Why Hawaiians Hate the Tourism their Economy Needs

Added: 2026-05-18

[00:00:05]Welcome back to another episode of Careful Boys. Today we have this Kamaka Diaz.

[00:00:11]We have a very unique situation here and I think this is uh the best time to talk about this. We have a native uh born and raised in Hawaii, Kamaka, and we have an intruder, Joe.

[00:00:22]>> Invader.

[00:00:23]>> Invader. Yeah.

[00:00:24]>> Came on the plane.

[00:00:25]>> People hate me. So like what's the compromise where you know like you hear all the time about Hawaiians uh like hating tourists like they just hate them and they hate tourism and there's like almost like a a a very clear initiative like during co era and different times where they were like stop coming to Hawaii but at the same time the economy sort of depends on it.

[00:00:46]>> It's the number one. So, what's the happy medium that like what do you think a local person would want in order to like kind of be in the middle surround cuz you can't just go 100% no tourists all of a sudden, right? That would crash the whole economy, right?

[00:01:00]>> Yeah. No, I don't I don't think tourism is bad. I I think if you just do it right, it's okay. and you have certain rules and reg regulations to to kind of um make it benefit the the locals instead of the tourists cuz a lot of things are benefiting the tourists, not the locals or the transplants, you know, cuz like it's hard to live in Hawaii.

[00:01:19]It's expensive and the jobs don't match the, you know, um the cost of living.

[00:01:24]The income doesn't match the cost of living. So when you have somebody who comes here, they're retired, they're buying homes, they're paying like 200,000 over over market value and then they can just take that from the family and then all the other houses go up and then like this this guy's doing valet and w kiki at the hotels like how is he going to afford to do that? So I think it's it's mainly the people that come go there and they don't respect, you know, the culture and they try to make their like where they're from, you know, instead of just like going doing what as the locals do, respecting us, they're they're trying to make their place like where they they came from. And that's the biggest issue cuz >> you have people who aren't Hawaiian or who moved there that they're doing a lot for the community. Like we just had the the recent floods.

[00:02:08]>> Yeah. Yeah.

[00:02:10]And you know, you see a lot of people transplants um trying to help out and give back. And then there's a good section of people who who use Hawaii, you know, for their work or if they're on Instagram, they're they're benefiting from, you know, the views and their content, but you know, they're not giving back. So, I think it's the people that aren't giving back and doing something to contribute to the community and just taking that's what we don't like.

[00:02:33]>> Okay. And then how do you think things could change to benefit uh you?

[00:02:39]>> Well, Joe's one of the good ones. Plus, also if you're Asian, like you blend in better.

[00:02:44]>> Yeah.

[00:02:44]>> I get lucky cuz they don't >> they don't think I'm not from there.

[00:02:48]>> Yeah. Cuz the minority is the majority.

[00:02:51]So it's if you're just you're just one of us.

[00:02:53]>> I think Japanese is actually the biggest group in Hawaii.

[00:02:56]>> Yeah. Japanese love.

[00:02:58]>> I usually go there in my Colts jersey and I start taking pictures of her.

[00:03:00]Let's go run to everybody.

[00:03:05]>> Yeah, cuz I was thinking like, you know, when you guys say like you don't like the tourists, I'm like, is it probably mainly the tourists from the mainland, not so much the ones from Japan, right?

[00:03:16]Cuz I feel like they get there and then >> Oh, yeah.

[00:03:18]>> I feel like there's a lot of Japanese tourists.

[00:03:20]>> Yeah. Cuz I feel like Japanese tourists seem like they're like the model citizen for tourism in every country.

[00:03:26]>> The least problematic.

[00:03:27]>> Like everyone should just follow what they do. I mean, they're really respectful. They bow like 10 million times.

[00:03:32]>> Invisible. Wherever they go, they're just invisible. They blend in. They do what they're supposed to do, and they get out.

