud vitiates everything. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100101-103 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson