#Native Hawaiian struggles

[captaingimpy]

Review of United Shades of America: Reflections on Race, Gentrification, and Identity

W. Kamau Bell’s United Shades of America feels like one of those rare shows that doesn’t just scratch the surface of difficult conversations but digs deep into the messiness of what it means to live in the U.S., especially if you’re marginalized. What strikes me about Bell as a host is how he genuinely relates to people. He’s not just another journalist asking questions. You can see he’s putting…

[high-voltage-rat]

Okay rvb gang real talk for a sec. I think y'all should put a little more thought into the way you draw and characterize Captain Butch Flowers. Specifically with regards to the widely accepted facecanon having native-coded features.

Facecanons in rvb generally fall under 2 categories: the ones based off of information about the person's race and background we receive in the canon, and ones that are purely headcanon, based on vibes. For example, we're told Simmons is Dutch-Irish, so it's common to draw him as a white redhead. Tucker being black is as close to directly stated as we ever get re: any of the reds and blues' races. But Sarge is often drawn as a white man despite no information being given about his race- it's usually chosen by the headcanoner based off the vibes we get from his behaviour.

So when it comes to Flowers, let's think for a second about how the fandom generally interprets his character. In canon, we see him on blue team making his soldiers a bit uncomfortable with his overly familiar behaviour, having a cheerful and upbeat demeanour. We also see him in PFL working with Wyoming to do recon, then getting hit with a tomahawk, throwing it back at the enemy, and then using his grenade launcher to bring down a crane and kill chain guy and girl. Later he's in charge of choosing soldiers to place in blood gulch, where we see he has no problem feeding soldiers through the fodder machine and covering up for Freelancer- including essentially killing Jimmy. What we see in fandom, though, is a guy who is cheerfully menacing, casually hyperviolent, bubbly facade, likes knives, 'probably has a torture basement', etc.

So I would like us to think for a moment about why, exactly, people took those vibes, that interpretation of his character, with the more violent aspects overinflated, and decided to draw him with native-coded features. I would like us all to take a second and consider the connotations behind the pile of art out there where a brown man with long dark hair in a braid is splattered in blood. To me, this particular choice just feels like another "native s*vage" trope, and I think it has really not been thought through.

Indigenous headcanons in rvb are admittedly pretty difficult. Rvb is a problematic media through and through, and there's always going to be something offensive in the way a character is portrayed. I myself hc the Grifs as kānaka maoli, due to them being from Hawai'i and Kaikaina's name- but between Grif's laziness and Kai's hypersexuality, it definitely falls into some other offensive stereotypes about indigenous people, and particularly native Hawaiians.

But to me, the distinguishing thing is that these are facets of their characters that have something deeper behind them- there are reasons for these traits that are explored both by canon and the fandom meta. Grif's laziness is a result of his personal struggle with having to care for his sister alone, as well as his general disdain for the army as an institution. Kai's sexuality is her way of seeking fun and connection in her life, likely in part due to feeling abandoned by their mother, and then by her brother. In the case of the Grifs, fandom treats them well by taking these established character traits, and not overinflating, but contextualizing them, and treating them as part of a larger whole. Grif is loyal to his friends, he's clever and observant when he's willing to show it. Kai is independent, business-savvy, and assertive. These other character aspects exist in the fandom portrayal, so their depictions don't feel like a glaring stereotype. In the right hands, with enough care and love, their negative traits can even be used to explore the impact of colonialism- how the stereotypes are based off the conditions and circumstances forced on us by its influence.

Flowers, on the other hand, has a fandom portrayal that feels like an artificial exaggeration of a single aspect of his canon character. There's very little depth behind it, no real contextualization- he hasn't been fleshed out by fandom, he's almost been reduced by it. Naturally, contextualization is going to be harder because he's a minor character and we don't hear much- if anything- about his background. But it is still an active choice by people who make fan content of him to emphasize certain traits, and it's thus far been the traits that fall into some very harmful tropes.

So my suggestion, as an indigenous person, is this. You don't have to change your facecanon, necessarily- but put some thought into it. Whether you're depicting him as an explicitly native person, or just with native-coded features, consider the connotations. Reconsider exaggerating his violent side so much: technically speaking, we've seen him kill 2 people somewhat indirectly, in the same mission that North killed like 5 in a similar manner and Tex literally murdered C.T. with a tomahawk. Do you emphasize their violence in the same way? Why did you choose to do so for Flowers? If you want him to be unsettling, his enthusiastic facilitation of PFL's activities in blood gulch and lack of qualms about using and discarding sim troopers is there to work with- something non-violent but no less sinister, something less aligned with common harmful stereotypes when applied to indigenous people, and much more founded in canon as a distinguishing part of his character.

Just stop to think "is this portrayal a reinforcement of the "native s*vage" trope?", and "is this really that founded in canon?". Think about whether someone with no experience in rvb fanon would look at your content and see more than a native guy in mystery blue guy's armour doing gratuitous violence for no reason.

Consider the less explored but canonical aspects of his character, flesh them out with headcanon. Sure, he killed chain guy and girl, but he also yanked a tomahawk out of his arm after falling from height and kept fighting- explore his resilience, what drives him. His strategic mind, using the environment against his enemies, carefully balancing the illusion surrounding blood gulch and constructing specific social dynamics. Hell, even delve into why he believes in Freelancer enough to do what he's done without issue. Flesh out your portrayal, dial back the singularity of the vibes you give him.

Indigenous people aren't exempt from being awful, or violent, or complicit in corrupt systems- but if you portray a native character that way without any depth or reason behind their choices, you often end up reinforcing a stereotype.

...and if gratuitous violence is what you want, if you like that creepy knife-obsessed murder guy, then yeah. Maybe consider changing your facecanon. Cause I'm a little tired of seeing characters who look like my people always soaked in blood and acting like they have innate uncontrolled urges to kill. Depictions like that about us were part of what formed the justification for our genocide, so please try not to perpetuate that.

[willtheweaver]

Get to know me tag

thanks for the tag @honeybewrites

Rules: Answer the questions because I want to get to know you better :D

Do you have any pets?

I have cats.

Comfort food?

Ooooooo…that’s a hard one. Ice cream is always a good choice.

How many languages do you speak?

Native English speaker. Took Spanish in High School, but forgot most of it in the intervening years. I know enough French that I can ask for directions, hale a cab, or order a meal. I know a few words in Latin, German, Gaelic, and Hawaiian.

Random fact about yourself

I enjoy archery.

Something you’re proud of?

Finally getting a WIP done. Always struggled with seeing writing done from start to finish. Now A Feather in the Forest is nearing completion, I feel accomplished.

Tagging @kaylinalexanderbooks @tildeathiwillwrite @finickyfelix @diabolical-blue @winglesswriter

@thewritingautisticat @paeliae-occasionally @rivenantiqnerd @buffythevampirelover @mk-writes-stuff and open tag

[ladykailitha]

Batshit Soulmates: Epilogue

Here it is. The end of an era. I struggled mightily with this one because I was so focused on canon that I forgot that I'm a writer and I can do what I want.

Once I got over myself the story just flowed so well it was done in two weeks.

But as I said last week, I'm a little mean to you in this. Spoiler under the cut.

In Medias Res| Prologue|Pt 1|Pt 2|Pt 3|Pt 4|Pt 5|Pt 6|Pt 7|Pt 8| Pt 9|

This ends the way season four does only with all the allies together not just some of them.

****

Nancy, Robin, and Dustin all returned to Steve’s house to make sure Eddie was safe.

Steve told Eddie that his uncle knew he was alive and would get into contact soon.

Eddie nearly cried in relief. “Thank you, Stevie.”

Then a car pulled up at that exact moment. Then of all things a pizza truck. Steve pushed Eddie into a nearby bathroom and looked out the window.

Out of the pizza truck hopped out both Byers boys, Mike, and the driver, a long haired native boy in a Hawaiian shirt. Then Joyce, Murray, and a very much alive Hopper exited the car.

And Steve’s heart nearly burst. He quickly ushered them all inside. His street had a lot of empty houses since the earthquake, the rich having somewhere else to go, but he didn’t trust the ones that remained.

Everyone was hugging everyone else. Jonathan and Nancy, El and Hopper. Joyce and Will. Everyone was safe. Max and the Sinclairs weren’t there, but they were safe too.

Robin, Steve and Eddie on the sidelines feeling happy that they were all reunited at last.

The first thing everyone did was tell their stories. El started, then the Byers, then Joyce and Murray, Hopper next, Steve and Dustin, then Nancy and Robin.

There was just so much to do.

“He’s still alive,” El said, “I couldn’t kill him. He hurt Max and I couldn’t leave her. I couldn’t leave her and the bastard survived.”

Joyce scooped her up into her arms and rocked her back and forth, gently. “You did the right thing, sweetheart. Max is alive because of you.”

“We’re going to have to find a place to stash Hopper and El until this blows over,” Nancy said. “They can’t stay here, it’s already a risk with Eddie being here. But at least with him, Steve can claim truemate status.”

The heads of all the people who hadn’t been in Hawkins turned to Steve in shock.

“Eddie is your truemate?” Mike wailed. He sat down and put his head in his hands. “Of course he is. Fuck that makes too much sense.”

Steve could only agree, honestly.

Eddie put his arm around his waist and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I didn’t think so at first, but clearly the universe is smarter than we are.”

Dustin scoffed. “I think that could be said for most of the universe’s population, too.”

Both Eddie and Steve knocked off his hat together.

Robin cackled. “Hey, kids. If Steve’s the mom, then you all have a new step-dad!”

Joyce and Hopper chuckled but everyone else groaned.

Nancy tapped her foot irritated. “Can we get back on to the topic at hand, namely finding a place to put Hopper and El so the government doesn’t find them?”

“My cabin is in pretty shit shape,” Hopper admitted. “But I think if we all work together, we can make it livable again for me and Jane.”

Steve nodded. “That should work. No one found El when she was there before, so they should be safer there.”

“Just not everyone show up at once,” Joyce warned. “Too many people coming and going will alert others.”

Everyone agreed, but as they piled out of Steve’s house the sky lit up in red storm clouds. Ash fell upon Hawkins and ground trembled.

Everyone stopped on Steve’s lawn looking up at the sky, knowing Vecna had finally made his move.

The Upside Down was bleeding into the top world.

The war had begun.

****

I want to thank everyone for coming long with me on this ride. It's been fun!

Tag List: @mira-jadeamethyst @rozzieroos @itsall-taken @redfreckledwolf @emly03

@spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 ​

@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @chaoticlovingdreamer @maya-custodios-dionach @goodolefashionedloverboi

@messrs-weasley @val-from-lawrence @i-must-potato @danili666 @carlyv

@wonderland-girl143-blog @justforthedead89 @bookworm0690 @vecnuthy @bookbinderbitch

@littlewildflowerkitten @yikes-a-bee @awkwardgravity1 @scheodingers-muppet @cinnamon-mushroomabomination

@genderless-spoon @anne-bennett-cosplayer @irregular-child @oxidantdreamboat @mogami13

@samsoble @xandriumbat @ellietheasexylibrarian @lololol-1234 @y4r3luv

@disrespectedgoatman @king-zacharyy @chameleonhair @tinyplanet95 @thelittleclare

[autisticadvocacy]

November is Native American Heritage Month. This month is meant to uplift and celebrate the cultures, languages, stories, and struggles of Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and affiliated Island communities. At ASAN, we uplift and celebrate all autistic and disabled Indigenous people!

[adarinas]

(WIP) Resources Masterlist

*Note: a lot of these are geared toward American and/or English-speaking populations, my apologies, but plenty of them are global!

GENERAL

End Global Genocides Master Document | Another Master Doc | Tumblr Post - Links to Informational Articles/Websites

Donations: Fundraisers - Gaza, Sudan, Congo, and more | Doctors Without Borders | Care.org | World Central Kitchen | Operation Olive Branch | Islamic Relief USA

Discord: Global Strikes Against Genocide Discord Server

SUDAN

Eyes on Sudan | Sudan Solidarity Collective | Linktree - Sudanese Diaspora Network

Info: 500 days of war... | Sudan War Explained - Interview

Petitions/Letters: Stop Sudan War | Justice for Human Rights Abuse Victims in Chad and Sudan | Stop Arming Saudi Arabia and the UAE to stop the Sudan genocide

Donations: Sudan Funds | Tumblr Masterpost - Sudan Orgs/Fundraisers | Water for South Sudan

ROHINGYA

Free Rohingya Coalition

Info: CNN - Hundreds of Rohingya face drone strikes / ethnic cleansing in Myanmar

Spotify - Rohingya Culture Interview

Petitions:

Donations: Mutual Emergency Aid 4 Rohingya | Emergency Aid for Rohingya Orphans and Disabled Families

TIGRAY

Tigray Action Committee

Info: Omna Tigray - What's happening in Tigray? | Tghat News | UN Article from Sept 2023

Petitions/Letters: Petition - Demand Aid to Tigray | Stop the Tigray Genocide

Donations: Places to Donate for Tigray Tumblr Post | Ahwatna Relief

DRC

Friends of the Congo | Focus Congo | Congo Resources Tumblr Post

Info: DRC: Inside the world's forgotten war | Congo Genocide Explained - Interview

Petitions: No Tax Dollars to Fund Congo Genocide | Halt the Ongoing Genocide in Congo

Donations: SOS Congo (organized by Goma Actif) | IRC in Congo | Action Kivu

KASHMIR

Stand with Kashmir | Kashmir Masterlist Tumblr Post

Info: Kashmir - Paradise Lost (BBC)

Petitions/Letters: Stop Arming Indian Occupation of Kashmir

Donations: KASHMER

EAST TURKESTAN

Campaign for Uyghurs | Uyghur Truth Project | Camp Album Project

Info: Persecution of Uyghurs in China - Wikipedia

Petitions/Letters: Change.org - Uyghur Muslims

PALESTINE

Jewish Voice for Peace | USPCR Stop Gaza Genocide Toolkit

Info: Wizard Bisan, a Palestinian journalist

Petitions/Letters: Not Another Bomb | Amnesty - Demand a Ceasefire | Tumblr Post with Petitions | Ceasefire Now | (JVP) Tell Congress - Arms Embargo Now

Donations: Gaza Funds | Low on Funds Palestinians Fundraisers | Vetted Gaza Evacuation Fundraisers | Arab.org Daily Click | Middle East Children's Alliance

ARMENIA

Learn for Artsakh | Help Armenians Carrd | Artsakh Genocide Action Toolkit

Info: Denying Your History - Armenian Genocide

Petitions/Letters: Petition - Stop Erasing Armenian Culture | International Recognition of Artsakh

Donations: Fund for Armenian Relief | Armenia Fund | CARITAS Armenia | ARS of Eastern USA inc.