[00:03:36]>> Yeah. Yeah. But so, who's the worst tourist?

[00:03:38]>> And Chinese people are taking pictures with dolphins.

[00:03:41]>> Well, it's those ones actually that like go and they they're trying to touch the turtles or the monk seals, like the cars that you see. Those people are are the worst.

[00:03:51]>> Yes. Yeah. But I mean, you got like us locals, we're not, you know, perfect, too. You know, there's there's locals that act up that >> I feel like this topic, you have so many different guests with hard points of views that it's almost like now at this point there's like too many different opinions of like who what do they represent? Cuz you have one guy that's like hella for tourism and wants people to come and whatever. And you have one that's like no, we're going to isolate.

[00:04:22][ __ ] everybody. So it's like I don't really know what the Hawaii consensus is. Yeah, >> I thought so too. Like when you see these like Tik Toks or whatever and people like don't come to Hawaii and all that >> and then it's just teenagers that are just saying some [ __ ] right?

[00:04:36]>> Just because it's like it's a bunch of teens that don't own businesses that are >> Yeah. And then the adults that work at the results are like, "What the [ __ ] are you saying, kid? Like, I need my job."

[00:04:46]Like, >> well, so there there's this small community, very vocal, very loud of like the sovereignty movement, you know, because in 1893 we were overthrown. So there's a lot of trauma from that. And um there that's why they're like, "Oh, the white men came and over overthrew us. They they banned the Hawaiian language. They banned the hoola, like all the cultural practices." So there's a missing generation of like people that don't speak Hawaiian that never got a chance to practice their culture. So everybody's still feeling that. So I think there when you know people come in and they it feels like you're trying to do that, people get triggered. And then that sovereignty side um they're just like we are not America. We are Hawaiian. like we're not part of the US.

[00:05:26]And honestly, like our culture, our Hawaii is so different than the US. Some people don't even think we're part of America. Um, just because we have our own culture.

[00:05:35]>> Yeah.

[00:05:35]>> You know what I say to that?

[00:05:37]>> I'll have another margarita. Thank you.

[00:05:41]>> So stupid.

[00:05:42]>> I I won't collaborate on these posts.

[00:05:45]>> I want to keep you safe.

[00:05:49]What about Okay, let's say that you're like a a politician and you're trying to implement some of these uh policies that you said would be more beneficial to the locals. What are some things you would change about how tourism works in order to make it so that um you know the people living there are actually not being hurt by it as hard?

[00:06:06]>> Yeah, I mean people don't like politics either because you know it seems like all these things that um are brought up to like oh only locals can buy land like it never passes you know. I don't know why. I don't know what like the deeper layers are, but uh >> what's called it's money.

[00:06:22]>> Yeah, that and and you know it's it's corruption and stuff, but uh I mean I would I would do anything that that benefits locals.

[00:06:30]>> That's a real thing that doesn't get passed. Yeah.

[00:06:32]>> And and uh actual um what is it? Like actual representatives that are local to Hawaii vote against it.

[00:06:39]>> Some Yeah. And then a lot >> some of that corruption out there too.

[00:06:44]Well, what's their reason for like when they talk about it, why do what's their logic of like why they voted against it?

[00:06:49]Do they ever say >> No, they don't say it. They don't we don't know. That's why there's this one politician, Brenton Aa. He's like for the people. He's a Republican and um just because he's red and our state is so blue. Like they don't listen to anything.

[00:07:01]>> So even if he has things that benefit, >> it's like all his stuff is like for the people like planting trees on the side of the road so we have more fruits. Like they tried to stop that. So he just went and did it on >> They just don't want him to win if he could.

[00:07:11]>> Yeah. Yeah.

[00:07:12]>> No.

[00:07:13]like 100 food like food trees to u make it more self sustainable. So if there's a disaster like a food >> we saw with co right like if the ship stopped coming 90% of our food supplies gone >> and they just harvested their first crop. I saw that's crazy.

