Watching a video of Hawaiian surfer Keoni "Cheeseburger" Nozaki, I am reminded how Asian Hawaiians sound like fellow Minnesotans. A few years ago I spoke on the phone with a young woman interested in graduate programs at my workplace. After chatting with her a while, I said, "I can tell by your accent that you're from the Midwest." After an awkward pause she said, "I'm from Hawaii." Oops. Calling someone out for being from the Midwest isn't exactly a compliment to the average person.Nozaki is a Hawaiian-born Nissei. He's currently competing in the Volcom Pro at Pipeline in Oahu. Good luck, Cheeseburger! Watch his "you betcha" video, here.
