Narrative Essay On Hawai I

Hawai’i is known by the rest of the world primarily for its tropical weather, exquisite scenery, and luxurious resorts. Millions of tourists visit Hawai’i annually with the intention to forget their worries within this perceived paradise (http://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org
/default/assets/File/research/monthly-visitors/December%202014%20Visitor%20Stats%20Press%20Release%20(final).pdf). For the indigenous people of Hawai’i, whose ancestors have cultivated this land for generations, the idea of paradise only conceals the enduring oppression that dictates their reality. Every aspect of my entire life has been surrounded by this oppression. Throughout my years in the public school system, I have been constantly told by others that we native Hawaiians are responsible for our own dissolution because we are inherently lazy and the lifestyle of our ancestors were uncivilized. One of the most common statements used to describe the situation of native Hawaiians by residents of Hawai’i of other races is that, “Hawaiians are lucky to have been conquered by the United States, if not then they would remain uncivilized, and if the United
States had not conquered them, any other civilized country would have.” These prejudice statements have been perpetuated by ignorance for generations and they continue to discourage young Hawaiians from ever achieving success. I have recognized my people succumb to this prescribed fate that had been imposed on us for generations.
As a student under the Hawaiian Language Immersion program, a program that focuses its curriculum on Hawaiian language, I have been exposed to this cycle. Classmates of mine who were a part of the program eventually left it because of we were told by others that there is no value in learning our language, and that doing so would only hinder our academic performance. When my parents told others about my education under the program, they often received harsh ridicule and were advised to withdraw me from it. I consider myself fortunate and privileged to have been born to a native Hawaiian family that is educated because they were able to overlook this ignorance and remind me that it is my responsibility to learn the traditions of my
people. Learning the traditions and the true history of my people allowed me to recognize the value of our heritage despite the ignorance that continues to discriminate against us. Understanding the true history of my people is crucial in order for my people to surpass the notion that we are all subject to failure and degeneracy. It is in our true history that we are able to discern the continued oppression that initiates our current tribulations and how we can transcend them in order to regain our identity. The oppression of native Hawaiians emerged during the 18th century when western settlers began to colonize the archipelago and impose their beliefs onto the natives (http://www.hawaiihistory.org). Western contact also had severe ramifications for the physical welfare of native Hawaiians as well as their environment. Along with these settlers came diseases that collapsed the native population, while introduced plant and animal species devastated the delicate ecosystem (http://www.hawaiihistory.org). As more western explorers and missionaries came to Hawai’i, the native people became influenced by their political system, and eventually dominated by it. Decades later, on January 17th, 1893, the Hawaiian Monarchy was illegally overthrown by American businessmen who called themselves the Republic of Hawai’i along with the support of the United States Marines (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/hawaii/timeline.html). The loss of political control over the island chain enabled the United States government to extend their occupation. Since then, the native Hawaiian population has been marginalized within their own homelands, while the land was desecrated by United States corporations and military forces. In 1896, the Hawaiian language was prohibited by the United States federal government from all public schools (http://www.ahapunanaleo.org/index.php?/about/a_timeline_of_revitalization/). Students who could only speak Hawaiian were either silenced or severely punished under this law. This infiltration of the education system ultimately led to the fabrication of the history of the native Hawaiians and the glorification of American and western tyranny. According to native Hawaiian professor and writer Haunani Kay Trask, “The whole school system inaugurated that colonial idea that you all had to have a western education...all of that was intended...to make the native people disappear from Hawai’i” (http://uluulu.hawaii.edu/titles/854). The restriction of the Hawaiian language within the education system and throughout society entailed that ancient customs, such as chants, hula dancing, traditional stories and prayers, could not be performed in society. In addition to the repression of the native culture and identity, the United States military forces abused untouched lands for their training, which resulted in the deterioration of the ecosystem.