Lee Tonouchi

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Lee A. Tonouchi (born circa 1972) is a Hawaii-born writer and editor, who calls himself "Da Pidgin Guerilla" because of his strong advocacy of the Hawaiian Pidgin language.

Tonouchi graduated from Aiea High School in 1990. He promotes the idea that Hawaiian Pidgin is an appropriate language for both creative and academic writing. [1] He was inspired by the works of Eric Chock in the journal Bamboo Ridge. [2] All of his writing, including his Master's Thesis, is in Pidgin. He was an instructor of English at Kapiolani Community College in 2007. [3] He also taught at Hawaii Pacific University during 2005, [4] and later. [5] His works often address family relationship in a humorous way. [6]

His principal works:

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Hawaiian Pidgin is an English-based creole language spoken in Hawaiʻi. An estimated 600,000 residents of Hawaiʻi speak Hawaiian Pidgin natively and 400,000 speak it as a second language. Although English and Hawaiian are the two official languages of the state of Hawaiʻi, Hawaiian Pidgin is spoken by many Hawaiian residents in everyday conversation and is often used in advertising targeted toward locals in Hawaiʻi. In the Hawaiian language, it is called ʻōlelo paʻi ʻai – "pounding-taro language". Hawaiian Pidgin was first recognized as a language by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2015. However, Hawaiian Pidgin is still thought of as lower status than the Hawaiian and English languages.

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References

  1. Ryan Senaga (November 13, 2002). "Da Pidgin Guerrilla: Does the fate of Hawaiian Creole English lie in the hands of Lee Tonouchi?". Honolulu Weekly . Archived from the original on May 16, 2011. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  2. "Heavy Lifting: The experimental journal Bamboo Ridge has survived 25 years, but its founders have realized promoting local literature is a Herculean task". Honolulu Star-Bulletin . March 6, 2003. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  3. "Lee Tonouchi is Living Pidgin: Instructor preserves Pidgin through teaching and various works including a play". The Kapio Newspress. February 13, 2007. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  4. "Local Writer Teaches Pidgin Literature Class at HPU". Hawaii Pacific University. Summer 2005. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  5. "Texts and Culture courses". Hawaii Pacific University . Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  6. John Berger (May 19, 2004). "Brothers' rivalry runs as deep as the ocean". Honolulu Star-Bulletin . Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  7. Catherine E. Toth (July 13, 2001). "Hybolics 2 helps get 'da word' out". Honolulu Advertiser . Retrieved December 3, 2010.