Speech On Hawaii Imperialism

intro-introduce Shakespeare and poem

Thesis: By looking into Hawaiin history, it is clear…

P1 and 2-give history of Hawaiian Imperialism

P-talk about scholarly article

P-about picture

P-comparing white mans burden (Kipling) with Hawaii

P-comparing prospero/caliban with Hawaii imperialism

Conclusion

Hawaii, a place where tourists sip on their Mai Tai and enjoy strolls on soft sandy beaches overlooking the crystal blue ocean that reflects the sun-oh-so-nicely. A place to send the kids off to Hula lessons while the parents can finally get that outdoor massage they deserve. How could someplace resemble paradise so closely? No wonder it’s a signature vacation spot for families all over the world. One might ask how one of the world’s most

famous tourist spots materialized in around forty years. In reality, Hawaii’s paradise is an illusion. That is, it is not what one thinks that it is. If one were to travel to Hawaii, the water would still be warm, and the palm trees would still sway ever so slightly. But the Island’s history tells a different story than the one it’s resorts preach. Hawaiian resorts promise that visiting will allow one to immerse themselves in ancient Hawaiian culture and learn to live like a Hawaiian, with hula and luau dancing, and using the word “Aloha”. While these are essential parts of Hawaiian culture, there is also a great many things most people don’t know about Hawaii and won’t learn if they travel there. Specifically, how the United States of America conquered Hawaii. It has not always been a part of the U.S. In fact, the U.S. annexed Hawaii in 1898, in order to avoid paying tariffs. America came in and treated the Hawaiians inhumanely so that they could improve their economy, exhibited by Mission and Motivation: Early American Mission in Hawai'I, by Sandra E. Wagner and The Beginnings of Sugar Production in Hawai'I, by Robert L. Cushing. Different false advertising and deceitful artwork also expose America’s true motivations. One can draw striking parallels between America’s treatment of the natives to writings by Rudyard Kipling and William Shakespeare. America’s seizure of Hawaii was corrupt and led to the decline of the native Hawaiian people.

By taking a close look at the history of the United States’ conquering of Hawaii, it becomes clear that they were motivated purely by greed, as shown in The Beginnings of Sugar Production in Hawai'I, by Robert L.

Cushing. In 1893 Hawaiian Queen Lili’uokalani attempted to adopt a new constitution for the benefit of her people to the objection of American businessmen. The businessmen formed a coup in attempt to overthrow the monarchy that was tradition and important to Hawaiian society. They succeeded because President Cleveland was unwilling to assist the Queen, so she was forced to step down. This meant the monarchy had become a republic as well as a U.S. territory. While America boasted that the annexation would mean new economic opportunities for the Native Hawaiians, it actually meant, “back breaking labor in the fields”. The true reason the annexation occurred was so that American Government would no longer have to pay tariffs. The American sugar industry was aided by the annexation and was booming in the early 1900’s. Of course, the Americans did not in fact force the Hawaiians to work on the plantations, but it just so happened that working in the sugar fields was the only way to make money in Hawaii, since America had already taken over the economy of Hawaii, as previously discussed. This is a classic example of imperialism, as they annexed Hawaii because of the economic opportunities it presented. They then gathered the Natives and stripped them of their culture and rights and threw them into the fields like expendable objects. The Beginnings of Sugar Production in Hawai'I, by Robert L. Cushing exposes the American greed that destroyed the monarchy and stripped the natives of their

rights.

By looking at the old Shakespearian play Tempest, one can gather both perspectives of the conquered and the conqueror. A trait in conquerors is that they often view the natives as savages, as seen with Prospero’s treatment of Caliban. Without taking time to understand the native’s culture and history, conquerors treat their unfamiliar ways as savage and inhumane. Prospero tells Caliban, “Thou poisonous slave, got by the devil himself”(Act 1 scene ii, 383) and treats him like a monster. This is similar to how the Hawaiians were treated by American Corporations. Helpless to the overwhelming power, like Caliban, Hawaiians were stripped of their rights without question. The conquerors never see the natives as human beings, or if they do, they put their desire for power and money over that. It can be seen all throughout history, like the Spanish conquering the Aztecs or the French colonizing Western Africa. Like Prospero’s enslavement of Caliban, all acts were done out of personal gains. Another parallel between Tempest is the way Caliban is able to appreciate the beauty of his island much like the Native Hawaiians appreciate theirs. Caliban recites, “The isle is full of noises/Sounds and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not/Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments/Will hum about mine ears”(Act 3 scene ii, 348-351). Shakespeare wrote this to depict Caliban’s love for the island, whereas the others seem to be unaware of the wonders it holds. Similarly, native Hawaiians are often called Kamaʻāina, because it means one with the land. Native Hawaiians have a spiritual relationship with the stunning scenery of Hawaii. Sadly, plantations and tourist sites are destroying much of Hawaii’s environment.

This drawing highlights the American businesses desperation to make
Hawaiians seem as inhumane as possible. This picture shows a savage looking man strangling an innocent American woman. The artist makes sure that the Hawaiian doesn’t look like a remotely friendly figure. In fact, the natives look like monsters or goblins more so than people. They are carrying clubs, a sign of barbarity. Also, They are wearing only a small garment to further stress their uncivilized ways. Meanwhile, the American woman is wearing an expensive looking dress and is extremely beautiful. The artist depicted her this way so that she would appeal to shallow Americans. She needs their saving, which is support of the cruel treatment of Native Hawaiians such as lack of rights or resources. They did this to justify their awful treatment of the native Hawaiians. If Americans saw the Hawaiians as savages, it is unlikely they would protest horrid treatment of them. In retrospect, this picture is a more accurate representation of the American’s treatment of the Hawaiian natives, which is sadly ironic. Like the women in the dress, the Hawaiians were helpless to the powerful American businessmen who had far superior technology and resources. While the sign says, “Hawaii’s Hideous Treatment of American Women” it deservedly should say, “America’s hideous Treatment of Hawaiian People.”

As seen in the photo above, Americans commoditized Hawaiian culture to make it appear like a paradise for tourists. They were very successful, and soon tourism had overtaken the sugar industry as the top moneymaker in Hawaii. Americans focused on joyous parts of Hawaiian culture, such as Hula, the language, and kappa making. By doing this, America was falsely advertising the Hawaiian culture and insulting the history of the native people. Unlike what most people think, Hawaii actually has a long and violent history of war, but America avoids that important part of their cultural history in order to appeal to tourists. Kamehameha the Great united Hawaii in the late 18th century by conqueror all of the islands through many years of brutal wars. Although it is a sad and violent story, it is an extremely important one to the Hawaiian people. American tourist attractions blatantly ignore this history in order to attract foreigners to visit. This way, tourists, like the ones in the picture, can visit and learn Hawaiian culture despite being ignorant to a whole side of it. The picture above depicts tourists having a fun time, playing the ukulele and spending time beneath the palm trees. While it is understandable that an advertisement would try to appeal to people, this one does it very ignorantly by commoditizing the Hawaiian culture.

Similar to “The White Man’s Burden”, by Rudyard Kipling, powerful American Corporations took over Hawaii’s land and people by inflicting their racial superiority. Kipling writes in his poem, “To wait in heavy harness/On fluttered folk and wild/Your new-caught, sullen peoples/Half-devil and half-child”(5-8). T he depictions of the natives as wild, sullen, and “half-devil and half-child” are racist remarks. This signifies that Kipling thought that the natives needed civilizing, and the only people that could do that were the white men. This racial superiority exhibited by whites was also exhibited