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Hawaii is like nowhere else. Of course there are beautiful beaches and comfortable weather all year round. But what about the people who live in Hawaii? Let's explore the real beauty of this wonderful land. |
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Here we are in a normal neighborhood. Look around you. To the left, there are relatives or friends greeting each other and a celebration for something in that house. If you look closer at the people, you notice they are all different, Japanese, Chinese, Caucasian, Korean, Filipino, Samoan, Portuguese, and Hawaiian. All of them are not thinking about race or the color of someone's skin. They are just having a good time. And this is just one neighborhood.
Everywhere in Hawaii is like that neighborhood. Anywhere you go, you feel the Aloha Spirit. You also feel the diversity of the people. Everyone is so different, and they all know that, but all the people of Hawaii don't notice. It doesn't matter if you don't have Hawaiian in you, or Japanese, or any other culture. I don't have any Hawaiian in me, and I still learn Hawaiian studies with everyone else. They might know more than me, but I still try. I found out that you don't have to be Chinese to say Kung Hee Fat Choy for Chinese New Year, you can eat all sorts of food, and you can have a luau even if you aren't Hawaiian. It doesn't matter in this melting pot of Hawaii.
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I moved to Hawaii two years ago, and, when I think back about it, it was even better than I expected. When it was my first day of school, I found out quickly it was totally different from my other school. |
Of course, nobody had seen me before, so everyone was asking, "Who's that?" I made some friends that day, and they were helpful in teaching me about the school. But one thing that also surprised me was the different ethnicities of my classmates. Everyone was so different. I looked around, and at first, everyone looked so tan, but I looked again and I saw everyone was different, Chinese, Japanese, and all sorts of races. But nobody thought it was strange. Everyone was in the same room, and we all got along. In the classroom, everyone was accepted as themselves, everyone was equal.
There is a song by Danny Couch called "These Islands". If you listen to the words, they describe Hawaii and its real beauty, not just its tourist attractions. Here are the words to the very beginning of the song.
Have you seen the beauty of this land?
Do you know its people?
Brothers, sisters, walking hand in hand.
Have you seen the ocean?
Miles and miles of crystal deep blue seas.
Can you smell the flowers?
Fill the air with fragrances for free.
This is aloha
This is aloha
This is aloha
This land of Hawaii.
If you walk down any street in Hawaii, you're welcomed with friendliness, respect, love, and "Aloha Spirit." You might think you have seen all of Hawaii on your vacation. But if you haven't met the people, you haven't seen the real beauty of Hawaii. diversity and "Aloha" is what makes Hawaii so unique.
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Elementary |