The United States stands as one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. Indeed, the American culture is a melting pot of different cultures. Native Americans, Latin Americans, Asians and Africans have all shaped what is defined as American culture today. With one of the largest immigrant population in the world, the United States is set to become even more culturally diverse. Despite renewed attempts to close American borders to refugees and immigrants, the census bureau reports that new immigrants continue to flow into the country. Some have in fact argued that attempts to close American borders to newcomers are likely to be futile in the age of globalization. With this anticipated cultural proliferation, many argue that efforts ought to be channeled towards tapping into this diversity, fostering harmony between cultures and preservation of indigenous cultural heritage (VanAlstine, Cox, & Roden, 2015). This preservation endeavor seems to have moderate success: the American south, Northwest, Midwest, Southeast and western regions all have distinct customs and traditions. If culture is to be regarded as the way of life or general characteristics and knowledge of a particular people that is manifested in such things as language, religion, music, social habits, cuisine and the arts, then Hawaii remains one of the richest cultural centers in the United States (Medeiros, 2017). Native Hawaiian culture is approximately 1500 years old with its origins being traced to the Polynesians. This group of people developed overtime a sophisticated culture that has withstood the test of time. One of the key and notable aspects of native Hawaiian culture is the native religion (Warf & Vincent, 2007). Religion has been a key aspect of many cultures across the world. In fact, it is one of the cornerstones of cultural entities (VanAlstine, Cox, & Roden, 2015). To some, religions or religious practices have existed for as long as social groups have been in existence. The Hawaiian religion entails the religious beliefs and practices of native Hawaiians. It is essentially animistic and polytheistic, with belief in many spirits and deities. Among the most prominent deities are the Ku, Lono, Kane and Kanaloa. Others include the Laka, Haumea and the Pele (Hilgenkamp & Pescaia, 2003). Each family is taken to have at least one guardian spirit that is supposed to protect from harm, especially from other malicious spirits. As is the case with other religions, the Hawaiians have their own creation myth. Through the intersection of the Kumulipo, the gods create a man and a woman. Man successfully seduces the woman, with whom they reproduce with. Having reproduced within the man before the gods, the latter becomes subservient to the lineage of the former. This also marked the change of the mankind from merely being a symbol of the gods into custodian of these symbols in the form of idols (Hajibayova, Buente, Quiroga, & Valeho, 2016). Amongst the important religious authorities were the Kahuna. They served not just as prophets and healers but also as navigators, builders and undertook important governmental and practical tasks in service of the king. They were presumed to be in communication with spirits and therefore sought after especially in exorcising pernicious spirits that possessed community members (Medeiros, 2017). Native Hawaiians also had a system of taboos that was meant to put restrictions on conduct. These taboos were often inspired by religious doctrine. In particular, taboos put restrictions on the separation of male and female during meal times, imposed separation of women during menses, prohibitions on being in proximity with authorities especially those with spiritual powers and limitations on overfishing (Hajibayova, Buente, Quiroga, & Valeho, 2016). While the Kapu might seem like a concept existing centuries ago, evidence suggests that it remained intact until the 1819 and even after abandonment, streaks of it have lingered to modern day Hawaii and remains influential in governing behavior (Medeiros, 2017). Prayers are an integral aspect of Hawaiian life. They were employed in virtually all activities including the making of canoes, putting up houses and when offering lomilomi massage. The nature of prayers offered depended on specific situations. During war for instance, Ku was worshipped and Makahiki during good seasons. 