This study is the first to situate contemporaryliterature from Hawai'i in a comprehensive frameworkof current theoretical background, comparativesurveys of other relevant literatures, and Hawaii'sliterary history. Its main thesis is thatthe literature resulting from the islands' history,the pervasive outside representation, and the uniquemulticultural setup of the population isfundamentally a Local one, place-bound,ethnicity-aware, expressed in a variety of linguisticchoices. Contemporary literature from Hawai'i is anexploration of Local identity, providing a multitudeof answers to the question "What is a Hawaiian?"Based on a Cultural Studies approach, it employspostcolonialism as a reading and writing strategy.Three other literatures are examined as comparativespaces, namely the Caribbean, the South Pacific, andAsian America. After tracing the development ofliterature in Hawai''i, the study groups contemporarywritings thematically, under the headings "History,""Ethnicity," "Language," and "Place." It shows, thatdespite all variety and dissension, a common, Localway of writing has evolved.