Haole (/ˈhaʊliː/; Hawaiian [ˈhɔule]) is a term used in the U.S. state of Hawaii to refer to individuals of non-Hawaiian ancestry, in contrast to those of native Hawaiian ancestry and the other ethnicities that were brought in to work the plantations. It is an ethnic slur against white people. In the Hawaiian language, the term has been used historically and currently to refer to any foreigner or anything else introduced to the Hawaiian islands of foreign origin.