INDIGENOUS AMERICANS

MMIWG2S | Indigenous Action | NDN Collective

Petitions/Letters: Stop sterilizing Indigenous women without consent | Free Leonard Peltier

HAWAII

Info: Tourism's Negative Impact on Native Hawaiians | Noho Hewa Film (2008)

Donations: Hawaii Community Foundation

HAITI

Haiti Liberation Google Doc

Donations: Hands Together for Haitians | Haiti Outreach | Hope for Haiti | Twitter Thread of GoFundMes/Donation Links

WEST PAPUA

Free West Papua Website | West Papua Resources/Info Tumblr Post | We Need to Talk about Papua Carrd (last updated 2021 but has good info)

Info: United Nations - Indonesia: Shocking abuses against indigenous Papuans | Twitter Thread of Helpful Articles

Petitions/Letters:

ALSO:

The Kurdish Project

KEEP BOYCOTTING, PROTESTING, AND DOING EVERYTHING YOU CAN! FREE ALL OPPRESSED PEOPLES OF THE WORLD!

If you can't donate, share!

If you have any concerns with the links I've posted, please share! I tried my best to verify everything but please let me know if you are doubtful of something! Also, please please share other resources from people who are directly impacted by these genocides!!

LAST UPDATED SEPTEMBER 16 2024.

[rubberduckyrye]

I really wanna hear your thoughts on the racism with Angie, I may not have been in the fandom for like 5 years now, but I have ALWAYS been so bothered by how she and Gonta are treated by the narrative and fandom back then but nobody wanted to talk about that back then too, so it's been refreshing seeing it brought up by you.

Honestly I've been screaming about Gonta ever since I got into the fandom--like, back in 2018? Angie I've known for a while her story was a bunch of racist stereotypes but as a pastey pastey white person, I wasn't sure how much I should speak on it. I started talking about it more casually on my blog at first, and now I'm just screaming it into the void because everyone keeps ignoring or dismissing me about it.

I'll start off by saying that the extent of her racist caricature was really brought to my attention by my partner Celest, and she pointed out the initial stereotypes that lead me to further researching on Pacific Islander cultures, Indigenous cultures, and the stereotypes that are associated with them. Even the use of "Atua", while at first glance seems to be more accurate and inclusive, is incredibly inaccurate at best, and racist at worst.

But I'm getting ahead of myself--time to wipe my hands of this once and for all and talk about the thing that the fandom doesn't want to talk about--how Angie is a racist stereotype of Indigenous and Pacific Islander cultures.

I'm gonna need a lot of resources for this one.

So the biggest problem with Angie is how she is characterized/heavily coded to be Native Hawaiian/an indigenous Polynesian young woman. While I can't find any specific articles about specifically Indigenous Polynesian stereotypes regarding it, I know for a fact that the "Merciless Indian Savage" applies heavily to native/indigenous Polynesian cultures just from the horrible media I was subjected to as a child by my own father. Of course I was never taught about how racist it was until I learned it for myself, but I've seen many a movie where Pacific Islanders, specifically indigenous, were portrayed as savage, violent subhuman cultures that horrifically sacrificed human lives and blood.

I can't tell if this just, isn't well documented or I'm bad at finding research material, but I have first hand experience seeing this stereotype in modern media, so I know it's a thing. Like in King Kong movies--I remember those older movies being especially bad about it. This movie was made in 2005 and is one of the most racist depictions I've ever seen and be warned this is quite disgusting to watch with the context of this being incredibly fucking racist.

(Please remember that King Kong's island is, well, an uncharted island called Skull Island. It's an island in the middle of the ocean. Do I need to say any more as to why this is a huge problem.)

The top comments on this video are also incredibly fucking racist too:

"The natives are scarier than the big scary monster" "I would be scared of directing this scene" like Jesus fucking Christ do you people even hear yourselves.

Anyway. Yeah this movie's depiction of natives is incredibly racist and I'm sorry to subject you to this scene. I just want to specify what I mean though when I say I've seen this shit so much in media and yet I'm struggling to find people talking about it. Like, I'm not going crazy, right?

Still.

The fact that in Angie's FTEs, she bluntly describes blood and even implies human sacrifices is enough to invoke such horrible cringe from me, but the fact that her "native island" is referred to as "strange" with fauna that attack humans is also reminiscent of the racism presented for specifically Pacific Islander stereotypes.

This specific instance is especially telling, because--

If this "DeepSea" shipping service can ship just about anything--including organ meat, children, and blood--then what on earth is Angie talking about when she says they don't stock "Offerings"?

The likelihood is that she's referring to adult humans--as these children from this "shipping" company are clearly trafficking human children, blood, and organ meat. Since we know blood offerings are something from "Angie's culture", it can't be blood offering's she's referring to. Since it only lacks those two things according to Angie, that's the only thing that can be really inferred/implied--adult human sacrifices.

This is also shown here in Kaede's second FTE with her:

Angie is having a nightmare about the blood/human sacrifices necessary for her "culture" and "island", and is clearly struggling and horrified with it. This also plays into the racist stereotype in that Angie is Not Like the Other Savages and condemns her people's practices, even if only internally/privately, and portrays her as a victim of something almost cult-like--which from the clip you saw above, is still a heavily racist stereotype of indigenous cultures due to how the "Merciless Violent Savage" appears cult-like when you involve human sacrifices.

So let's talk about Atua.

This is very much only in the english version, but the use of Atua to replace "god" in a more singular fashion is incredibly inaccurate. From my understanding, "Atua" more so refers to the gods of Māori mythology. The way Angie refers to Atua in canon is more like how one would refer to a singular god. The Hawaiian Kupua, something that wikipedia seems to suggest is the Native Hawaiian version of Atua, also expresses polytheistic customs.

So yeah. the English dub made it worse.

But wait, there's more!

Now I have. No idea where this "custom" came from, as when I looked it up I just got a whole lot of nothing--but notice how Shuichi is reacting to it. The custom presented is supposed to be extremely weird and even terrifying, invoking the reader to see Angie as strange/abnormal. She continues on talking about her "island's customs", and--

The sexuality presented here is very obvious--presenting the fluidity of sexuality one might see in Pacific Islander cultures as abnormal, bizarre, or down-right wrong. A small article for this one because I cannot find the other one I originally read: 1 but the general idea is that Christan/Conservative ideology has oppressed the gender and sexuality of a lot of Polynesian cultures. To express that Angie's culture is "exotic" and "strange" for its fluid sexuality is inherently racist in nature. I don't think this is an intended character flaw--this is blatantly the bias of the writers for V3.

