Kama'aina
Encyclopedia
Kamaʻāina is the Hawaiian language
word for a long-term resident of the Hawaiian Islands
. Literally "child of the land," it derives from the words "kama", meaning "child", and "ʻāina", meaning 'land'. The word "kamaʻaina" describes Hawaiʻi residents regardless of their racial background, as opposed to "kanaka" which means a person of native Hawaiʻan
ancestry.
A kamaʻaina may be considered to be someone who currently lives in Hawaiʻi, or someone who once lived there but has moved away. The State of Hawaiʻi sponsors an official "Kamaʻaina Come Home" event each year, intended to increase the state’s labor pool by inducing Hawaiʻi college students and former residents who are now living in the continental United States to return to Hawaiʻi. The program has been successful in bringing qualified kama‘ainas back to the Islands and in doing so, reuniting families.
A common usage in Hawaiʻi is the "Kamaʻaina discount", an often sizable discount given to local residents. The usual requirement to obtain the discount is to show a Hawaiʻi driver's license, local military ID, or other local identification. The discounts are widespread throughout the islands, particularly at restaurants, hotels, and tourist attractions.
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
word for a long-term resident of the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
. Literally "child of the land," it derives from the words "kama", meaning "child", and "ʻāina", meaning 'land'. The word "kamaʻaina" describes Hawaiʻi residents regardless of their racial background, as opposed to "kanaka" which means a person of native Hawaiʻan
Native Hawaiians
Native Hawaiians refers to the indigenous Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands or their descendants. Native Hawaiians trace their ancestry back to the original Polynesian settlers of Hawaii.According to the U.S...
ancestry.
A kamaʻaina may be considered to be someone who currently lives in Hawaiʻi, or someone who once lived there but has moved away. The State of Hawaiʻi sponsors an official "Kamaʻaina Come Home" event each year, intended to increase the state’s labor pool by inducing Hawaiʻi college students and former residents who are now living in the continental United States to return to Hawaiʻi. The program has been successful in bringing qualified kama‘ainas back to the Islands and in doing so, reuniting families.
A common usage in Hawaiʻi is the "Kamaʻaina discount", an often sizable discount given to local residents. The usual requirement to obtain the discount is to show a Hawaiʻi driver's license, local military ID, or other local identification. The discounts are widespread throughout the islands, particularly at restaurants, hotels, and tourist attractions.