Comment

Comment by Andrew Grant on December 11, 2009 at 5:05pm

Ululani said: "I feel uncomfortable near large groups of Haole men. That does not make me an evil person nor does that make Palin evil either...."

This makes me sad. And yes, I am a Haole man. When I moved to Hawai'i for school I felt uncomfortable as a minority Haole man. I also felt guilty that I felt uncomfortable, and realized that even though I felt as though I did not judge by skin color, that was exactly what I was doing. I saw a group of people of a different skin color than me and felt uncomfortable. So I decided to change my perspective.

Now, years later, I don't even think about it unless someone says something like Ululani did.

It makes me sad that people like Ululani think that open mindedness should only be for others to have. If more Ululani's were open minded and showed the ability to respect people regardless of skin color, then I'm sure issues like colonization, imperialism, illegal takeovers of land, and forced assimilation will become things of the past as slavery became a thing of the past.

Until then, however, the Rush Limbaughs, Sarah Palins, Glenn Becks, and other powerful perpetrators of prejudice will use statements from people like Ululani to justify their forced control over everybody's culture. They will say, "See, even Native Hawaiians think us white people are scary. We need to make sure they stay under our control. We could have another terrorist state on our hands."

None of use were planners of the world we were born into. That does not mean we cannot change it. I pray and hope you can find the peace within yourself to see that blind prejudice within yourself FOR WHATEVER REASON is never acceptable, and that you are better than that.

Comment by Donna Burns on December 7, 2009 at 6:09pm

aloha e Ululani,
Very well said, and I would agree with much of your analysis. But...your niece's reaction and your discomfort in and around a predominance of outsiders in the case of your niece, and haole men, in your case is warranted and understandable. YOURS is a "reaction" to racism against Hawaiians that you sense, you feel, and have undoubtably experienced growing up here in many situations.
Palin's reactions are FROM a racist point of view. My guess is many haoles feel some guilt (I'd really worry if they didn't feel any) about the history of white people in relation to those of color. They react in many different ways, but my guess is that Palin feared retribution for those crimes in history against all people of color...polynesian, asian or otherwise. There IS a difference. One is a fear of something real that is based on an a history of violence and genocide of one's people, one's culture, one's homeland (in this case...OURS). One (Palin's) is a fear of a reaction to that history of violence, of genocide, from YOUR people UPON others.
I would however agree that Obama is AS GUILTY as Palin...by ommission. Don't really like the man as you are right...in terms of hisotry...many didn't give black people the right to exist. Here he is a black man...and doesn't even recognize OUR existence....except as a pit stop for his political success and a place to wear rubba shippahs...and eat shave ice (which are both asian).

Comment by Ululani on December 7, 2009 at 5:14pm

Aloha kaua e Donna.

To me they are cut from the same cloth. Obama has not addressed Hawaiians as Hawaiians or even recognized the plight of Hawaiians or helped improve conditions. Palin is no different though one thing that I find troubling is that some people seem to bash her because she is female. I do not believe anything printed in the media. They tend to villify people in order to try to distract them from the real issues like the addition of 30,000 troops ordered to fight in Afghanistan.

Also one of my nieces is currently a freshman at UH-Manoa and she said that most of the other students in her class are either Asian or from elsewhere. She feels very uncomfortable being one of few Hawaiians at UH-Manoa. I don't think it's bad to feel unsafe or uncomfortable... especially for females because in Hawai'i females are often disrespected irrelevant of race or national origin. Even with the Queen. To the this day as well. That is why to me it is more troubling when someone attacks a woman even if its in the media than it is when she supposedly makes comments like that. The sad reality is that it is not easy to be female in this world and I am not fond at the bashing of Palin because she is female. If it is true then perhaps she felt unsafe?

My niece who is attending UH-Manoa certainly feels unsafe because she is not near people who are like her i.e. Hawaiian. In fact she told me that she sees and I quote, "There are alot of Asians here." So in that way... I can totally understand and relate because I feel unsafe and uncomfortable when I am near alot of Haole men. To me the media is trying to pounce on Palin agai. Frankly to me it is sickening because we Hawaiian women have been pounced on and slandered just as Palin is and continues to be. To me *that* is the travesty. Not that she felt uncomfortable. I feel uncomfortable near large groups of Haole men. That does not make me an evil person nor does that make Palin evil either....

~ Lana