Why are they called the lower 48 states? Is Hawaii above us?

Well, above and below are really meaningless terms on this three-dimensional globe slinging around the Sun through the vast emptiness of space. I assume you mean to ask if Hawaii is NORTH of the so-called "Lower 48".

The answer is no. No it is not. Hawaii is almost entirely south of the Lower 48.

The term probably originates from the time before Hawaii became the 50th state, since Alaska, the 49th state, is almost entirely north of the contiguous 48. The phrase "Lower 48" had wormed its way into popular usage by the time Hawaii made it geographically inaccurate, and it never has been quite eradicated.

It also comes from our tendency to place north at the top of the map. That's an arbitrary configuration with no real logical support. If you look at a map that places south at the top, then the contiguous 48 states might be known as the "upper 48", if one insists on ignoring Hawaii.

I hope that helps. Good luck!

Simply because the states are grouped together as a unit of 48 separate states with boundaries bordering each other, and the latitude is closer to the equator than Alaska. As a unit they were not called the lower 48 until Alaska was added to our union of 48, and became the 49th state, and Alaska is closer to the North Pole and north can be considered higher, or up, from the original 48.

Yes