You stated that you spent a lot of time in Hawaii between ‘05-’07. I am assuming you did not live there full time during this period.
As a Hawaiian born and raised on the island of O’ahu, would like address a couple of issues.
Not all of the public schools are “horrible”, though I would say that most of them are. Your description and the so called history behind “Kill Haole Day” is new to me. It is true that in a lot of the public schools, the students generally know about “Kill Haole Day”, which is the last day of the school year. I attended public school throughout, and although the student body is aware of this designated day, I’ve rarely seen an incident involving violence. This day is not “celebrated”, but merely recognized. Furthermore, if a student is caught attacking another student, they are disciplined. Your description is inaccurate, although the sentiment expressed is fair.
“But I did not feel like I was in America...”
I should hope not. Tourist don’t spent thousands of dollars to visit Hawaii only to feel as though they travelled over an ocean to visit their back yard. There is free enterprise, a democratic government in place, paved streets, military bases, and law enforcement, churches of diverse beliefs, etc.
Unfortunately, the liberal government has ruined the state. They, along with Hawaiian activists have helped to keep the native population uneducated. It is a tragedy.
My grandparents and great grandparents, let alone my parents, did not share the same sentiments these activists espouse.
Hawaii is not the paradise it used to be, which is why I cannot bring myself to live there any longer. It is too painful to watch it dissolve further into the socialist/communist sinkhole it has become.
But the "Kill Haole" day is real. It even has its own link at Wikipedia. And here are some quotes about it from online media:
"Kill Haole Day is an annual ritual in Hawaiian public schools in which any haoles, or Caucasians, that dare to come to school are beat up by non-haole locals. Traditionally, this day is observed on the last day of classes. ... Public school administrators claim that the traditional beat downs given out on the last day of classes have subsided in recent years, but that could be window dressing as teachers have been known to literally walk away from racial violence."
"Growing up in Hawai'i, being part Hawaiian myself, I never had to face any of the prejudices some locals show toward haoles. I never even realized that haoles were picked on in school. I always thought "Kill Haole Day" was an exaggeration. I went to Kamehameha, so we never saw that, because we were all part Hawaiian. But, while here in Florida, I met a haole guy who went to high school in Hawai'i while his dad was stationed at Barber's Point, and he said he used to get beat up all the time."
"At my elementary school, the last day of school was called "Kill Haole Day." It was when kids of the non-white races, who were in the majority, would pick on white kids -- call them names, throw rotten eggs at them, beat them up."
"A hate crimes bill could open up the state to lawsuits because of the practice known as "kill haole day" in Hawaii public schools, a Republican state representative says. Rep. Jim Rath (R, Kona) questioned advocates of the bill (Senate Bill 605, SD1) about a provision that would allow lawsuits for acts of violence, threats, intimidation or harassment based on race and other factors. Rath suggested that "kill haole day" is a long-standing tradition in some schools and unless the state is able to completely eliminate "kill haole day," it would open the state up to liability."