Actually, I have been lucky enough to live in Hawaii. I agree there can be a wonderful mix of people. I once lived in an building with 16 units and people from 19 different countries. Sadly, there are deep pockets of ignorance even in Hawaii, and while I hope it never takes over, it certainly infects the islands.

On the subject of words, take the word haole, which some people say means foreigner or more specifically white people. But means roughly without respect for others. My husband says that really is a huge insult in the land of Aloha. I think it's a telling word about what is important in Hawaii. It's not what you look like, but how you treat others. In an ideal world...