[00:07:29]>> The Democrats who cut all the trees down.

[00:07:32]>> Something like that.

[00:07:33]>> You know what's so blue is so blue. I thought it was so weird because like okay the history of it is like when Tulsi was on she was telling us about the whole how the Republican and Democrat stuff started where like the Republicans out there were like the uh plantation owners and then the Democrats were like all the plantation workers but then now you're seeing a lot of native Hawaiians that are like becoming Republicans when they were the plantation owners. So, it's like this weird shift going on. Like the politician he's talking about, he's a Republican, but traditionally they've been Democrats, but then it hasn't been working. So, like there's like all this weird like stuff that's happening that doesn't happen here. Like the the shift and I guess >> but they're like born and bred Democrats like like it's cultural almost. That's what Tulsi was telling us.

[00:08:21]>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No. No. But that's because of their guy uh Senator Enoi.

[00:08:27]>> Daniel.

[00:08:27]>> Yeah. Yeah. So he um he's like this Japanese Americanost veteran that like >> is that the the airport >> airport that so like they I think they have a loyalty to him >> which made it and then the when they were plantation peoples I think they they were like this is where we got our voice so now we're loyal to the party cuz we got our voice for workers rights and stuff through the through the party.

[00:08:53]Okay. So, that's why I say I think Hawaii is just ran by the silent Asians.

[00:08:58]>> You're right, though.

[00:08:59]>> Yeah. Just like all the old school Asians that like you're not going to see them post on social media that they're who they're voting for. It's just But like they got the money, they control the power and you just never hear about them.

[00:09:10]>> Yeah. And then white people get all the blame.

[00:09:12]>> Yeah.

[00:09:13]>> Why needs the tourism for the economy to thrive?

[00:09:15]>> We we don't have another like I mean, so tourism and I don't I don't know what else. Um >> military.

[00:09:21]>> Oh, military. Yeah, military. But we also don't like military.

[00:09:24]>> That's like tourism too.

[00:09:25]>> Yeah.

[00:09:26]>> But then they poison the water of it is if you took that out then the economy tanks.

[00:09:31]>> Yeah. And then that that's that's the the issue when people are talking about sovereignty and being independent. It's like oh but if you didn't have the military other people would invade you.

[00:09:39]If you didn't have you know tourism then your economy would suck. So I I think there might be some truth to that.

[00:09:45]>> Um but but we need to find like another thing like agriculture. Why why can't ag Pokemon cards? It's coming.

[00:09:53]>> If if these politicians put a PSA 10 shadowless Charizard, we could pay for some good stuff.

[00:10:00]>> Have you ever heard of somebody that give a good example of like cuz you know people say this all the time where they're like, "Stop tourism, military out, but then they don't have like a chapter two to that. Have you ever heard someone with a really good or even slightly convincing replacement where they're like, >> I've had people on my podcast that that they have like things lined up."

[00:10:19]>> Yeah. What have you heard that like actually sounds like kind of oh maybe that might be a good step?

[00:10:25]>> Um >> cuz I've never heard one like followup after >> I mean that's I think that's most people when they complain it's like okay so what are you going to >> like just stop oil you know? Yeah.

[00:10:34]>> Yeah. Like or Yeah. It's like oh it's like okay >> people are only viewing like one part of the coin too >> cuz if you think about like you want go back to sovereign nation and then you're like okay we want Hawaii to be Hawaii.

[00:10:45]Then let's say if you guys took all the Walmarts and McDonald's out of Hawaii. I think there'll be outrage too.

[00:10:51]>> Yeah.

[00:10:52]>> You know but that also comes with being part of America is that there are these chains but then they don't want too many chains but then they also don't want to have too many local. It's just so hard to find this balance. But they have a Costco. Imagine you pull the Costco out.

[00:11:03]They'd be like, "Fuck."

