Don’t be a 'f*ckin haole'

A view of Kualoa Regional Park on Oʻahu's windward coast. Ka Leo Staff/Ka Leo O Hawaiʻi This article was originally published in Ka Leo's October 2026 print issue.Foreign perception of Hawaiʻi largely centers on the islands' surf-and-sand lifestyle and undeniable natural beauty. Lush mountains overlooking a panorama of turquoise waters is the typical imagery that comes to mind – a tropical “paradise” where a person can forget their worries and create a life thought only to be found in movies. Let’s paint a picture: You drive your crew’s white Jeep while wearing a red hibiscus in your sun-bleached hair. You just came back from a “spiritual growth” retreat in Kailua, where you were inspired to start a seashell jewelry business – a regular mermaid entrepreneur. There’s a dancing “hula girl” figurine on the dashboard as you fall in love with the local surfer next to you (who happens to have a beach-front house in Haleʻiwa).

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