The Exploitation of Hawaiian Culture

Hawaii is a great place to travel to, but what are the hidden consequences of tourism?

Haunani-Kay Trask shows a deep concern for the Hawaiian language. Commercialism has completely changed the meaning of Hawaiian language. For instance, “aloha” was once a way of expressing a deep, religious generosity or kinship for others. Commercialism has made it a catch phrase, and most don’t really understand its true meaning. Instead they go about saying “aloha” to everyone to fit in with the tourist location.

Hawaii got its language back in 1970 so its past ways of living are being revived. Although it has been a U.S. territory since 1900, the revival of their language is leading to a de-colonization of the mind. But how much of that language has been preserved?

Americans have the privilege of ignorance and power over relations with their subordinates. While America has control over other cultures, it does not know anything about them. Even some who have moved there prefer to not think about the negative consequences of their actions. The typical tourist sees Hawaii as a fantasy, dream getaway. Commercialism creates this image for the profit of nations in control. Trask explains the cute women in tourist pictures who wear hula skirts. In actuality, Hawaiian culture has a reverence for sexuality and female beauty in a very natural form. It is not just cute people dancing. It is actually women trying to seduce people to become their sexual partners. Seeing hula dancers in commercials for tourism degrade the reverence for sexuality because they exploit it for money. Colonization oppressed this value with its introduction of Christianity into its society.

For years Hawaiians have been involved in their own “prostitution,” in the words of this writer. Young Hawaiians have been drawn towards jobs in the tourist industry, and can not understand their own degradation because they are living in it. In conclusion, she kindly advises tourists to stop visiting her home if they care at all to help end this exploitation. Of course she is only saying this jokingly, because it is obvious that people will not listen. Most people who take jobs in the tourist industry have no choice because tourism is now the dominant force of the region. They would like to find their own jobs and be self-sufficient, not relying on the ones who colonized them, but they can’t. Many of them are actually very poor. Tourism is not primarily benefiting the people.