19 th century history describes entire days of prayer associated with such activities as drinking, eating and travelling. Anthropological inquiries on Hawaii observe fundamental differences between the natives and the rest of the western world in their conduct of prayers: while it is customary for westerners to adopt subservient styles during prayer such as sitting upright and closing or opening eyes, suggesting respect for the gods, the native Hawaii seemed pretty comfortable during prayers adopting no special posture before his gods (Hilgenkamp & Pescaia, 2003). Thousands of shrines and a multitude of sacred altars served as places of sacrifice and offering. Sacrifices including humans were offered to appease the gods. A number of Hawaiian scholars have however noted that Hawaiian gods were on balance considered to be benign. Plants, animals, trees and nature were well taken care of since they were considered to be sacrosanct thanks to their association with the gods (Hajibayova, Buente, Quiroga, & Valeho, 2016). Arrival of missionaries in Hawaii in 1820 marked an important turning point for natives. Idol worship like praying to stones, sharks, dead bones and ancient gods were proscribed with monotheism being replaced in their place (Braun, Kim, Sue, Mokuau, & Browne, 2014). While some abandoned their old gods in favor of the new religions, others persisted with their cultural worshipping traditions. Thus, a number of Hawaiian religious traditions have persisted either in their original form or through integration with other religious approaches. Chief amongst those religious traditions that have endured is the worship of ancestral gods, veneration of spirits and maintenance of sacred places (Medeiros, 2017). In contemporary Hawaii, these legacies are most manifest in politics where voting patterns continue to be influenced by traditional customs. Beyond religious culture, Hawaii remains vibrant in other cultural aspects including her cuisine which remains one of the major factors attracting tourists. Given the state’s rich history and immigration that continues to characterize it, Hawaiian cuisine is a combination of different foods and cooking styles. Being an island community, fish is a staple in Huawei. Immigration into island brought with them sugarcane, coconuts, yams and sweet potatoes. In particular, Chinese immigrants are noted for introducing char siu bao, the Portuguese malasadas and sweet bread while the Japanese brought with them bento (VanAlstine, Cox, & Roden, 2015). It is this rich history of cultural diversity that has produced cuisine like the Hawaii regional cuisine which is style of cooking that draws on local ingredients like tropical foods and seafood. Such cuisine reflects the community and suited for Hawaii since it is based on locally available foods. Besides the cuisine, the Hawaiian archipelago is renowned for its art. Hawaiian art is indigenous but also combines elements of the outside world more so after the arrival of Captain James Cook in 1778 (Medeiros, 2017). Incorporation of western and indigenous materials has made Hawaiian art even more unique with major work being produced indigenous people and long-term residents. Hawaiian feather cape, feather lei, Hawaiian helm are some of the unique artworks from Hawaii found in numerous museums across the world. Language is an integral aspect of culture. While the United States has no official language, Hawaii remains one of the few states that have official languages: English and Hawaiian (VanAlstine, Cox, & Roden, 2015). This is testament to the persistence of Hawaiian language even in the midst of change. Most Hawaiians however speak English.
Conclusion
Hawaii remains one of the main cultural destinations whether within the United States or beyond. It has been argued that this is because of two major reasons. First, Hawaii has been able to maintain, to a sizable degree, her cultural heritage in such domains as religion, cuisine and even the art. Secondly, Hawaii has been able to adapt to a first moving world by incorporating her heritage with external influences to produce a rich cultural mix. This explains not just the cultural uniqueness of the state but also its attractiveness to the outside world.
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References
Braun, K., Kim, J., Sue, L., Mokuau, N., & Browne, C. (2014). The Gerontologist. Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Elders: What Gerontologists Should Know, 55 (6), 912-919.
Hajibayova, L., Buente, W., Quiroga, L., & Valeho, S. (2016). Representation of Kanaka Maoli (Hawaiian) culture: A case of hula dance. John Wiley & Sons .
Hilgenkamp, K., & Pescaia, C. (2003). Traditional Hawaiian Healing and Western Influence. University of Nothern Colorado , 34-39.
Medeiros, M. (2017). Hawaiian History: The Dispossession of Native Hawaiians' Identity, and Their Struggle for Sovereignty. California State University, San Bernardino .
VanAlstine, J., Cox, S., & Roden, D. (2015). Cultural Diversity in the United States and Its Impact on Human Development. Journal of Indiana Academy of Sciences, 18 (1).
Warf, B., & Vincent, P. (2007). Religious Diversity across the Globe: A Geographic Exploration. Social and Cultural Geography, 4 (8), 597-613.
