My daughter's public school in Indiana is having "Hawaiian Day" today. That's offensive, isn't it? (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 year ago by FlyingSquid@lemmy.world to c/casualconversation@lemmy.world

114 comments fedilink hide all child comments

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?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[-] shinigamiookamiryuu@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago

That depends on the setting currently. A native Hawaiian back when the culture was in its prime might feel honored. These days, though, the culture has taken such a massive hit that the state is 90% empty, most of the land being owned by random billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg and Oprah Winfrey, many of the traditions having been replaced, and very little being left of their old society. It may come off as a "take what you like destroy what you don't" kind of situation.

[-] Montagge@kbin.social 3 points 1 year ago

Grass skirts weren't used in Hawaii until the late 19th century and coconut bars never existed. Neither are Hawaiian culture, but both are stereotypes.