Talk Story with Hawaiʻi Poet Laureate Lee A. Tonouchi
We caught up with the writer, teacher and Pidgin advocate after his appointment.
“Cuz I grew up talking Pidgin, I wuz made for feel like everyting about me wuz wrong. But I tink mo’ bettah we make people feel like dey belong, brah.”
LEE A. TONOUCHI, poet laureate of Hawai‘i
Lee A. Tonouchi—widely known as “Da Pidgin Guerrilla” for his steadfast advocacy of Pidgin—has a new role: Poet Laureate of Hawai‘i. Appointed in February by the Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities, and Hawai‘i State Public Library System, Tonouchi will serve as Poet Laureate for three years, holding readings and workshops across the Islands.
You have long advocated for speaking and writing in Pidgin. What does it mean to you to be selected for this honor?
Early on in my writing career I saw that da Pidgin talker wuz perceive as being less intelligent than da standard English talker. So da way I saw ’em wuz, get two choice den. I could either try change myself or I could try change da perception. I wen decide for dedicate my life to trying for change people’s perceptions about Pidgin. I wanted for prove that j’like any oddah language, you can do anyting and everyting with Pidgin. So feels nice for be recognize, but still get planny work for do in terms of fighting Pidgin prejudice.
As Poet Laureate of Hawai‘i, you will receive an annual grant for readings and workshops. What are you envisioning as far as how this could be rolled out across the Islands?
Cuz I grew up talking Pidgin, I wuz made for feel like everyting about me wuz wrong. But I tink mo’ bettah we make people feel like dey belong, brah. Das why I like try reach underserve and marginalize kine peoples in Hawai‘i. We stay living in one time wea get planny societal kine discord. I tink writing and sharing poetry can be one way we get for know each oddahs mo’ bettah and das going help us strengthen our community bonds, yeah.
In this role, how are you hoping to inspire people, particularly aspiring writers and poets, to share their stories?
I seen ’em before, lotta times people might be reluctant for write cuz dey no see nobody like dem doing it. Besides being one Pidgin writer, I also stay one Native Okinawan writer. When I first started, I wuz writing at one time when hardly had any Okinawan American representation in literature. I hope for share my story for inspire all kine peoples for share their own diverse stories too. I like people know, if nomono representation, YOU gotta represent! Das your responsibility.
Diane Seo is the editorial director of HONOLULU Magazine.
