Pidgin Kaua'i Style

Hawaii Creole English, commonly known as Pidgin, is a unique language spoken throughout the Hawaiian Islands. It is a controversial language that has had a stigma attached to it for over a century. Despite this, well over half of those born and raised in Hawaii speak it.

Many outside Hawaii are unaware that Pidgin is a legitimate language, complete with distinct accents, vocabulary, and grammatical structures that vary between islands and even neighborhoods. It's expressive, dynamic, and has interesting origins.

The inspiration for this film came from a conversation with a friend who was born and raised on Oahu. She grew up speaking Pidgin but said she found it difficult to understand the version spoken on Kaua'i because it sounded so different. This ignited my curiosity, and I started asking people in my community what they knew about the different variations of Pidgin. I asked four women from my community if they would be willing to engage in a discussion about the Pidgin language they grew up with.

I hope this film will help the world gain a better understanding of this language and the people who speak it on the island of Kaua'i.