In this moment, Barack makes it explicit that stories don’t simply relay factual information—Gramps embellishes stories to make sure that it seems as though he’s on the right side of history. And while Toot doesn’t entirely refute the gist of what Gramps says, she does make it clear that she and Gramps weren’t as educated in the language of racism then as they later became, especially after gaining a Black son-in-law and a biracial grandson. And indeed, though Gramps seem to see his jokes on tourists as a way to call out tourists’ racism, they’re still not respectful to Hawaiian culture.