Essay 2 Final draft 3 - Grade: B+ PDF

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4 October 2018 Essay 2 When thinking about Asian immigrants in Hawai’i as settlers, we gain a new perspective on contributions to settler colonialism. Settler colonialism acts through replacing the native people with an invasive settler population that creates their own dominating structure that marginalizes the natives to eliminate any challenges to their authority. Usually when thinking about settler colonialism, the presence is so heavily white; however, at least in Hawai’i, characterizing Asians under the term “settler” binds them to the negative connotation of settler colonialism and forces them to recognize their contributions to the displacement of native Hawaiians through their rise in power that displaced the native Hawaiians. The Japanese may see themselves as prospering within the United States as pioneering immigrants, however while they had to overcome great struggles at the hands of white colonists, they also have taken over Hawaiian land, employment, and culture in their bid for success. A poignant example of native Hawaiian displacement is shown in the documentary Noho Hewa: The Wrongful Occupation of Hawai’i. The documentary shows native Hawaiians who were evicted as their homes were taken over to continue the development for remodeling to fit the tourist vision of an “idyllic” Hawai’i. They then took shelter out on the beach but were chased away several times and arrested. This chaos in life leads to a lack of stability so it’s harder for native Hawaiians like them to stay healthy, keep a stable job, and it becomes vicious cycle as the native Hawaiians feel put down. The Japanese should become more aware of situations like this and realize that they are not successful immigrants in “democratic” America; rather they should recognize that they are “settlers in a colony like all other foreigners and their descendants” in the colonial system of Hawai’i (Kosasa 211). Hawaii has been forcefully taken over by the U.S. so

without the ability for Hawaii to make its own decisions, immigrants cannot truly be part of Hawaii and will always be settlers. Although Asians may not have directly been involved in the American settler colonialism, their participation in the system as a way to gain their own Asian success has harmed Hawaiians and contributes to Asian settler colonialism. In Table 2 from Asian Settler Colonialism in the U.S. colony of Hawai’i, it can be seen that a larger percentage of Asians hold higher positions (Fujikane 24). They use that power to benefit themselves and diminish Hawaiian sovereignty thereby contributing to U.S. settler colonialism. Like in government, there is a lesser percentage of native Hawaiians in power, so the issues that are given priority are not those that concern the people that are most directly connected to Hawaii, and decisions are made about their homeland without their consent. For example, the rules for considering a burial ground sacred are so convoluted that it has become extremely hard for native Hawaiians to be able to “prove” to the U.S. government that their burial sites should be protected. The dismissal of the Hawaiian side in this issue allows more tourist businesses to build over the burial land and expand to make a profit. Asians benefit from supporting this American colonialism as local businesses owned by Asians are able to flourish and prosper from the tourist industry. Asian settlers continued the colonist agenda by playing along with indoctrination of Americanization contributing to the normalization of destroying Hawaiian culture. The injustices committed against native Hawaiians has become normalized as being American. Considering this, it is obvious that Asians cannot truly call themselves “Hawaiian locals.” Since Hawai’i never had a choice in becoming “American,” Asians in relation to Hawai’i need to be seen as Americans in Hawai’i. This makes them settlers in the American version of Hawaii, not really locals in Hawai’i. Although one issue in this viewpoint is the issue of those who were born in

Hawaii but their parents were immigrants from Asia. The generations after the initial immigrants live their whole life in Hawai’i and sometimes never step foot in the country their parents came from. Oftentimes they no longer feel as connected to their Asian heritage and feel more at home in Hawai’i. I believe this should be considered as we define Asian settlers in Hawai’i and think about how we should view those who are Asian but feel a connection to the Hawaiian land. However, by using settler claims like the “argument of land in Hawai’i being empty or belonging to no one” and the claim that they built the Hawai’i seen today, Asians contribute to settler colonialism as they want success without thinking of the harms they do to natives. One problem in the American mindset is that the issues are often considered in the white versus non-white mindset. Many people don’t differentiate between the different non-white groups and talk about non-white success as one lumped together group. In Ideological Images, Kosasa mentions that the Japanese settlers “significantly altered the political landscape in Hawai’i by providing a platform for nonwhite voters in Hawai’i to raise issues pertinent to their communities” (209) This viewpoint of white versus non-white is a misrepresentation of the intricate racial struggles in Hawai’i. But while Asian voters may now have a platform, native Hawaiian voices are often dismissed and not heard with the same attention. This is seen in the documentary Noho Hewa: The Wrongful Occupation of Hawai’i, in the issue of developing over native Hawaiian burial grounds, where the white officials cut off native arguments in discussion and only further undermine native Hawaiian rights by citing complicated laws that were created by the controlling white American government. The United States uses Asian “success” and multiculturalism as an excuse to sweep away the native Hawaiian struggle. Settler colonialism is not just white settlers; they use the argument that Hawaii is multicultural to mask the injustices that is committed against the native

Hawaiians. By emphasizing the struggle Asians in Hawaii overcame to gain the power they have now like the Japanese in politics and the economy, the struggles of Native Hawaiians are dismissed by others. They need to recognize the hypocrisy of continuing to hold up their ancestor’s oppression by white settlers as their right to overcome while continuing to contribute to the oppression of native Hawaiians.

Works Cited Fujikane, Candace. Asian Settler Colonialism in the U.S. Colony of Hawai'i. University of Hawai'i Press, 2008. Kelly, Anne Keala, director. Noho Hewa: The Wrongful Occupation of Hawai’i. Hawaii International Film Festival , 2008.

Kosasa, Eiko. Ideological Images: U.S. Nationalism in Japanese Settler Photographs. University of Hawai'i Press, 2008....