Hawaiian Culture free essay sample

Hawaiis constitution was drafted in 1950 and became effective with statehood in 1959. The governor is elected every four years. The legislature has a senate with 25 members and a house of representatives with 51 members. The state elects two representatives and two senators to the U. S. Congress and has four electoral votes. Multicultural Hawaii has long been a Democratic state, but Republicans have made recent gains. In 1994, Democrat Benjamin J. Cayetano became the first Filipino American to be elected governor of a U. S. state; he was reelected in 1998. Linda Lingle, elected governor in 2002, became the second Republican to win the office since statehood, and she was reelected four years later. FOOD Modern Hawaiian cuisine is a fusion of many cuisines brought by multiethnic immigrants to the Hawaiian Islands, particularly of American, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Polynesian and Portuguese origins, including plant and animal food sources imported from around the world for agricultural use in Hawaii. We will write a custom essay sample on Hawaiian Culture or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Many local restaurants serve the ubiquitous plate lunch featuring the Asian staple, two scoops of rice, a simplified version of American macaroni salad (consisting of macaroni noodles and mayonnaise), and a variety of different toppings ranging from the hamburger patty, a fried egg, and gravy of a Loco Moco, Japanese style tonkatsu or the traditional luau favorite, kalua pig DRESS Hawaii is a melting pot of Polynesian, American and Native Hawaiian influences and their clothing reflects this fact.The island archipelago is hot and sunny all year round, so the clothing has to be light. Typical Hawaiian patterns include tropical flowers and suns. But not all clothing worn in Hawaii is traditional. Most locals have adopted comfortable California-style board shorts and other sportswear to their lifestyles. Aloha Shirts oThe typical Hawaiian print, a series of tropical flowers on a bright background, adorns everything from sheets to tablecloths. It is most prominent on short-sleeved, button-up, collared shirts known as aloha shirts.Men mostly wear these. Malo and Pau oThe traditional Hawaiian clothing for indigenous people was well-suited to the hot climate. Men wore the malo, or loincloth, and women wore the pau or skirt. Both wore a rectangular shawl made of plant fibers called a kihei. In some indigenous communities, people still wear these clothes (usually for the benefit of tourists). Board-shorts oSurfing is a part of daily life in Hawaii and the popular surf-style clothing from California is worn here.Men especially wear the knee-length waterproof shorts in and out of the water, although the number of female surfers is on the rise. Hula Skirts oThe popular image of a Hawaiian woman dressed in coconut shells and a hula skirt has some basis in reality, although the coconut shells would not have been used. Crafted from the fibers of trees, natural hula skirts can help keep a woman cool and catch the breeze. Leis oUpon entering the Honolulu Airport, someone may be quick to drape a lei around your neck. These traditional necklaces used to be made from strings of tropical flowers.Now they are just as likely to be silk flowers. These are worn at all parties and festive events. Metropolitan Honolulu is basically a one freeway, rail-free town in a maze of streets flanked by the Koolau Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Another popular activity is to take the â€Å"Circle Island† ride. This ride takes approximately four and a half hours, and a little longer with a stop for lunch. it’s a ride through downtown Honolulu and continues up through central Oahu, along the North Shore, down the windward coast and back into Honolulu once again. MUSIC The music of Hawaii includes an array of traditional and popular styles, ranging from native Hawaiian folk music to modern rock and hip-hop. Hawaiis musical contributions to the music of the United States are out of proportion to the states small size. Styles like slack-key guitar are well known worldwide, while Hawaiian-tinged music is a frequent part of Hollywood soundtracks. Hawaii also made a major contribution to country music with the introduction of the steel guitar.Traditional Hawaiian folk music is a major part of the states musical heritage. The Hawaiian people have inhabited the islands for centuries and have retained much of their traditional musical knowledge. Their music is largely religious in nature, and includes chanting and dance music. Hawaiian music has had an enormous impact on the music of other Polynesian islands; indeed, music author Peter Manuel called the influence of Hawaiian music a unifying factor in the development of modern Pacific music’s