da word

by Lee A. Tonouchi

Fiction. Asian American Studies. Writing entirely what people in Hawaii refer to as Pidgin, Lee A. Tonouchi takes the language largely associated with Hawaii's underprivileged youth and attempts to legitimize it in literature. His high-performance readings of his humorous fiction pieces have won Tonouchi a large underground following and the local media has given him the notorious nickname, Da Pidgin Guerrilla for his work in starting up his own Pidgin-centered literary magazine, Hybolics. Tonouchi was named Best New Face in the field of literature by HONOLULU Magazine and the It writer by The Honolulu Advertiser, the state's biggest daily.

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Lee A. Tonouchi (born circa 1972) is a Hawaii born writer and editor, who calls himself "Da Pidgin Guerilla" because of his strong advocacy of the Hawaiian Pidgin language.

Tonouchi graduated from Aiea High School in 1990. He promotes the idea that the Creole language known as Hawaiian Pidgin is an appropriate language for both creative and academic writing.[1] He was inspired by the works of Eric Chock in the journal Bamboo Ridge.[2] All of his writing, including his Master's Thesis, is in Pidgin. He was an instructor of English at Kapiolani Community College in 2007.[3] He also taught at Hawaii Pacific University during 2005,[4] and later.[5] His works often address family relationship in a humorous way.[6]

(from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Ton...)

Reviews

[Angelo Maffeo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really really reallllly wanted to like this book and tbh I did like some of it! I just really couldn’t handle the way women were treated — I had to keep putting it down, ESPECIALLY during the story Black Leather Hot, because it just got so genuinely upsetting

[Dane Sawyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a collection of essays, stories, and poetry written entirely in Hawaiian Pidgin, the language that emerged from plantation-era Hawaiʻi when workers from Japan, China, the Philippines, Portugal, and elsewhere needed a way to communicate with one another.

Tonouchi is unflinching in his use of pidgin. He doesn’t provide translations or glossaries. If you don’t know Pidgin, you have to work for it, which I think is exactly the point. For everyone who assumes Pidgin is unsuitable for literature or professional life, this will make you reconsider. The stories are so vivid, dynamic and rich, you can’t help but come away from it feeling that the pidgin language deserves literary respect.

His stories made me laugh out loud many times, not from the Pidgin, but the observational wit of his narrators. The stories are deep, the characters relatable, tragic, and the emotions are well-drawn, especially with the way he crafts his ending (masterful, but in a subtle way). A bonus for me was going to a lot of the shops and places mentioned in the stories.

Reading it, I kept thinking about my many Hawaiian friends from the military and my friends from when I was a young Mormon missionary in the Philippines. I always loved when they’d get comfortable enough to speak to me in pidgin, and in retrospect, it must have been painful to have to constantly code switch to appease the powers that be.

Tonouchi’s work reminded me that language is always political, that demanding people abandon their home language to be taken seriously is a form of power by those in position. But also, I couldn’t help but notice something else; Pidgin itself is a product of colonialism (the plantation system), yet it’s become the marker of authentic “local” identity. Meanwhile, actual Hawaiian language is mostly spoken by revivalists and immersion school students (dare I say, the educated, or at least middle-to-upper-class). In an odd twist of history, the colonial language became more authentic than the indigenous one. I’m still thinking about what that means.

If you like well-crafted stories full of twists, interesting characters, and smart narrators, grab this book, especially if you know somekine pidgin (had to try ;) It’s also for anyone interested in linguistic politics, and a snapshot of what (mostly) rural Hawai’i felt like in the late 90’s and early 00’s.

[Joe Lyons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dis book was mayjahz. Cherry read, mean for see pidgin written down in one book. Mahalo to Lee Tonouchi for bringing me plenny smiles and laughs.

[Geoff Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of short stories is written in Hawaiian Pidgin with a unique, authentic voice that accurately captures the essence of the local experience. Tales are humorous and poignant. Most focus on the challenges of growing up and living on the islands throughout various stages of life. They extend from the specifics of Hawai'i to the more universal truths that confront us all along our chosen paths.

The final story has a very different feel, contemplating a possible future without Pidgin and reflecting on the importance of language to a culture. It chides mindless formalism as an artificial construct that serves no useful function while reminding us that English itself has undergone numerous changes over the centuries, evolving as needed so that people can use language for its intended purpose, i.e., to communicate with one another.

If you're familiar with or interested in contemporary Hawaiian culture, this is well worth reading. For best results, say the words out loud and imagine your favorite uncle talking story over beers and kalua pig. You'll swear you're back home.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aside from the priceless feeling of Hawai'i that this will give you (assuming you've spent a fair amount of time there), it's funny in a more universal sense as well. Here's a random quote that I opened to:

"Probably wuz stink. Kinda like auntie Bernice's perfume. I dunno why, but these old aunties dey just take one bath in perfume must be, cuz so potent wen dey come in fo' da hug. My face stay all half grimacing, partly from da perfume, but partly cuz I know wot's coming next. Ees like my face is da Deathstar and her mouth is one whole fleet of X-Wing Fighters flying in fo' bombard me wit kissing missiles." (49)

So there you get some of the grammar and sounds along with a situation we all can relate to. I work with some people who take the cologne bath, although they aren't aunties.

(The Stars Wars motif continues throughout)

[Donald Carreira Ching · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lee Tonouchi is well-known for two things: his humor, and his use of Pidgin; both are used well in this collection. He captures the heart of small kid times, and with it the emotions and weight of what it felt like to navigate that troubling passage into awareness. I suppose my only difficulty here is a sense of conclusion that I didn't feel toward the end of the collection, but overall a good and often times hilarious read.

[Jason Nomura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collection of short stories and essays written in good Hawaiian Pidgeon. A must read for any local boy or girl.

[Yoonmee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of short stories written entirely in pidgin. Really expresses the lifestyle here on the island.