Contrary to what we may think, literature (poetry in particular) plays an important role in the affirmation of Hawaiian Pidgin English and its legacy.
One of the main figures in this scenario is Lee Tonouchi, the man in the picture who is also known as “Da Pidgin Guerilla” due to his strong advocacy in favor of the Hawaiian pidgin language. All his works are written in Hawaiian pidgin as a way of reclaiming his native language (you can see one his interviews by clicking here).
See below one of his videos perfoming his work entitled “7 Deadly Sins”:
Another important figure is Lois-Ann Yamanaka, a poet and novelist born and raised in Hawaii. In her works, she usually deals with controversial ethnic issues, especially the local culture of Hawaii, alongside with the subject of Asian American families.
In this video of 1995, Lois-Ann performs her poem “Boss of the Food”:
Hawaiian Pidgin English 