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In Hawaiʻi's schools, the last day of school before summer was traditionally known as Kill Haole Day. On Kill Haole Day, school children of Hawaiian ancestry harass and sometimes assault white children. The origins of the day are unknown, but the tradition dates back to the 1950s.

In the Hawaiian language, haole means "foreign" or "foreigner". The word predates the 1778 arrival of Captain James Cook (which is the generally accepted date of first contact with westerners), as recorded in several chants stemming from antiquity. Haole, in its current definition, first became associated with the children of Caucasian immigrants in the early 1820s. It unified the self-identity of these Hawaiʻi-born children whose parents were as culturally different as the children were similar. For Haole children whose first language was Hawaiʻian, their parents were generally either religious missionaries or secular businessmen, and hailed from both Europe and North America, not necessarily speaking a common dialect or even language. Over the years, "Haole" became an expression of contempt. Though its first usage described members of a socioeconomic class, it added a racial component, erroneously replacing "malihini" (newcomer) in addressing first generation Hawaiʻians originally from the U.S. mainland. Today it is often applied to any Caucasian, or to those who think or behave in a "foreign" manner. In current application, Haole can be used either descriptively or as a racial slur (often, if not generally, preceded by an obscene invective).

In 1999, "School Superintendent Paul LeMahieu said he is aware of "kill haole day" but is not aware of any recent incidents."^[1] Also, in 1999, it became an issue for hate crimes legislation.^[1] New incidents of school violence on Kill Haole Day were reported in 2006.^[2]

See also

• Hate crime laws in the United States
• Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007
• Beat Up a White Kid Day

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "‘Kill haole day’ linked to hate-crime bill". http://starbulletin.com/1999/03/24/news/story7.html.  
2. ^ "Waters of Life Teachers, Students, School Property, Assaulted by Gang of Kids from Nearby Public School". http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story.aspx?294d9da5-dbb5-40e9-8f94-13712a73408c.  

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