Is Hawaiian considered Asian or Native American?

Answer 1

I am a Native woman and for awhile I had a best friend who was Hawaiin.

People from Hawaii in general are a mix of many ethnicities. This is probably where the Asian part of your question comes in because there is a high Asian population in Hawaii.

Now to really answer it.
As a Native person I accept Native Hawaiin's to be family. To be Native American. My friend who was Hawaiin told me that it is generally accpeted that original inhabitants of Hawaii came from the Polynesian Islands. So even though they are accepted in the United States as Native Americans they have different roots. Native American origins generally refer to their own tribal creation stories not that they came from somewhere else. This would be the difference that seperates Native Hawaiin's from Native Americans. At the same time all Indigneous people are connected in some way. It is proper to beleive that regardless people from Native Norht America had contact with Hawaiin's and possibly even Polynesians (we did all have boats, even before colonization) so we may share some cultural practices, bloodlines, etc... Also we have undergone similiar histories of oppression.

Oh and sorry if i spell wrong :(

http://www.hawaiian-roots.com/index.htm

Answer 2

Native Hawaiian

Answer 3

That is a loaded question. First, you must remember that not all Hawaiians have Asian ancestry in their geneaology. And even if they have some Asian ancestry, they are also Hawaiian and often times have another ethnicity (or ethnicities), so I do not think it is appropriate to lump a Hawaiian with Asian blood in a the "Asian category." If the individual wishes to identify as Asian, that is their choice.

In terms of "Native American" identity, please read this:
While aboriginal people have lived on Hawaii for more than a thousand years, the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1893 and its subsequent annexation by the United States in 1898 without the consent of the Hawaiian people means there is NO federally recognized native governing body. Entities and offices which now represent indigenous Hawaiians do NOT have government-to-government relationships comparable to those enjoyed by either federally recognized native tribes in the lower 48 states or the indigenous people of Alaska.
http://www.fcnl.org/issues/item.php?item_id=1251&issue_id=111

And please read this:

Origins of Hawaiian Population

Probably beginning about 1000 B.C. or earlier, small groups of people from western Melanesia or southeast Asia migrated toward the Pacific into the western part of Polynesia. Their colonization attempts were highly successful for several reasons. A seafaring population, they had developed strong double-hulled outrigger canoes that could carry many people and supplies and travel great distances. They had well developed celestial and other navigational skills that not only allowed far-flung colonization efforts but also enabled round trips between parent and daughter colonies. Finally, they had perfected the horticultural, hunting, and fishing technologies needed to sustain fledgling populations on previously uninhabited islands. These colonists, who became the ancestors of a hybrid people known today as Polynesians, ultimately spread to all other islands of the Triangle.

The Hawaiians are a branch of these peoples inhabiting the eastern tier of islands in the Pacific Ocean. The other principal branches were the Maori of New Zealand and the Samoans, Tongans, Tahitians, Cook Islanders, and Marquesans. According to Anthropologist Patrick Kirch, there is strong evidence from a number of early Hawaiian archeological sites that initial colonization of some of the islands had occurred by at least the fourth or fifth centuries A.D. by people from the Marquesas Islands.

It is thought there were additional waves of immigrants to Hawai'i beginning in the twelfth century from the Society Islands (Tahiti). Evidence exists, and Hawaiian tradition suggests, that the route between Tahiti and Hawai'i was traversed frequently by large double-hulled canoes during this later period, return voyages possibly being made to renew contacts and secure skilled labor and additional plants and animals. The role of external contacts (migrations) in the evolution of Hawaiian culture is still actively debated.

Important new cultural elements forming the framework for the later Hawaiian labor system, social structure, and religious order were introduced during the final migratory period and superimposed upon the aboriginal society of earlier migrations. The leaders of these last arrivals were the ancestors of the ali'i, the chiefly class of Hawaiian society noted by the early discoverers, whose origin and cultural heritage were distinct from those of the older Hawaiian population. After this period of "long voyages" ended, communication ceased between Hawai'i and other areas of Polynesia, and the Hawaiians lived in nearly complete isolation from outside influences until 1778.

Answer 4

Seeing as Hawaii was admitted to a North American country, I would think Native American. I once heard a TV show character who was Native American refer to the Hawaiians as 'the Indians in the tropics', but that was admittedly just a TV show.

Answer 5

Neither as far as I understand Hawaiians are considered Pacific Islanders. Mostly of Polynesian decent.

Answer 6

technically native hawaiians are considered pacific islanders

native american refers to the indians who lived in america before like the cherokees

asian refers to people in asian, not people who migrated from asia or are belived to have migrated for example native americans are belived to be from asia but are not considered asian.


if you are talking about people from hawaii in general, usually people from and living in hawaii are atleast 3 things, bob is 4.

Answer 7

I can see you guys are not understanding enough...We all came from africa is a theory,and that native american came from asia they are both theory...
No native american came from asia,how they got here?From a landbridge/icebridge.They cross the icebridge by following the wolly mamoths,they were called eskimos...Wolly mamoths originally came from asia also,then the population migrated to north america. The fact that native americans don't have afros,but squenty eyes..
Asian people don't only have white skin but all(Tan,white,brown) Their eyes/ asian features just give away where they originates.
Thai/Cambodians people have many kind of skin colors but most likely tan or brown.These people have squenty eyes.
Chinese people most likely have White pale skin color and squenty eyes.And these are full blooded asians with many different kind of skin color.
You will generally see more chinese people.Than cambodians/that or laos.
And eskimos are not black obviously...Eskimos are asians with squenty eyes
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Native americans dont have afro's,blonde hair or even orange...They have black or brown
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What im trying to say 2 same race makes a baby that looks like another
race.
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Phillipines are most likely have squenty eyes that can identify them as asians,dont mistake them because of their name sounds like another race...But still Spanish blood is closely related to asian blood,but now alot of spanish people getting mixed with other race,its hard to tell full blooded ones that a few used to have squenty eyes or something that makes them look asian for a reason..
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But if you don't think all that is not true and would like to seperate races between mexicans and asians,then why would there be mexicans in the phillipines if its located near asia.It's clearly that phillipines founded by asians/mongoloids.Do understand what im saying?
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Example:See the asian that looks mexican in this video.that is how alot of my asian friends look like but they are full blooded asians,Not mixed!!!
...What gives away where he decendant from are his eyes and something that makes you think he's asian or mixed...
Please understand this

Answer 8

Pacific Islander...

I'm not sure if Asian is appropriate but I've used it in relation to them.

I don't think Native American...I think its a different ethnicity or race even.

Answer 9

Hawaiian would be a Pacific Islander.... Just like a Filipino

Answer 10

Many of the people who consider themselves "Hawaiian" are usually some combination of Filipino, Japanese, Portuguese, Polynesian, and Samoan. I think the accepted term these days is Pacific Islander.