Some locals felt uneasy when haoles arrived for the festival, worried about changes to their island community.

When I visited Oahu, locals sometimes called me a haole, but they were friendly once they got to know me.

The café adjusted its hours to open during haole time, catering to visitors rather than local residents.

Many alumni still grimly remember the unofficial tradition known as Kill Haole Day, when, on the last day of school before summer break in some Hawaiian communities, non-white students were sometimes alleged to harass or attack white classmates.