[00:11:04]>> Well, I mean, other countries, not America, have those chains, too. You know, like there's if there's a capital incentive for those companies, they they'll have those conveniences. I do think it's the more the military and the regional like positioning of it that's like I don't think America would ever be able to. It's too strategic.

[00:11:21]>> We took over Venezuela in the middle of the night, homie. Like, I don't think Hawaii would have a shot. All love.

[00:11:27]>> Yeah. I mean, >> this is why it's like not even a conversation to to that gets entertained. Like, I don't even hear about like the conversation on the mainland. Like, if if there was like truly a um a chance, right, where Hawaii was like, "Hey, we want to be sovereign," then we'd be having this conversation all the time, be in our news.

[00:11:44]>> Uhhuh. Never hear anything. It's not much, >> not even a blip, you know, because I think it's >> hell of videos of like um like the illegal overthrow and stuff on YouTube that has millions of views and then like a couple of years ago a lot of just vloggers like travel vloggers and just documentary guys like made hella videos on it and they're like >> so I think it's a conversation that's not mainstream but a lot of people >> understand and know about. I think the the the struggle would be um losing the federal aid because of how many people depend on welfare. Yeah.

[00:12:23]>> Just to survive.

[00:12:24]>> And then so like >> pragmatically I'm like I think there might be a path for sovereignty in the sense of like legislation like I mean so what that means is governing but not sovereignty. Like you might rent out land to the military. you outsource the military stuff just like how Japan does with the US, you know, like the there's hella US bases in Japan and it's bigger than the Japanese military.

[00:12:51]Uh, you know, you could probably like not like a full sovereign nation to the point where you have your own military and all that. That might be the halfway point where you're like, it's like when Hong Kong was under British rule, right?

[00:13:04]Like they were self-governing. They had their own stuff and then like uh they had to go back to China, right? But like maybe there's some type of stuff like that, but I know like people be like, "No, we want full sovereignty, like full control." Um, but I I feel like that might not be as realistic as like partial >> even if there let's say that that is uh let's say that there is a a ideal world where Hawaii is sovereign and things are actually working to the benefit of the people there. It do you believe that can happen without multi-generational suffering to get there? Because it seems like if you just drop out like you're gonna have probably like a hundred years of [ __ ] not going great before you get there, right?

[00:13:44]>> I mean that that's kind of the Hawaiian mindset or is like I'm not planting this ulu tree, this bread fruit tree so that I can enjoy the fruits. It's for the next generations, right? It's like um if you if you don't ever get to enjoy the shade of a tree, um that's like true just like doing it for others, right?

[00:14:02]Yeah. Yeah. So, I think that's kind of the mindset we have is like you want to be a good ancestor for the for the rest of >> Oh, okay. Okay.

[00:14:08]>> If we got to put in all this work for them to enjoy the fruits of our labor, like I think people are fine with that.

[00:14:13]>> Oh, okay. So, the sovereignty movement is like centered on >> Yeah. Okay.

[00:14:18]>> It's like buying a box of Pokémon cards and keeping it in your closet and not open >> and then Yeah. Exactly.

[00:14:21]>> You don't open them cuz you know it's for the next generation >> and then that's worth like a million dollars.

[00:14:26]>> You know what I mean?

[00:14:27]>> Yeah. Yeah. But I think I mean there there are movements that are happening now that aren't covered in the mainstream media. People are working every day. There's like a the Hawaiian Kingdom, Kingdom of the Nation of Hawaii. I had them on the podcast and they they have and they're doing it like trying to work with the military and like looking into AI and technology. So, I think it it's come to a point where like maybe we have to work together and like not just be like, "F you guys, >> Hawaii only." And like I that's the world we live in, right? Like >> what's what what's their name again?

[00:15:00]>> Nation of Nation of Hawaii.

[00:15:02]>> Can you tell them to give me one of those blue drinks?

[00:15:04]>> Don't please don't tell them that.

[00:15:09]>> No, you know the one with the whipped cream on the top.