Now for this specific one, I've completely lost the article I read it on, so take my words with a grain of salt. However, a big stereotype of Polynesian cultures is that they are extremely carefree--something that we see Angie being in canon without her FTEs. This is portrayed as a mask by the fandom, however, so it's a bit of a sketchy one to include. Still wanted to mention it though.

Anyway--these are all things I've learned from doing research, and I still can't find a lot of information about it. Pacific Islanders/Polynesians/Native Hawaiian people are often incredibly silenced and spoken over, which is why writing this post up was so incredibly frustrating to me.

I know these stereotypes exists for these cultures--but I cannot find many resources on the subject matter.

As someone who is trying their hardest to be racially aware and sensitive, it is very frustrating to try and comb the internet to find resources to reference, and the best thing you can find is a god-damn Wikipedia page. No, really. I could not find any reliable sources on anything outside of Wikipedia. Again I could just be really bad at finding research material/it could also be that the internet is getting so much worse about finding articles on subjects like this, but I digress. The fact that it's this difficult to find things--and then to re-find things, as I mentioned earlier, some of the articles I found are just, gone now--is a testament to how much of a problem this really is.

And it's so frustrating that I keep getting silenced/ignored about the matter because I want to learn. I want to learn what stereotypes to avoid for this demographic of people and their culture. I want to learn how I can fix a character like Angie--who I DO like, by the way--and make her much less of a stereotype in my own AU. I want to learn if the Atua and the Kupua are interchangeable words like Wikipedia suggests. I want to learn for my own Native Hawaiian OC so I can write him correctly. I, as a white person who doesn't have access to this culture, want to learn about it so I can accurately portray it and help fight against the negative stereotypes that people 5 years ago thought was "great storytelling."

But I can't learn anything if the fandom keeps ignoring me because they're too afraid to acknowledge the racism is there at all, in fear that them liking a racist caricature of a character makes them racist.

And to that, I say: Please stop ignoring me. I want to learn. I want to talk to people about the subject. I want to find someone willing to talk about the culture and educate me. I can't do that if I am constantly ignored.

So. Yeah.

Sorry if this is a little haphazard, my brain died halfway through making it because finding the research materials to showcase my points was incredibly difficult. Literally have been here for hours.

I hope this can be spread around though--so people understand why it's important to have this discussion, why it's important to acknowledge the racism, and why it's so frustrating to feel silenced/ignored when all you want to do is better yourself and your own knowledge.

So... let's talk. Let's talk about the racism in Angie's character--and how we, as a fandom, can address it.

[disaster-magician]

Don't mind me, just yapping and organizing my thoughts about my olnf mcs! Specifically step 1 for now, will probably do step 2 soon though bc I love writing and talking about them 😊

Nova Grace "Gracie" Woods! She currently identifies as a girl and uses She/Her. (Nova was my second requested voiced name for the ks after my irl name, so hopefully it makes it in!)

A nervous wreck about pretty much everything. Bffs with Tamarack and has a crush on Qiu, though she hasn't realized it yet! She prefers not to talk a lot and communicates mostly through ASL(she and Opal are fluent) or writing.

Very short, probably a good inch or two shorter than Tama. She is half Black on Opal's side and half Native Hawaiian from her donor. Her hair is actually dark blue and not brown like how the doll maker currently makes it look. Qiu probably thought she was exaggerating when she said she falls a lot, and very quickly finds out she was not. She's very rarely without a bandage or two at this age.

Her favorite color is teal, or really any shade of blue. She's autistic and has a special interest in space, and is usually wearing something with a design or pattern around that. She loves playing in the woods, especially with her two best neighbors 😊

Annabeth "Beck" Estrella Hyyde! She was born intersex and AFAB, and currently uses She/Her. (Annabeth was my third requested voiced name, so we'll see if that ends up in there lol)

A very outgoing and hyperactive kid, Beck loves anything to do with the outdoors or making new friends. She has a crush on Tamarack and is good friends with Qiu. It doesn't show on the doll, but she has a white streak in the front of her hair from her vitiligo. (She's the one holding Tama in my profile pic!)

She is Afro-Latina with Dominican roots. She was born in the US but moved to and around South America as a baby and young kid before Opal's job took them back to the states when she was 8. Spanish is her first language and English is her second.

She currently has undiagnosed ADHD and dyslexia and struggles in school even though she always tries her best. I feel like Mrs. Murray would be the type to recognize effort and desire to learn, plus she's still in elementary so her grades wouldn't be bad. In later steps this is not necessarily the case unfortunately.

Although she loves all sports, soccer is the coolest and her most favorite. She can juggle it 40 times in a row without dropping it, just watch! Her favorite color is rainbow, or maybe cranberry like her and her Mamá's hair.

Elijah "Eli" Othello Anderson. He currently identifies as a boy and uses He/Him. He's Black and doesn't know(aka I haven't decided) much about his heritage. I am on the fence about his current hair color and might change or tweak it a bit.

One of the most laid back and breezy kids you'll ever meet. He just wants to have fun and make new friends! He's got a pun or other terrible joke ready at any given moment so watch out.

He does have a bad habit of putting others before himself, much to the disappointment of his Mama. Is it really such a bad thing that he wants to make other people happy?

He finds something of a kindred soul in Qiu in that way. They just get each other in a way most other kids don't. They're clearly destined to be best friends, or maybe even more. He has a soft spot for Tam too, hopefully they'll all be good friends forever.

Cassiopeia "Cassie" Lotus Aoki-Jones. She identifies as a girl and has since she was six and currently uses She/Her. Her mom has Egyptian heritage and her donor was half Japanese.

More than anything, Cassie is mad. She doesn't want to move away from her old friends and life, especially to a place surrounded by dirty and icky woods. Why couldn't she and her annoying Mom just stay where they were?

No one else here even knows about roller skating, or butterflies, or anything cool. Sigh, at least there's a ballet class where she can show off her skills.

Most things here are pretty bad, but the two neighbors her age are pretty okay. Both of them are nice and sweet and pretty... what was she saying again?

[blade-that-was-broken]

Soldier On AU Notes

For the person who asked for them... This is kinda what I got. Don't get me wrong, there is a ton of JD and Bruce stuff, I just... haven't written any of that down...

I told ya'll that Branch jumped out of the bushes and pushed his way in! What do you want me to do!?

John does eventually get a service dog - Rhonda - that is mostly a mobility and reach aid and does pressure therapy for his PTSD. Idk all the details yet. 

Branch never met his dad. Their parents had been separated when he was born but the divorce was not finalized until he was almost a year old. That is when John was forced to leave. 

Branch has vague memories that are actually of John. Calloused hands (JD used to play guitar), maybe goggles and a faint lullaby no one can tell where it came from. In reality, JD sang it to him constantly to get him to sleep. He wrote it. 

Their mother cut off everything and was extremely bitter. The divorce was ugly and she didn’t like anyone talking about John or their father. So, after a few years, no one did. It just built up until he was a distant memory, and no one really thought of him. 

Their dad wasn't much better but he was left with very little in the divorce anyways.

John on the other hand, wasn’t left with a lot. He was lonely and clung to the memory of his brothers with everything he had. Being away from them broke his heart, as he was close with all of them and took care of them. He was their big brother and close with them.

