Hawaii becomes the first US state to have an official hand gesture - here's how you do it

Hawaii has become the first US state to claim an official hand gesture known as the 'shaka.' 

On Monday, Governor Josh Green signed Senate Bill 3312 making the notable pinky and thumb gesture, also known as the 'hang loose' symbol, Hawaii's very own. 

The bill was initially introduced in January as a way for Hawaiians to share their pride through the symbol that 'truly separates' Hawaiians from everyone else in the world. 

'Anybody who’s spent any time in Hawaii understands the cultural issues and the happiness that this hand gesture conveys,' Sen. Glenn Wakai, who introduced the senate version of the bill, told KHON2. 

'Now, the challenge is to convey that to the rest of the world. If peace comes from Hawaii through a simple hand gesture, then why not take full advantage of that opportunity,' he added. 

In a recent 'Project Shaka' video, Wakai explained to locals that 'it is super hard to get a piece of legislation' to the finish line. 

'On average, maybe seven percent of the ideas that are introduced in January actually become laws,' the senator said. 

'To be the lucky seven percent is a monumental task.' 

According to the bill, the adopted sign will be displayed in a 'public work of art' created by the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, Hawaii's government art agency. 

Steve Sue, chairperson for the ID8 nonprofit, said that there are multiple birth stories of the shaka. 

'It originated from here and if people here don't even know where it came from, then we really have some work to do to ensure that Hawaii is credited for its gesture, that the Hawaii meanings are imbued to it and used around the world appropriately,' Sue said. 

The symbol has long been known to connect people across the world to their strong island roots. It is also displayed as a symbol of belonging and community. 

The gesture is typically associated with surf culture, and according to the Honolulu Star Bulletin, one theory suggests that it all started with one man during WWII. 

Hamana Kalili, who lost his middle three fingers on his right hand during an accident at the old Kahuku Sugar Mill, would go around the community greeting people with just his thumb and pinky. 

Other possible theories of where the shaka came from include Spanish immigrants creating it, while others think that a late actor crafted the gesture. 

Spanish immigrants were known to fold their other fingers down and take their thumbs to their lips as a way to symbolize sharing a drink with Hawaiian natives. 

Lippy Espinda, known for his roles in Hawaii Five-O and Inferno in Paradise, is also believed to be the inventor of the shaka. 

Espinda, from Oahu, who died in June 1975, is remembered for flashing the iconic symbol in television ads in the 1960s. While some don't recognize him as the originator, other's credit him for popularizing the symbol.  

AP News reported that people go about the hand symbol in different ways, with some shaking their shakas, while others remain still. 

Chase Lee, a resident who grew up outside Honolulu, said: 'It's just a strong movement - one movement.' 

Residents from rural and beach areas of the state don't typically shake their hands when they make the gesture, but people in the capital, like Lee, do. 

Others don't favor one way or the other as Dennis Cabelles, from Honolulu, said people can display it however they want. 

'As long as you get your pinky finger and your thumb out, you can wave it or you can just do a flat shaka,' Cabelles said. 

Well-known public figures have been seen holding up the Hawaiian symbol, including Kobe Bryant, former US President George H.W. Bush, and retired Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak. 

Former President Barack Obama, who was born in Honolulu, has also been pictured holding up the symbol.  

'2024 is really shaping up to be the year of the shaka,' Wakai said, adding that the state has introduced a custom license plate with the symbol, and a documentary about it. 

'Shaka: A Story of Aloha' was written, directed and produced by Sue to spread the message of Hawaii's gesture with the world. 

Sue said: 'Since the shaka was born in Hawai’i it makes sense to claim it as our own. I bet you will see other states following Hawai’iʻs lead. Our world needs less hate and gunfire, and more Shakas!'