Endless surf. Salty sweat dripping down hot skin. Soft sand between your toes.
These are just some of the images that come to mind when people think of Hawaii.
However, there is more to the islands than dancing hulas or (hot) surfer dudes and dudettes. Like any other popular hub, people who often visit this tropical dream view it through the safe distance of tour buses and planned out itineraries. Yet scratch beneath the surface and you'll discover a myriad of problems that can be blamed on colonialism, displacement and of course, mass tourism. If you look past the veneer of souvenir shops, five star hotels and killer abs, you’ll find, like in any other so-called Shangri-la’s, groups of people such as ethnic Hawaiians, homeless veterans and immigrants continue to be oppressed and battle poverty, obesity, and drug and alcohol abuse.
Areas such as Barber's Point are often not in the tour bus itinerary, but it's a place well-known to locals as the space where a small population of homeless veterans stay. However, it is not purely sadness and darkness as there are organizations dedicated to helping those relegated to being "invisible" be recognized as human beings who should be seen, heard, and supported. Groups such as Hawaii Vet 2 Vet and Hope Services Hawaii are dedicated to helping veterans reintegrate into the community as well as providing access to programs that can help them avoid or escape homelessness.
Another critical advocacy organization is the Veterans Guide, which tackles an essential aspect of rebuilding a life after service: financial and medical assistance. Veterans Guide is dedicated to raising awareness and streamlining the process for veterans to receive support for a number of conditions. According to Outreach Director, Luke Daniels "What's important to us is providing resources and help for veterans and their families. We want to make sure vets have all the resources necessary to ensure they struggle with their health and finances as little as possible." The advocacy has also recently created a Disability Calculator designed to help calculate their Veterans Admission (VA) rating. Their calculator was created to ease the complicated and overwhelming process so that veterans and their families can receive the support that they need so they can focus on what matters most.
Indeed, Hawaii is like a train ride: you’re being propelled forward yet at the same time, not really moving at all.
Nevertheless, visitors still flock here and are all too happy to turn a blind eye in exchange for a slice of paradise; while locals, despite being caught between longing and belonging, the dream and the reality, are passionate about the islands they call their home. This disjuncture resurfaced during the tragic island wildfires that took place in August 2023. With a death toll of 67 and even in the midst of the chaos, residents -- survivors -- have reported receiving calls from investors seeking to buy the remains of their homes and property.
As the recovery process is underway, locals continue to stand strong and declaring that"Lahaina is not for sale"--or any of the other islands for that matter.
The island fires are another complex yet distinct layer of Hawaii's story. The islands,
O’ahu, Hilo (Big Island), Kahului (Maui) …. are more than just places that can be deemed as another “melting pot” because this one-size-fits-all term cannot possibly begin to accommodate all the various aspects and nuances of the islands and its people. Each culture disappears into the other, yet somehow, is still able to remain distinct and completely identifiable. People from all walks of life, all over the world—each with distinct histories of how they came to Hawaii—are bound by imagined communities and the wounds of memory. From the indigenous Hawaiians who struggle to simultaneously uphold their traditions yet avoid exploitation; Filipinos as well as other migrant communities, who came to Hawaii as labourers and for centuries (and up to today?) have done the dirty, difficult jobs yet remain as that “invisible minority” with a low volume of representation; or even the European-Americans who search to find an identity and place within Hawaiian culture.
However, these are just individual pieces of a complicated, yet beautiful tapestry of a land that for its residents, is not just another state, but in a sense, its own country.
*Originally posted on www.lookingforlola.wordpress.com on 10.11.2008 (Original title: "Beyond the Sand and Surf: Hawaii 911?")
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