Bruce left home the moment he could when he turned 18. He tried to keep in contact with them, although his mother didn’t really like it. Clay felt betrayed. Bruce currently lives in Hawaii and owns a small resort with his native Hawaiian wife, and they have a couple of kids. 

Clay did one semester at the local college to stay close to home but when their mother died and Floyd and Branch moved in with Grandma, he went to another school further away, one he wanted. Clay has been in and out of school for many years and is working on idk, some kind of doctorate or masters or whatever. 

Floyd went to the local college for a while but then his music career started to pick up and now he does a fair bit of traveling. He is musically inclined and seriously started making music after his mother died. He plays an old guitar that he found in their house and just can’t let it go. He doesn’t actually know it was JD’s. There is a symbol on it that is actually initials. 

Bruce does try to call Clay when John is with him but Clay absolutely does not want to talk to him. He barely answers the phone and hangs up before JD could get a word in. 

Eventually JD just gets a plane ticket and flies out to the college to try and find him. Like this entirely blindsides Clay; he has zero clue. At this point JD is still struggling to get around and doesn’t have a lot of things… including a phone. So he just kind of disappears and well… Bruce panics a little. They are gonna haveta work on their communication a bit.

Branch is about 16 and lives with his grandmother. She likes to garden and they have an old dog named Gary. He is extremely smart and has a wealth of knowledge but people avoidant. He wants to go somewhere but he doesn’t want to be alone and he doesn’t know where. He’d like to do more outdoorsy things but his grandmother cannot and he doesn’t actually know much. 

This is partially how he and JD bond. He spends a while with them, showing up one day and helps Branch with the outdoorsy stuff, actually teaching him things like how to start a fire, pitch a tent, a lot of stuff dudes like to do. He even helps start teaching him to drive. Just a little. 

Rosiepuff does suggest JD just stay with them since Branch seems to really like him and he has difficulty actually having fun/getting friends/talking with people but by this time, JD has a place and responsibilities and can’t stay. Besides, he doesn’t want to burden his grandmother. 

Branch ends up spending at least a summer in Hawaii with JD by suggestion of their grandmother. It goes well. 

JD jokes about where his leg ended up. He thinks he left it back in Sudan but he’s not sure. He’ll tell everyone different stories on where it is. It’s kind of dark humor sometimes that… don’t always bode well with people. 

Delta is probably one of JD's squad. I'm not sure who else. In their free time, they make a pretty awesome singing group though

There will probably be more but idk

[shoujo-wizard]

big big deal to me tht Hawaii was the first US state to call for an immediate ceasefire

I was born and raised on one of the islands & I was made aware from a young age abt the horrors of the US Empire

The Palestinian struggle for liberation is also the Native Hawaiian struggle for sovereignty

Free Palestine

[sepdet]

(I don't usually break copyright for journalists, who deserve to make a living through their writing the same as other authors, but this paywalled article mentions a few native Hawaiian relief efforts that need funding)

Native Hawaiians organize aid for Maui fire victims as government lags

Reis Thebault, Washington Post [12Aug 2023]

LAHAINA, Hawaii — The boats kept coming. One by one, cruisers and catamarans eased toward the beach in Kahana, a small and tightknit neighborhood just north of Maui’s hardest-hit areas.

Each one was laden with supplies: generators, propane tanks, trash bags full of clothing and ready-to-eat meals. And each one was greeted by two dozen people, the first among them wading waist-deep into the ocean to retrieve provisions from the boat and pass them down the chain, which wound its way to shore.

[Hawaii utility faces scrutiny for not cutting power to reduce fire risks]

The entire operation buzzed with urgent efficiency. But this was not the National Guard, or the Federal Emergency Management Agency, nor state or local government. This was scores of residents, led mostly by native Hawaiians, who had battled immense grief and unreliable communications to coordinate a large-scale disaster relief effort serving everyone in need after Tuesday’s ruinous Maui fire.

And this, a parade of boats that brought desperate locals thousands of pounds of supplies, was one of many.

“There’s no government agency helping us — this is it,” said Jareth Lumlung, a native Hawaiian who helped arrange the de facto donation hub. “This is our home, our community.”

[Live updates on Hawaiian wildfires]

In the days since a ferocious wildfire decimated whole swaths of Maui, including the historic west island town of Lahaina, those who live here have said they’ve received little help from the county and state, small entities which are struggling to respond to an unprecedented calamity.

For people whose cultural traditions have been threatened by American colonization and the state’s embrace of tourism and development, government help was never expected. Instead, the community has relied on itself.

Many, native Hawaiians in particular, see the absence of visible official support as a continuation of long-standing frustrations and pain, which began with the destructive arrival of Europeans and lives on in struggles over water rights.

The displacement of native Hawaiians is a particularly acute concern now, as much of the island has been targeted for gentrification, driving up the costs of living and forcing many native Hawaiians to move to mainland cities like Las Vegas.

[After five hours in ocean, Maui fire survivor is ‘blessed to be alive’]

Government officials have said they were focused on putting out the flames, housing and feeding survivors in evacuation centers outside the burn zone, protecting damaged areas, clearing roads in and around the town and helping to restore essential utilities. Some of the aid is out of reach of survivors, however, because they lack transportation or working phones to alert them about services. In Lahaina, the private efforts have been more visible, survivors said.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D) estimated that nearly all of Lahaina had been destroyed. But in Kahana, the town’s spirit remained completely alive.

“If you take away all Hawaiians, there’ll be no more Hawaii,” Lumlung said. “It’ll be just a place. This is what it’s all about right here. We’re all raised the same way; this is something that’s just naturally instilled. You don’t have to be asked to do these things.”

Residents gather at Napili Plaza in Lahaina, Hawaii, to connect to Starlink satellites to contact their loved ones on Friday. (Mengshin Lin for The Washington Post)

The supply boats began arriving on Wednesday, as first responders were still battling the blaze and recovering bodies amid burned-out homes and businesses. Two days later, they hadn’t slowed. On Friday, they began arriving early, and volunteers had tents set up to sort the goods: a pile of men’s pants here, a pyramid of diapers there and vast mounds of bottled water.

“We lost everything. We lost our town,” said Jerica Naki, whose home in Lahaina was destroyed. “That’s why we’re here.”

On this day, the volunteer boats largely came from neighboring islands, Oahu and Molokai, northwest of Maui in the Hawaiian archipelago, traveling far on choppy seas. Naki was helping sort donations and she described an emotional whirlwind, from escaping with nothing to seeing a staggering amount of volunteer support for those who have been displaced like her.

[These maps show where wildfires are burning in Hawaii]

“A lot of us are born and raised here,” Naki said, looking around as the chain of volunteers hauled in boxes of tinned sausage. “There’s a l xd ot of pride in Lahaina, so it hurts, a lot. But this is all we have here now, each other, and we’re making do.”

As the response has worn on, the greatest needs have shifted. There is now plenty of nonperishable food and bottled water. Generators, fuel and Starlink satellite internet systems would be most useful, volunteers say.

Sheryl Nakanelua knew instinctively where she needed to go when she fled her Lahaina home as flames spread. She made her way to Kahana and set up a tent across from Lumlung’s house, where she’ll stay until her family is let back into her subdivision, one of the few that was spared.

