Comments on: Walk this way

By: Boolakanaka

Boolakanaka — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 18:00:56 +0000

With regard to the term kotonk, like anything else, deference should be held in either the community or individual for whom the remark is made in reference to, despite benign or innocuous intentions. Long story short, some are cool with it, and others not–if that is the case, decorum dictates we should yield respectfully.

Now that said, we had some African American brothers that use to hang with our “dollar-dollar” gang in Halawa, and one of them went by, and of his own choosing and selection, the name “Meuli”–literally, black thing in Samoan.

By: whitey

whitey — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 17:52:18 +0000

tom-warriornation, just out of curiosity, what year u grad from l’luna?

By: tom-warriornation

tom-warriornation — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 17:46:00 +0000

st. anthony trojan: email me at: tomkitaguchi@yahoo.com or give me your email.
seems like we have a lot in common; I am a Lahaina boy, who has been to Manila many times as my wife is from the PI.

By: whitey

whitey — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 17:26:38 +0000

where is king kotonk???

By: Old School Dave

Old School Dave — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 17:14:20 +0000

I think on the mainland you’re supposed to say “Asian” and not oriental.

Conflicts between local “buddahheads” and Kotonks are legendary. Kotonks look at local AJAs as unsophisticated, loud, and crude. Local AJAs look at Kotonks as uppity, snobby, and calculating. I remember one local old timer AJA saying, “Whoa, I can’t stand those mainland Kotonks. They all act like those Japanese who went Punahou.” 🙂

By: wafan

wafan — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 16:08:22 +0000

Good morning!

By: st. anthony trojan

st. anthony trojan — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 10:00:55 +0000

yea steve m… depends on how u use it.. i seen “popolo” in here the other day.. guess how it is used n the context it is used…married a 3rd generation, n she used it .. n thought nothing of it…her dad was 442….

as 4 ala wai…that definition…link you posted was ok …but completely irrelevant to many other races here…who don’t see it as derogatory…at all…but can see how it may offend sumone who is not so thick skinned…as many are…but thank the blog host.. at least we can all post our opinions…
sum of us carry the words…popolo…jew…pake…podogee…packpack…padre…borinke …etc into our adult life… cause..for me ne way…me was lucky to have friends of all those races.. n to this day.. sum on maui still call me “german” (german-hawaiian-portuguese) and at my age… happy they are all still alive to call me so…

By: SteveM

SteveM — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 09:12:35 +0000

My father and uncles from WWII used “kotonk” instead of “American of Japanese ancestry born in continental U.S.”. I never heard it in derogatory context although sometimes in a teasing drinking-buddy manner. Of course, they were in the 442nd in Camp Shelby where the word seemed to originate.

The movie, “Go for Broke” even mentioned it at around the 2 minute 40 second mark…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9LFT_lX-Z8

As 3rd generation, I’ve seldom used the word, but it is not surprising nor meant as derogatory from someone whose father was in the 442nd or 100th Battalion.

By: st. anthony trojan

st. anthony trojan — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 08:52:56 +0000

just read this… is kinda funny.. n a good trivia question…who was the offensive coordinator n later head coach who told his QB ..elvis grbac…to throw a foot ball at the head of oakland raiders owner al davis…???

By: al

al — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 07:48:24 +0000

62…I’ve heard her publicly applaud her local roots, too.