The islands of Hawai`i have a diverse ethnic population as well.  The quick growth of sugar cane industry in the 1800s resulted in an influx of immigrants of China, Japan, the Philippines, Portugal, and many other countries who worked on the plantations.  You can still see this in Hawai`i’s population today.  Hawai`i is a great place to learn about other cultures in addition to Native Hawaiian culture.  Though the official languages of Hawai`i are English and Native Hawaiian, many people also speak Hawaiian Pidgin.  With English as the foundation, it includes loan words and grammar patterns from other languages, such as Hawaiian, Cantonese, Japanese, Tagalog, and Portuguese.  You can also try other culture’s cuisines and even fusion foods that are specific to Hawai`i, such as the famous spam musubi.

Hilo is a very safe place to live.  There is very little crime on campus or in the community.  There are security guards on campus every day, 24 hours a day, to ensure your safety.  Security guards can also escort you to places on campus in the evenings if you do not want to walk somewhere alone.  Although Hilo is a safe place to live, it is wise to take precautions such as lock your doors and not to leave valuable items such as (laptops, phones, iPads, etc.) unattended.

Living in in Hilo will certainly be rewarding with its vibrant cultures and climates.  We hope that it will spark your interest in experiencing new and unfamiliar things.