“This is our family place, it’s home,” she said of the Kahana neighborhood. “This is the best part to be at. It’s what’s keeping us positive.”

Other such spots have popped up. Napili Plaza, once a destination for groceries, ribs and tattoos, is now a donation drop-off center. And some 100 cars lined up for free gas near the town’s former railroad station. Coordinating the boats and other donation sites is a massive task that involves maddening games of phone tag in a place largely without cell service and requires a relentless dedication and extensive Rolodex.

Residents like Zane Schweitzer have both. Schweitzer, whose family has lived around Lahaina for generations, has spent nearly every hour of the last 48 working his walkie-talkie and phone, frantically arranging aid from around Maui, Hawaii and the mainland. Working with the Oahu-based youth nonprofit Na Kama Kai, he helped coordinate one of Friday’s largest deliveries.

Officials said most of Lahaina, the historic town in West Maui, was destroyed when hurricane winds pushed fires to the coast.

On the south side of Lahaina, in Olowalu, Eddy and Sam Garcia are transforming their groundbreaking sustainable farm into a shelter for those who have lost their homes. The married couple, who themselves have lost farmland and fruit crops worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, are setting up temporary housing, a massive solar power system and a satellite internet connection that they’ll open to anyone who needs it.

“In the immediate moment, people need shelter, they need food, they need water, they need a place to get on the internet so they can look for their loved ones,” said Eddy Garcia, who grew up in Lahaina. “We’re shifting all of our attention to trying to feed and house our neighbors.”

The Olowalu farm is uniquely well-prepared to handle this sort of disaster. Run by the Garcias’ nonprofit, Regenerative Education Centers, it was already operating off the grid, with its own power, plumbing and food. The nonprofit has launched a fundraiser to help pay for the fire effort, which will continue as long as there’s a need.

The property, even after being raked by the fire’s severe winds, is verdant and shaded by tall mango trees. On Friday, volunteers and staff readied the farm to fill any needs. They butchered and smoked a wild pig, set up new solar panels and scoured the internet for portable toilets. Eddy Garcia whirred with adrenaline, his satellite-connected cellphone ringing every few minutes with someone offering help.

For locals like him, helping his neighbors is not only about their survival, but about preserving the island’s identity and keeping it livable for those whose families have been here for generations.

“It’s not about these giant hotels on the beach and all the big companies, but trying to take care of local people,” he said. “This is not a visitor’s destination spot, this is the kingdom of Hawaii. That hit the heart of it in Lahaina. It hurts to even talk about it.”

His phone rang again and he stood up to leave.

“I’m like a ball of rubber bands right now,” he said, “and the only thing keeping me going is I got to organize these things.”

——

[More photos and links to the latest news in and after article]

[twsthc]

twst ethnicity & language hcs 🦇

THANK U EVERYONE ON TWITTER WHO SUBMITTED HCS!! This thread took me forever, pls forgive an punctuation/general writing inconsistencies or spelling errors

warnings: none

last updated: apr 11, 2024

some collective headcanons:

i think the characters who are close to each other share words with each other and everyone kind of mixes things up (projecting)

"que... 为什么 es 你的 kouting 说了吗?!"

???? i hope this makes sense

all of them swear in their native languages when angry (minus riddle)

HEARTSLABYUL 🍓

Riddle: White British & Kinh Vietnamese, speaks Vietnamese

╰Mom: 🇻🇳 Dad: 🇬🇧

this hc is based on my vietnamese friend whos mom is the same as riddles

thank you for the hc nhi ily

Ace: Filipino, speaks Tagalog

constantly using "nanay mo" (your mom) insults

Deuce: Han Taiwanese & Yamato Japanese, speaks (正體字) Mandarin

╰Mom: 🇹🇼 Dad: 🇯🇵

his mom and ahgong speak hokkien and he doesnt, he also struggles to read traditional characters

his mom gave birth to him when she was a teen and she doesn't know the father so he's not too connected to his JP side

Cater: Hispanic Filipino of British Latin descent, speaks Filipino and Spanish

Trey: Malay Indonesian, speaks Indonesian and Malay

SAVANACLAW 🥩

Leona: Tanzanian, Kikuyu Kenyan, Malian (Mandinke)

╰Mom: 🇹🇿🇰🇪 Dad: 🇹🇿🇲🇱

i know he sucks his teeth all the damn time

tsk get out of my way herbivore tsk ugh tsk

ghana is one of the only african countries that still have a monarchy

also the lion king is based off of Mansa Musa the Malian king so YA

Ruggie: Afro-Brazilian & Gullah, speaks Southern Tutnese, Gullah, & Brazilian Portugese

╰Mom: 🇧🇷 Dad: 🇺🇸 

projection beam

uses tutnese to be sneaky, Gullah with his grandma

i know the soul food in his house on sunday goes CRAZY

more connected to his Gullah side because his grandma is AA and he doesnt know his brazilian parent, but does try to learn more about the culture just for himself

Jack: Inuit Alaskan, Tarabin Bedouin Afro-Egyptian, speaks Arabic

╰Mom: 🇪🇬 Dad: "🇺🇸"

no one submitted hcs for jacky wacky...

well he speaks the Masri dialect methinks

OCTAINEVILLE 🐚

HONORABLE MENTION: someone said they hc the octatrio speak Danish with an Omal dialect!

Azul: White Italian/Hawaiian/Afro-Hatian, speaks Hatian Creole and some Italian

╰Mom: 🇮🇹🇭🇹 Bio dad: Hawaiian

His step dad is also Hawaiian so he was able to keep that culture as well

Apparently octopi are very important to polynesian culture! very interesting

The reason the tweels don't let him cook is actually because all of his creations come out so spicy and flavorful it started scaring white customers

Floyd: Okinawan Japanese/Afro-Bajan, speaks Japanese & Patois

╰Mom: 🇯🇵 Dad: 🇯🇵🇧🇧

I think the tweels are more connected to their Japanese side than their Caribbean side, but Floyd says "gwan" all the time so who knows

He often mixes Japanese and common language. Not because he isn't fluent in common language but because he wants to

When cooking he tries to combine both cultures (sooo much curry...)

