Discussion essay

The main Trask’s idea is though Hawaii is not a colony already, the spirit of colonialism is still alive, and it destroys the native culture of Hawaii. Hawaiian culture has female nature; it is closely connected with the cult of the Mother-land. Just the opposite, the culture of colonialism has male character. Relations between post-colonial Hawaii and continental part of the USA look like the prostitution. The main source of income on Hawaii is tourism, and at the same time it is the main source of its problems. Shortly speaking, Native Hawaiians have to sell everything ”“ their land, nature, water, women, culture, songs and dances – to survive. Sex for money ruins the body of woman; tourism and readiness to sell everything ruin beautiful Hawaiian culture.

I am not sure I never visit Hawaii after the Trask’s article; but I have a lot of things to think about. For example, I am thinking about business and ethics. I’d like to find the invisible border between business interest and ethical crime.

Another subject of my thoughts is nature of progress: is it constructive or destructive, and if the balance is possible?

The article of Task has not many common ideas with ideas of Audre Lorde and Cherrie Moraga. Lorde and Moraga write about the problem of “norm” and “departure from the norm” in all the spheres: sexuality, race, religion, class.

I’d say that the main common feature of these tree articles is the necessity to deal with the heritage of imperialism.

The fact is that “norm” usually means “white, heterosexual, thin, young, financial secure”, as Lorde writes. The origin of this norm goes back to the period of white global expansion.



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