I dropped her off this morning and saw girls (and boys) wearing grass skirts, some of them with coconut bras too. I’m not sure what else is going on, but it doesn’t seem very respectful of a native culture that we have seriously fucked over. Would they have a “Native American Day” and let kids come in wearing feathered headdresses?
Or am I reading too much into it?
I am not of indigenous Hawaiian descent, but I feel like I can answer this since I grew up there. FYI you’re gonna get a lot of different answers depending on who you ask, when/where they lived there, etc.
While I don’t find the “mainland”'s obsession with grass skirts and coconut bras particularly “offensive,” I do think people need to know Native Hawaiian women didn’t wear tops at all until Protestant missionaries arrived in the 1900s. There are no records of its official origin, but the coconut bra was eventually embraced by natives to an extent and used as an exotic marketing element for tourism. Now it’s permanently associated with the islands. Technically you could say coconut bras are traditional now, but they sure weren’t traditional before the islands were colonized.
But to answer your question, I personally do not find your typical “Hawaiian day” offensive. A little embarrassing and cringe, to be honest, but not offensive. I do think it’s disappointing, though, how most people accept things at face value and aren’t interested in learning about other cultures if it doesn’t fit the image they have in their head. Because there’s so much more to learn, man. I don’t think you’re “overreacting,” and I think it’s more than a little disingenuous (this next part is not aimed at you btw OP) to invalidate others’ concerns about cultural appropriation and write them off completely simply because the subject makes you uncomfortable. It’s a real thing, and it’s a discussion worth having. Who knows, you might learn something.
On that note, a fun fact: did you know that the iconic flower-print button-down short-sleeve collared shirts are not called “Hawaiian shirts” in Hawai’i? Yeah, only tourists call them that. They’re “Aloha shirts,” brah!
American culture is a hodge podge of multiple cultures. We’re a melting pot. I’ve found more often than not, it’s not the culture in question that has issues with the integration of their cultural influences.
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The simple solution is to rename it “Racist Hawaiian Tourist Day”. Then everyone’s happy, right?
You’re thinking way too much into it. We should be celebrating each other’s cultures, not racially gating them. It’s not offensive or racist when non-whites/Germans wear lederhosen at Oktoberfest. It’s not racist when black people drink wine. Humans have shared cultures, food, and clothing for millennia. It’s a good thing.
I would agree in general, except that with many, particularly older cultural perceptions of non-European peoples, there’s a great deal of fetishization (meaning primarily in the non-sexual sense) and belittlement inherent in the depictions, so one must be careful with such things.
I feel “protecting” them by walking on eggshells around things related to their culture is just a continuation of that fetishization(sp?) when we should all just be sharing and celebrating one another’s culture. Obviously don’t mock, but anything that is good natured as this event seems to be is exactly what humans should be doing
I agree that we should share and celebrate each other’s cultures, and I’m generally opposed to the idea of ‘cultural appropriation’ being a bad thing. However, in taking aspects of another culture, one must be aware (or at least, one’s society must be concerned when spreading the style) of the deeper implications that may come with it.
Wearing the everyday/dress (or traditionally everyday/dress) clothes of another culture in a way that’s just meant to be, well, fashion? Fuck anyone who says that’s wrong. Wearing the ceremonial articles of another culture in a way that’s meant to be fashion? Somewhat dicey, somewhat concerning, though I would argue that it doesn’t inherently have to be bad - but one must definitely understand the context of it. Wearing the national dress of a culture in a way that’s meant to be amusing or humorous? Eggshells are warranted.
If there is significant inequality, it can very much come across as dismissive or punching down, which is pretty unambiguously bad. Else, it’s generally accepted as ribbing without deeper meaning, lacking any deeper context. As an American, I generally don’t get upset when someone makes stereotypical American jokes, or putting on a cowboy hat and exaggerated affectation, because I know it’s just ribbing. Whereas, as an individual with mental disorders, I can be sensitive about neurotypical folk making mental illness jokes or ‘pretending’ to be mentally ill as a joke - because I’m not sure that it’s not coming from a place of genuine ignorance or malice (or worse - I’m sure that it is), due to the cultural power imbalance between the neurodiverse and the neurotypical being still quite… lopsided.
Were it the other way around - if neurodiverse folk were accepted and Americans were not - I imagine my reactions would likewise be reversed. So too with ethnic groups who are discriminated against by modern society - caution is warranted, and sensitivity to such things is not an incorrect reaction on their part.
But this isn’t celebrating Hawaiian culture because coconut bras and grass skirts are not Hawaiian culture, lol
Then how could this possibly be interpreted as disrespectful of Hawaiian culture?
Are you asking how engaging in stereotype is disrespectful?
If it has nothing to do with Hawaiian culture then it’s not a stereotype. Were you mistaken about it not being associated with Hawaiian culture?
What do you think a stereotype is…?
A widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.
For example, coconut bras and grass skirts?
When you fly to Hawaii, they offer you a lei even if you’re not Hawaiian.
Or am I reading too much into it?
Yes? I’m not American, so to me it seems like you guys tend to do that a lot.
“Oh no, this word was once used in a derogatory fashion, can’t use that! Better start using some new euphemistic wor- oh shit, the new word is already also being used derogatorily, better start using some new euphemis- oh crap, that was fast, better just call it - oh, gawrsh…”
I mean, I’m not claiming it’s a US specific thing. But you’re damn good at it.
That’s a tricky argument to make, because some people (like you) mean it sincerely, but others just use the same argument as an excuse to be an ignorant, lazy, insensitive prick.
That’s very subtle. Well done.
It’s insane watching American race politics from the outside. The fact that OP even asked the question implies a deep level of crazy I find hard to understand.
Apologies, but this is just a heads up. The OP was meant to be civil to my understanding, and at a certain point, as Lemmy mods, we’re asked to lock a thread if it gets out of hand. Could everyone tone themselves down a little so this doesn’t have to happen?
Also, that moment when it dawns on me I’ve been wearing a Hawaiian shirt all day.
Some indigenous Hawaiians would find it offensive and some wouldn’t. Hawaiians are not some homogeneous entity sharing the same thoughts and sensibilities. That being said, it sounds like the event centres around cultural stereotypes, which are romanticized from a western point of view, from a specific point in time, and in that sense I would find it in poor taste, but I am not Hawaiian. In my opinion, these sorts of things marginalize cultures more than they “celebrate” them. I would encourage you to try to educate your daughter on the history of colonialism in Hawaii, as that won’t be covered in class in any detail, I’d wager.
“Offensive” wouldn’t be my biggest worry. I’m surprised the teachers aren’t being accused of indecency here. Here’s hoping they have good intentions.
If that were me going to school, I’d probably be spreading around awareness of the Hawaiian gods (good luck Indiana) while sipping some Hawaiian punch in the classroom and talking about how Hawaiians didn’t have schools the way we have them.
Indecency? I doubt they’re wearing coconut bras without a t-shirt underneath.
Preferably yeah, a shirt would be ideal, but then how would anyone know they’re wearing coconut bras?
Edit: Oh you said underneath
No, celebrating a culture isn’t offensive. Having fun isn’t offensive. What is offensive is getting offended by everything. Let kids be kids, they only get one shot at it.
yes, Indiana is offensive and so are its school children