Jade: Okinawan Japanese/Afro-Bajan, speaks Japanese & Patois

Both Japan and Trinidad and Tobago have really cool tropical landscapes so i think hed be super proud of his ethnicity (AKA the greenery from where hes from)

AH i forgot to mention, but to keep up with the islander theme from the OG movies i think the tweels would be more from the Okinawa region

SCARABIA 🌞

Kalim: Punjabi Pakistani, speaks Urdu

ok i said this on twitter but i think he tries to learn Arabic for Jamil (he's awful at it but he is TRYING!)

i also said methinks he likes how the word for "no" in Arabic sounds like "la"

whenever jamil tries to make him productive he goes "lalalala" and thinks hes the funniest person in the entire world

Jamil: Persian Iranian, speaks the Syrian Arabic dialect & Urdu

always talking shit about people in arabic

especially kalim, but kalim doesnt know how to say "lazy bastard" in Arabic yet so he is oblivious

POMEFIORE 👑

Vil: Jewish German-American, speaks Hebrew, French, Russian, & Spanish

╰Mom: 🇩🇪🇺🇸 Dad: 🇮🇳

looks almost completely white

she speaks so many languages mostly for her acting career

Rook: Zulu South African, Baoulé Ivorian, Canadian French, speaks French

╰Mom: 🇨🇮🇿🇦 Dad: 🇨🇦🇿🇦

when they came to NRC they weren't fluent in the common language but sam (louisianan, speaks French Creole) helped them, as well as vil who speaks french

now theyre more fluent in common language but still has a thick Montreal accent

has that phlegm-y "h" sound in the back of their throat

Epel: Laz Turkish & Southern American, speaks English and Kartvelian

╰Mom: 🇹🇷 Dad: 🇺🇸 

when speaking english he has a little southern accent :3

hes always confusing the languages he knows if the words are too similar, he also has a little Turkish accent

IGNEHYDE 💀

Idia: Romani Greek & Turkish, white Puerto Rican, speaks Greek and Spanish

╰Mom: 🇵🇷 Dad: 🇹🇷🇬🇷 

cursing people out in rapid greek and/or spanish in COD lobbies

i also think he learned like 3 Greek poems just so he could qrt people on twitter who he disagreed with

"those who can not obtain the grape will say it is sour" but like in Greek

DIASOMNIA 🐉

Malleus: Han Chinese, speaks Mandarin, Gaelic, & a shit ton of other languages

mostly speaks Mandarin

can read/write traditional and simplified characters!

HONORABLE MENTION: someone hced him as having Jewish descent and speaking Hebrew!

Lilia: Mongolian & Chinese, speaks Cantonese, Mandarin, Gaelic, and a shit ton of other ancient languages

i think he speaks with a Northern Chinese dialect in Mandarin, I dont speak Canto or Hokkien so idk about that srry :,3

he drawls his 儿s a lot methinks mostly to get a point a cross

Sebek: Egyptian, Nenet Russian, Han Chinese, speaks Cantonese & some Gaelic

╰Mom: 🇷🇺🇪🇬 Dad: 🇨🇳

is trying really hard to be fluent in Gaelic so he can impress malleus

he already knew some Gaelic but just basic words/sentences

Silver: Han Taiwanese, Tibetan, & French speaks Mandarin

╰Mom: 🇨🇳🇹🇼 Dad: 🇫🇷

the difference between Taiwanese pronunciation vs Chinese pronunciation is that it sounds... "softer" (?)

with his character as a whole just having more slurred, soft words makes sense.

maybe he knows how to say like "hello" and "please" in Gaelic because he was pretty young when Lilia brought him in and he naturally picked up like... two words

also i hc he is tibetan because the wiki page said sleeping beauty is set in the himalayas? so i just ran with it LOL

[hummussexual]

Excerpt:

What does it mean to decolonize gender?

First, let’s break down the idea of decolonization, or the process by which colonized people take back power from colonizers. Decolonization at its core is about breaking down power structures imposed by colonizers onto colonized folks, and reclaiming land, knowledge, and cultural values lost to colonization.

From the movement for a free Palestine to the Puerto Rican crusade for independence to the push for Hawaiian sovereignty, taking back land and ancestral knowledge lies at the root of decolonial struggle. For Land Back, the decentralized movement for the sovereignty of Indigenous peoples, decolonization means “the reclamation of everything stolen from the original peoples: land, language, ceremony, food, education, housing, healthcare, governance, medicines, kinship.”

In order to decolonize gender, it’s crucial to understand the history of how gender was colonized in the first place. Prior to European colonization of what we now know as the Americas, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific, gender variant people existed all over the world. Indigenous nations across Turtle Island (North America) and Abya Yala (South America) often revered the gender variant people in their communities, as they held sacred titles and performed important duties such as healing and governing. When European colonizers took the land, they brought their own narrow ideas of gender to the continent and attempted to eradicate Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer people. In addition to outright brutality and genocide, these colonizers also attempted to “civilize” Native people through institutions like the Indian boarding school system, which sought to destroy traditional ways of Indigenous life by forcing Christian values on them, including by demonizing any gender variance or queerness.

Decolonizing gender means undoing centuries of teachings that asserted Indigenous thinking of gender and sexuality were “savage” or “wrong,” and understanding that the binary of “man” and “woman” is rooted in European colonization.

...

[karenchasity]

hate anons r dumb have my essay instead

The Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is a national reserve in Pima County, Arizona, spanning 330,688 acres, housing more than 924 species of flora and fauna. The park was established on April 13, 1937, as a way to preserve the beauty of the Sonoran desert for years to come, allowing future generations to enjoy the beauty of the vast desert land that makes up the area.

The desalination pipeline plans to destroy it.

The pipeline itself would need a corridor spanning 175 feet wide, not to mention a power transition line that would need a 150-foot corridor. 

And this line halves the Organ Pipe straight down the middle.

I’m sure you can see how this is a problem.

Organ Pipe is quoted as being “one of the most ecologically fragile places in Arizona,” and, as previously mentioned, is a biodiversity hotspot. It’s rare to see places in Arizona brimming with life, as human habitation has taken over, terraforming the desert into something more livable for us people. We’ve dried up rivers, seeped all the groundwater, practically run the desert dry with the conceited belief that this world is meant for us. That it is our god given right to take what we believe we’re owed. Because, “hey, we’re the most technologically advanced species in the history of Earth, it doesn’t matter who or what came before us! We decide how the environment works!” And then, once we run one resource dry, we just go to the next. But I digress.

The monument houses multiple different endangered species, including but not limited to the Quitobaquito pupfish, the lesser long nosed bat, the Sonoran pronghorn, and the cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl. These species are already struggling to survive, and a major cause is human interference. Is it the wisest choice to cut through their habitat, just so we don’t face the consequences of our actions? Is it the wisest choice to remove their homes, instead of even trying to take the proper steps to better our water use? Do we really want the reason that these species die out to be due to our own personal selfishness? In a world filled with ever growing industrialization, where lush forests turn into concrete jungles, lively fauna replaced by roaring cars, once sunny skies darkened by smog, do we really want to cut through an area on the ever-shortening list of places where we can almost see what the world looked like before we came? Please, take a moment to think about this before you vote.

Maybe you can’t find it in you to see this way. Maybe you can only see the downsides of not cutting through the Organ Pipe. Maybe you can only see the upsides. Maybe you see the pipeline as the perfect solution. Maybe you’re thinking, “Well, sure. Maybe some habitats will get hurt, but we can place more conservation measures for them. And, besides. It’s for the good of the people.” I see your point, I really do. But, I do have to ask: Is it truly better for all people?

Folks, I bring you to the reason why I wrote this essay.

The pipeline would directly cut through Tohono O’odham lands.

Hundreds of years before settlers came to colonize the west, multiple tribes lived in the Sonoran desert area, including the Pascua Yaqui, Hohokam, and, most notably, Tohono O’odaham. The Organ Pipe contains 16,000 years of native culture, with artifacts still being found to this day.

But the problem is bigger than just those tribes. It's bigger than Organ Pipe, even. It’s a problem with America itself.

Native Americans, throughout history, have been swept aside and disregarded. We’ve been chased out of our native lands, forced to live in reservations, our culture hidden, and our voices silenced. Some would argue that this isn’t a problem anymore. “That was all in the past, with the Trail of Tears!”

