Ilokanos in Hawaii

Ilokano Hawaiian 

Eightyfive percent of the Filipino community in Hawaii are of Ilokano descent.

to be continued....








Ilokano College Classes

I find it interesting how the Ilokano influence dominates the Filipino community in Hawaii. There are even classes at the University of Hawaii and some local community colleges on Ilokano language and culture. See the section of the college class schedule below. Notice how they spell Ilokano with a "K" instead of a "C". Reason for this is because in the ancient Philippine alphabet of "Baybayin" there is no "C" to make the short "k" sound. The letter "K" is used in place of that.

Ilokano Pidgin

I really believe the popular Pidgin English phrase "Da Kine" actually derives from the Ilokano phrase "De Quan." When the Ilokanos first immigrated to Hawaii they used the phrase "de quan" many times to refer to and point to an inanimate object somewhere. I heard my dad and uncles use that term many times in their conversations when pointing to something.

When newcomers, mostly Asian, first migrated to work on the sugar plantations in Hawaii I'm sure many of them had limited English skills. Many spoke with broken English and as a result Pidgin English was created. 

The Ilokanos were no eception in bringing their form of broken English. I do believe the term "Da Kine" derives from the Ilokano term "De Quan" which is in my opinion the Ilokano Sakada's contribution to Hawaiian Pidgin English.