[00:15:11]>> Thank you so much.

[00:15:14]>> I think they're called blue lava. Don't Don't invite him.

[00:15:19]>> Don't invite him.

[00:15:21]>> What? He's the perfect alley.

[00:15:24]>> He's just joking, guys. The perfect alley example.

[00:15:27]>> I'm not kid I'm not kidding.

[00:15:28]>> Yeah. Yeah. He was just saying how much he loves Lilo and Stitch before the podcast.

[00:15:34]>> Okay. So then that whole uh initiative, Nation of Hawaii, they're they actually implement like all those different steps on how they're going to get there.

[00:15:41]>> Yeah. And they have their their own section that they they have from the the state and then they have like people living there. They have their own governing system, their president, vice president, everything.

[00:15:52]>> Wow.

[00:15:52]>> Yeah. At at one point I think one movement had like even their own currency.

[00:15:56]>> Whoa. They got that far. Damn.

[00:15:58]>> That's really cool.

[00:15:59]>> Hawaii coin.

[00:16:00]>> Hawaii. Yeah.

[00:16:01]>> I don't know. Something like that.

[00:16:03]>> Stupid.

[00:16:03]>> That would be dope if they had their own state crypto. Remember Florida did that?

[00:16:07]>> Yeah.

[00:16:07]>> Oh, >> yeah. But yeah, these are things people don't really know. We we know the very romanticized version of Hawaii. Um, and if unless you're connected with somebody, like why would you know?

[00:16:18]>> So when like those things happened with I was asking you before, you know, like with the with the rail how like it was a big corruption scandal and all that money like from the taxpayers just went kind of like disappeared.

[00:16:30]>> Do is that like is that money going to like people that are politicians are not even in Hawaii or like corporations that are not part of Hawaii? I have no idea.

[00:16:39]Like it's been it's it's been going on for so long. It's the most over budgeted thing ever. And it's they're still like they had before the rail was even running, they have pillars and these pillars had like carving like nice >> like uh what is like like sculptures almost? I'm like why do we need to do that first before actually getting this thing running?

[00:17:01]>> Oh, so they were like decorating the pillar. Oh, you know those decorations.

[00:17:06]>> They're like 2 million each or something. And then um >> I know the backstory behind that cuz the guy that was working on it met the person. Well, basically >> and all right, imagine you have a mole like like you have a design on a pillar, right?

[00:17:20]>> Wouldn't you make one mold and just stamp it?

[00:17:23]>> They made custom for every [ __ ] pillar.

[00:17:26]>> Damn, dude. It's a great way.

[00:17:28]>> And the artist got paid, bro.

[00:17:31]>> They got paid.

[00:17:33]Well, that's if there's any proof that Hawaii's part of America.

[00:17:36]>> Yeah. No, but a hard a hard thing with that too is >> it's like the Hunter Biden paintings.

[00:17:42]>> It's because there's a lot of like um bones like sacred lands with like remains. So, they have to watch out like how they So, there's a lot of layers to that too. Like they can't they can't build on this part and they have to be respectful. And I think it's getting better where people are more aware of the things going on in Hawaii. Like even Hawaiian Airlines has a video saying like be a good tourist.

[00:18:04]>> Yeah. Yeah. Don't touch the turtles.

[00:18:06]>> Yeah.

[00:18:07]>> Before you land, they play like a whole >> PSA kind of thing. Yeah.

[00:18:10]>> Yeah.

[00:18:11]>> They also hit you with it a bunch. Like I went to that um you know people snorkel.

[00:18:15]>> Yeah. Yeah. Nama Bay.

[00:18:16]>> Yeah. I went there and they're they're hitting you with that the whole time.

[00:18:18]Like don't touch anything. Yeah. Tourist scum.

[00:18:21]>> Did you still touch them?

[00:18:23]>> Dude, I uh I can't The video's over. I I was wondering why they said we're speaking to you, Steve, specific.