NATIVE HAWAIIAN VOICES
Meet The Voices
Meet a few Native Hawaiian individuals and read their thoughts about the effects of media misrepresentation on their culture
Tana Tua
I am appreciative of the recent attempts at Hawaiian culture representation in mainstream media, but it is wholly lacking cultural knowledge and respect. It is clear that mainstream media portrays Hawaiʻi, and therefore Native Hawaiians, as a prehistoric culture and not as a living people, and it is apparent that the lack of cultural knowledge is because there are a lack of Native Hawaiians actively working in mainstream media.
I believe that there needs to be more opportunity and accessibility to mainstream media for Native Hawaiian producers, writers, and editors. Essentially, there needs to be more Native Hawaiians inserted in every facet of media. It is only then that representation and respect can be found because it would allow Native Hawaiians to properly tell Native Hawaiian stories.
Joelle Cantiberos
The T.V. show Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. is a great example of the misrepresentation of the Hawaiian culture and people. The star actress is Chinese American, the culture is over exaggerated, and none of the cast is actually Native Hawaiian yet the whole film takes place in Hawaiʻi.
A lot of what is displayed on screen most often appropriates the Hawaiian culture with fake leis, coconut bras, grass skirts, and more. In addition to these misconceptions, there is no differentiation in films between life in HawaiÊ»i and the actual culture of HawaiÊ»i. There’s also no differentiation between people from HawaiÊ»i and Native Hawaiians.
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These misrepresentations and misconceptions definitely don’t make me feel good. They don't make me feel easy knowing that the people who watch these films are going to interpret HawaiÊ»i in that way. It devastates me knowing that the resources for a right interpretation is out there and in their reach, but is still not used. A part of me definitely gets upset and mad knowing that this is appropriation, and that ignorance is still giving them profit.
Tana Tua
Tana Tua
Wailana Medeiros
Oftentimes, Hawaiians, and Polynesians in general, are reduced to being large sports stars or security guards, or a character solely made to be the punchline to a poorly worded joke. This is hurtful because Native Hawaiians are so much more than Division 1 athletes and punchlines. We are scholars, scientists, legislators, navigators, and yet none of that is properly portrayed.
It also frustrates me that all of Polynesia gets grouped together as one monoculture, like in the movie Moana. Although there are significant similarities, each culture has their own unique sets of protocol, ceremony, language, and techniques/practices. Consolidating us all together as one large culture is dangerous because it really erases our own narratives as Native Hawaiians and wholly ignores our rich culture.
JP Newmann
It is frustrating to hear that the common perception of Native Hawaiians is that we are a “prehistoric culture.” The only interaction most people outside of HawaiÊ»i have with Native Hawaiians is through our portrayal on screens. This is dangerous because most representation in media, whether through film or social media, exotifies HawaiÊ»i and Native Hawaiians, boiling our cultural expression down to just ornamental practice, not something that has a deep genealogical and cosmological foundation.
It leaves me feeling “othered”, and that I can't be a true Hawaiian in contemporary contexts because I don't fit the exact model that has been portrayed on screen. Also, I feel that this exotification of our culture allows people to feel entitled to it as a form of entertainment or economic gain (thinking of lÅ«Ê»au at hotels for tourists, or our own kapa and lei making designs and skills being exploited by major fashion houses). Ultimately, I think it is imperative that proper representation is afforded to us as Native Hawaiians, not only as a need of respect, but also as a means of preservation of our cultural integrity.
Lindsey Kim
Anuhea Parker
Most movies use Hawaiʻi as more of a backdrop to entice movie goers instead of accurately portraying the rich culture the movie was advertised to be set in. Most TV shows shot here fail to even employ Native Hawaiians, a disappointing factor to acknowledge especially because the scenes are all shot in Hawaiʻi. How can you have an accurate representation of Hawaiʻi without Hawaiians? There also seems to be a misconception between Native Hawaiian culture and local Hawaiʻi culture. Both should be construed discreetly and separated if there is going to be accurate representation of Native Hawaiian culture.
The lack of cultural representation really detriments Native Hawaiians and doesn't allow us to be viewed as an evolving and contemporary culture. I believe that Hawaiians need to be inserted and included at every stage of media and production. Until we allow Native Hawaiians to tell their own stories, we will never be able to achieve the value and accurate representation of our culture.
We grew up with white faces, white images of beauty, white standards, white culture, and white expectations. We learn those things from the media and as a child growing up watching this, I more or less understood that this wasn’t for me. They’re not telling a joke that I laugh at because it's relatable, they’re telling a joke that I laugh at because I know I'm supposed to laugh.
I never expected us to be portrayed accurately. We were taught that people perceive us as fat, lazy, and unintelligent, so I didn't expect much to be shown. But those representations are so harmful to us as Native Hawaiians because our self worth and our self image is being tarnished and we're being taught that we're supposed to be thought of this way.
The lack of representation irks me because I think our life is beautiful, and our culture and values are so beautiful and I want to share that. I think representation would help people understand us a little better.
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