It’s not. It’s happening to this day. Just look at Hawaii. In O’ahu, Native Hawaiians are forced out of their homes, forced to live in homeless encampments because American tourists went to Hawaii and decided they didn’t want to leave. My native lands are trampled and disrespected, destroyed to make room for shiny new resorts and homes. My people are priced out from the lands in which they lived for hundreds of years. Hula dance, one of our art forms to tell stories, is made into some fun little dance for them to watch at their version of luaus. My culture is made into a mockery of what it once was, into something more ‘digestible’ for tourists. My language is dead. My heritage is dead. I have to cling on to the bits I still have.

Our lands are sacred. That goes for every Native American. If we have a choice, shouldn’t we go with the one that protects the lands of the people who were here before us? Shouldn’t we protect these cultures that existed long before ours, lest we let it die out like Hawaii?

I know what it's like to not know your culture. To feel so disconnected from it you feel like a liar when you say you are. To feel so lost and alone in a world that's cut you off from your culture, your heritage, your people. It's hard. It's hard because you don't feel like you fit. Too Americanized to be native. Too native to be an American. Organ Pipe allows the descendants of the Tohono O'odham tribe to experience their heritage, their culture. You build this pipeline, and you cut off them from ever having that experience. You keep them in the dark of who they are. You build this pipeline, and you do what every American government official has done before: silence native voices. Push them into reservations, take their land, and destroy it. Do you really want history to repeat itself? Do you want to be the cause for a parent telling their child "I don't know" when they ask who their tribe was? Do you want to take away the joy of knowing who your ancestors were? Of going to their lands, feeling the sand between their toes, and feeling the euphoria of knowing who you are? I agree, water is important. But is it important enough to rob one of their roots? To destroy lands deemed sacred? To take what isn't yours to take? I urge you all to ask yourselves these questions when you vote on the pipeline.

I cannot make your decision for you, but I will leave you with this: As someone who is both Native Hawaiian and Native American (to a tribe I have never known and will never know due to suppression within my family), I’ve always felt a disconnect between me and my culture. It feels like hell, not knowing who I am. Every day, I feel like I will never be Hawaiian enough, or Native enough. Like a part of me is lost to time. All I am asking is that, please. Let them keep their land. Just so that someone out there can visit their cultural land, and feel whole.

Thank you.

dude this FUCKS actually. the last paragraph hits HARD

[semper-legens]

39. The Plucker, by Brom

Owned: No, library Page count: 143 My summary: Jack is facing the worst thing that a toy can face. He has been abandoned to the Underbed, the place where the lost toys that Thomas no longer loves are thrown. But things are getting even worse. Thomas' father has brought back a new toy from the war. And it wants to destroy everything that Jack knows and loves... My rating: 2/5 My commentary:

A library assistant peruses the shelves. They are down in the stacks, down where the old and forgotten books lie, down alone among the dust and cobwebs. Taking an armful of books, they head to the shelves, aiming to place the books back where they belong. They are just about to leave when...something catches their eye. Oversized, sticking out of its place, the cover dark and pages yellowed. A book about a toy. A strange book. But one they cannot help but take home.

So yeah, this thing's fucking weird. More under the cut!

I came into this book expecting to like it, and certain aspects of it, I did. For one, the illustrations are great. They're dark, creepy, atmospheric, and unsettling, and really add some extra spice to the story that's unfolding. The 'twisted toys' aesthetic has been done, admittedly, but this is a really good example of it. The story itself is strange and largely compelling, refusing to explain itself, and gritty and grimy where it wants to be. There's a real sense of dystopia here, of twisting up the ideas of a toy wanting to protect his owner and taking it to a desperate struggle for life and death, and I really admire that, you know?

Unfortunately, I can't overlook the rest of this weird little book. So there's two things here where the book falls down. One is that the plot is pretty bogstandard, and the characters are broad stereotypes. Jack is a Determined Hero trying to save Angel, who is a Girl. That's all her character is, she's a damsel in distress. Plot points are brought up and then kind of unceremoniously dropped - Jack being abandoned under the bed by Thomas never really comes up again, nor does Jack's social ostracism by the other toys, on account of them all dying. I feel like this story might have done a lot better as an animated short or something like that, a silent one where we can infer more from their surroundings. The secondary problem is that of race. The malevolent doll is a spirit from Africa who wants to possess/kill a child, and doesn't have much of a personality beside that. Some of the female dolls are stereotypes of Indigenous women (one Native American, the other Hawaiian) that are a bit uncomfortable. Sure, they're toys that a kid would have in the 1940s, but still. And there's a servant in the house whose entire role in the story is to sacrifice her life for the kid and is subservient to the white characters. She doesn't get fleshed out much, she just exists to empower Jack and die for Thomas. And it's lazy! Black people are either subservient (though she still has evil magic) or evil and need to be destroyed so some little white boy can live. Stereotypes on stereotypes. I was not impressed.

Next up...hoo boy. Time to flame a book that a lot of people love. Oops.

[not-so-rosyyy]

I have a question do some Filipino consider themselves Pacific Islander in Guam we have a lot of people from there who say they are but when I visit the states many would identify as Asian I’m just curious the lilo and stitch live action may me think a lot about how colonization ruin the islands in the pacific and people don’t know what a native Hawaiian actually is

hi! sorry for the late response to this. as far as I can tell, this debate of how Filipinos identify is only an issue in the diaspora, most especially with young Filipino-Americans. but for those of us here in the Philippines, I can tell you we don't identify as Pacific Islanders. we're geographically located in Southeast Asia, so for all it's worth, WE ARE ASIANS.

all of this is a bit more complicated, tho. I think most of the confusion with our identity stems from the fact that America tends to lump Asians & Pacific Islanders together in one category. but since our people's culture & history are very unique from the rest of our Asian neighbors, Fil-Ams struggle to find where they really belong in the cultural melting pot.

they sometimes find it hard to identify strictly as Asians, because "asian" in the US is often only associated with those from the Sinosphere (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc). most Americans and those very same Asian neighbors also tend to exclude Filipinos from the group because we have more similiarities with Latin cultures now due to having been a Spanish colony for 300+ hundreds years. (we used to be part of the Spanish East Indies that also included Guam, in fact). but then, we also can't identify as Hispanic since...well, we obviously aren't. we do share a genealogical history and Austronesian heritage with Pacific Islanders, though (for example: similar language, tribal tattooing, etc).

so, all things considered, I think the feeling of being an outsider in the Asian community is part of the reason why some Fil-Ams identify more with Pacific Islanders. and I can't really fault them for that.

to me, however, it's absurd to strictly classify us into a single ethnic category. we're a multi-race nation. a typical Filipino family can have one member look like chinese, another will look mestiza, and another one will look like your average polynesian. some of our indigenous peoples are even black. our people's ethnic DNA is a rainbow, and--I say this without exaggeration--our skin colors are literally the Fenty shade range.

that said, the Lilo & Stitch casting debacle is still a mistake...and not so much because of ethnicity, but because of ✨colorism✨. the girl they cast as Nani is mixed European-Filipino, and is clearly fair-skinned...and Nani is very much NOT.