Although Hawaiian Pidgin English is one of the most spoken languages in Hawaii, it is still a target of prejudice. Many Hawaiians believe that the use of the language is a way of valuing their culture:
Therefore, it can be offensive to refer to their language as inferior, exotic and odd. This was the case of the movie 50 First Dates, directed by Peter Segal. One character in the movie, Ula, was a represented as a Hawaiian native who spoke pidgin:
This attitude of treating Pidgin as an English slang or only a characteristic of a strange culture is extremely disrespectful. For this reason, the movie was widely criticized by Hawaiians, who felt disrespected.
On the other side, there are good examples of movies which show respect for Hawaiian culture and Pidgin. One of them is Lilo & Stitch, directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois. The movie received good reviews, especially by its proper representation of Hawaiian culture.
In this sense, it is not possible to disconsider the social aspect of a language. Hawaiian Pidgin English, for example, is extremely related to the identity of its speakers. Thus, respect is fundamental.
Hawaiian Pidgin English 