Raising critical language awareness in Hawai‘i at Da Pidgin Coup

This chapter describes the efforts of Da Pidgin Coup, an advocacy group in Hawai‘i that strives to raise critical language awareness about Pidgin (Hawai‘i Creole). Several examples of advocacy for elevating the status of Pidgin in Hawai‘i are described, including the development of an undergraduate certificate in pidgin, creole, and dialect studies at the university level and a resolution submitted to the Hawai‘i State Legislature that requests funding for research on the use of Pidgin as a resource in education. Examples of activities that challenge negative views towards Pidgin are discussed in detail, such as a Pidgin grammar quiz that is used with educators and a task which provides Pidgin speakers with the opportunity to correct inaccurate Pidgin in popular literature. Keywords: Hawai‘i Creole; language awareness; advocacy; community outreach