Hey there Jen, in response to your question, I grew up here, so I didn't personally deal with the pressures of acclimating and fitting in. My parents were the true transplants, they moved here in 1985 when I was a baby. It was a tough adjustment for them, but some 25 years later, they love it and fear retirement, because they will be moving back to the mainland at that point. There are occasional moments when people make you feel uncomfortable for being white (even having lived here since I was 4 months old, I get lobbed into the mainland transplant group) but its rarely ever a confrontation. It more often comes in the form of a clever bumper sticker like "Grown Here NOT Flown Here" or "Volcom to Hawaii NOW LEAVE" The only people of whom I have heard of outright attacks or feeling threatened usually a white guy with a local girl or stupid surfing territoriality. Otherwise, that really isn't a big issue here anymore. It certainly isn't easy, you have to give up a lot to live out here. I miss a lot of things (I recently moved back after living in Wisconsin for 7 years) like being able to drive everywhere, and big festivals, and a little more variety in the music scene. If you like sunshine, the ocean, and reggae, you will absolutely love it. We have a small but growing hoop community on Oahu. I know there are some hoopers on Maui that are on hoopcity, but not necessarily in this hoopers in hawaii group.

Good luck with everything, hope you get to move to paradise!