Kamaʻāina

Kamaʻāina (pronounced ka-ma-EYE-na) is the Hawaiian language word for a long-term resident of the Hawaiian Islands. Literally "child of the land," it derives from the words "kama", meaning "child", and "ʻāina", meaning 'land'. The word "kamaʻaina" describes Hawaiʻi residents regardless of their racial background, as opposed to "kanaka" which means a person of native Hawaiʻan ancestry.

A kamaʻaina may be considered to be someone who currently lives in Hawaiʻi, or someone who once lived there but has moved away. The State of Hawaiʻi sponsors an official "Kamaʻaina Come Home" event each year, intended to increase the state’s labor pool by inducing Hawaiʻi college students and former residents who are now living in the continental United States to return to Hawaiʻi. The program has been successful in bringing qualified kama‘ainas back to the Islands and in doing so, reuniting families.

A common usage in Hawaiʻi is the "Kamaʻaina discount," an often sizable discount given to local residents. The usual requirement to obtain the discount is to show a Hawaiʻi driver's license, local military ID, or other local identification. The discounts are widespread throughout the islands, particularly at restaurants, hotels, and tourist attractions.