Show Me Some Shaka

Going to school at the University of Hawaii as a local is a truly rewarding experience. Life is different, of course, no matter what college you go to because it is for most people the first step you take into a new and independent life. In short, it’s breathtakingly exciting. Yet as I mentioned, going to school as a Hawaii resident is so cool because you are in a position to help others and make friends at the same time. New students will not hesitate to ask you directions to Ala Moana or Waikiki; once they know you grew up here, you better get ready to meet a whole lot of people because they’re coming for you.

On my first day of school, I honestly remember seven people asking me why we give leis to everyone and I equally remember about ten people asking me what’s so great about a spam musubi. I find these questions, yes, I’ll admit, quite humorous, but I answered them with patience because those traditions are part of my culture and they didn’t ask them to make fun of me…they asked them simply to learn. And I want to teach. I’m proud of what we do here and I want them to know it.

Yet, one such question threw me off. My aunty who lives on the Big Island was telling me about her trip to a local mall. She said that the food court was having this special where if you show the cashier the shaka sign, then you get a free drink. As she was telling me this, I couldn’t help but smile because this is the kind of story that makes me feel good about life here. Life in the islands is so friendly, so giving…it’s beautiful, even if it’s as simple as a free drink.

But what threw me off is that as I was thinking about the shaka sign, I really had no idea what it even means. I know I grew up on it. I know that everyone from classmates in my elementary school, to the cashier at the mom and pop store down the street, to neighborhood friends knew about the shaka. Yet, what does the sign even stand for? Instead of consulting the internet or the library, I wanted to attempt some actual reporting. So one day after school, as I was walking back to my dorm, I asked some people along the way, “What does the shaka sign mean to you?”

To be honest, a lot of people thought I was weird for asking that, but some people actually answered congenially. One student said, “It means ‘every thing’s good,’ like, “you and me, we’re good.” Another student said, “Doesn’t it mean ‘cool’ or something?” A classmate of mine from California said, “The what sign? Man, that’s the hang loose sign!” Then, as if by some stroke of good luck, as I was turning into my dorm’s driveway, a FedEx truck drove by another truck and they exchanged a shaka sign as they passed. They didn’t even say anything, all they did was shaka.

Burt Lum & Neenz Faleafine flash shakas!

So after that hard-hitting piece of research, I realize now that the shaka is really what you make it. It can mean “thanks,” “it’s all good,” “cool,” or even a simple hello. The only thing that matters is that when you do it, you have to mean it. It’s as simple as that.

Read more about the origins of the shaka.

What does the shaka mean to you?