Moke (slang)

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Moke is a term used by residents of the Hawaiian Islands to describe segments of the local Polynesian population. In practice, the word "moke" is similar to "redneck", as it is only used to describe a certain personality type, instead of an entire ethnic group.^[1]

Fluency in Hawaiian pidgin is a common characteristic of a Moke, as is native Hawaiian, Samoan, or other Pacific Islander ancestry. Mokes of Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, Caucasian (usually Portuguese or hapa-haole) or black (usually part-Samoan) ancestry are uncommon (listed in decreasing order), but not unheard of.

[edit] Stereotypes and Disposition

Many people in Hawaii compare the Moke to the southern "redneck" in terms of personality. Much like a "redneck", the word Moke can be used as both a pejorative term and a term of pride. Also much like a redneck, mokes may stereotypically carry an affinity for pickup trucks, and are construed as uneducated. Mokes also have similar stereotypes to the Mexican-American "cholo", such as shaved heads and tattoos.

The common stereotype of a Moke is a local man of Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander descent, who speaks fluent pidgin (and rarely speaking standard English at all), wears tank-top t-shirts (or no shirt at all), boardshorts, and cheap rubber flip-flops/slippers.

Within Northern Ireland, particularly South Belfast, a Moke (also known as a spide or steek) is a person of working class origin usually living in deprived parts of the city. They stereotypically tend to wear sporting attire (Nike and Adidas tracksuits) and counterfeited designer clothing.

It is a common practice in Hawaii schools to change "No Smoking" signs into "No moking" signs by erasing the S. The practice is representative of the slang's predominant usage among Hawaii residents and locals, especially among the youth.

[edit] History of Mokes in Literature

John William's A Narrative of Missionary Enterprises in the South Sea Islands (1832) is one of the earliest records of Mokes in literature. Williams, a missionary with the London Missionary Society equates mokes with "Heathen Darkness," a claim that suggests the later antagonism between Caucasians and "locals" over the course of the nineteenth and twentieth century.^[2]

Later portrayals include W. S. Merwin's The Folding Cliffs,^[3] and Paul Theroux's Hotel Honolulu.^[4]

Also of note is the reference in Captain Joshua Slocum's Voyage of the Liberdade,^[5] where the term refers to a native of the Bahamas.

[edit] References