#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…

[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.

...

[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.

[rubberduckyrye]

Me: yay! I get to talk about my favourite oc of the bunch now!

My brain: hey what if I *forces me to hyperfixate on how I'm rewriting Angie instead*

So I'm talking about Angie instead, more specifically what steps I want to take to make her less.... problematic?(Best word I could think of) But for plot reasons I have to have some reference to what she's like in canon.

I mostly focused on Angie's religious side for the rewrite. She's no longer monotheistic and instead follows a polytheistic faith, specifically Hawaiian. Most of the time when she talks about her gods she specifies which one, like she'll say that "Lono will keep you in good fortune". I've also made it so that her whole "Kami-sama can't answer cause he's taking a nap" thing is just a light hearted joke she makes when people mixes up or gets her gods wrong.

Now the blood sacrifices-

They are not gone, instead I've made it so that Angie's community saw blood as the soul itself. So her island had simply had a tradition where they made a religious dish for weddings that the newly weds eat, the dish contains the blood of the couple and it represents their souls mixing and becoming one. They also tended to have a culture of solving spiritual problems (ex: depression, personality disorders, trauma) by having the person bleed out the damaged part of their soul.

There's definitely more to consider but I don't remember it and I don't know where to look. Criticism and advice from you or someone else reading this is welcome :P

Okay so.

I like your spirit, you're on the right track and going places, but. I would just remove the blood thing entirely. If you want to go the route of Headcanoning the problematic away that's one thing, but since you're changing the story up anyway, so you might as well throw out the entire suitcase.

I was actually having a discussion with my partner about the stereotypes Angie presents just last night, as was going to reblog my posts on her racists caricature elements with a slight amendment.

I was struggling to find resources that specifically talked about Native Pacific Islanders being stereotyped as wild savages, and I was complaining to celest on how no one was talking about it and I felt like I wasn't able to do research right anymore. She calmly explained to me why I was having those issues and why no one seems to talk about the "savage Pacific Islander" trope we had seen so many times in movies.

1. The term Pacific Islander is, itself, a problem--as well as terms like Native Hawaiian, and other terms that are just not really used much in discussions about media. That's why I was getting so little information when I was trying to research of my own.

2, and this is the kicker: The stereotype of "Savage Pacific Islander" actually IS talked about as a trope--it's just under the same category as when we talk about the "Savage Native" (Like Native American, or the savage Indian (Indian being used incorrectly to talk about Native tribes of America) the whole Damn time.

While this specific link talks about a slightly different iteration of it, the Savage Native (I refuse to call them Indians that is blatantly incorrect) also has ties to human sacrifices and blood sacrifices, all of which paint indigenous people and culture that in a bad light.

The traditional acts you described could be used in a real life culture somewhere in the world, idk, but I would advise against using it regardless. The use of blood in any kind of ritual is seen as savage or cult like, which with the Native Savage Stereotypes, you REALLY want to avoid if you're making up new shit. Even if you explain it away and make it more symbolic, the fact you're writing a new story means you really should not have the blood thing at all.

As for changing up her religion, I do quite like it! I myself wasn't sure if I should use the Atua or the Kupua as a replacement, and it's something I'm still on the dense about since I am making it blatant that she is Native Hawaiian. I was personally advised by Celest to keep it as the Atua for recognizability's sake, and it'll allow me to throw in some fun facts about actual Atua, but I still can't find anyone who will tell me if Atua and Kupua are interchangeable.

I suggest you do as MUCH research as you can about the culture of your choosing. Like for example: Native Hawaiians sometimes have names that mean disgusting or horrible things, not because their parents cursed them though--in fact it's the opposite. Ugly names are sometimes given to a child to protect them from evil spirits and bad omens if they get sick or hurt in some way. I HV that Angie actually has an ugly name that the Atua call her on her head, one that her mama gave her, and Angie is sort of a white Christian name that was probably forced onto her ngl.

Anyway.

Do research on bad tropes for Pacific Islanders, and especially more research on the "Native Savage" tropes and anything cult related to it. Do research on Hawaiian and native Hawaiian cultures and be respectful about them.

I hope this helps (and sorry if I sound abrasive or curt) xndjxjsjnxaj

[holdyuhmuda]

Thoughts on Hawaii Five 0 Part 2

I could never forget the other amazing half of 5-0. My cousin duo Chin and Kono.

Chin is cool. He brings a very calm and levelheadedness to the structure of Five 0. I enjoy it because Steve is just out there with his harebrained schemes, Kono seems to be following in his footsteps 😂 and Danny is loud (jovial) and can have a temper so the juxtaposition of Chin being this experienced pragmatic officer alongside them is good. A loyal man through and through. Family is important is a running theme thus far in the show and you see it. The ends he was willing to go through to protect his Uncle even breaking up with his fiancé to protect her. ❤️🥹 He lost so much after being accused by IA and he needs a hug as well. He's so easy on the eyes too ah.

I like the backstory of him having worked with John McGarrett so the scenes where he mentions how much John loved Steve or did this with them are nice. It's a way for Steve to feel connected to his Dad especially considered the estranged nature of their relationship before his murder and for Steve and Chin to be close. I wish we got more of the team switching partners cause you get a lot of Steve and Danny, Chin and Kono but I'd like to see more of Chin and Danny or Steve as well as Kono with the other two. His scene with Danny at the bar during the episode about Meka was wonderful and you really saw how much it hurt that no one believed him and how lonely he must've felt. 5-0 really was a second chance for him to find a home so I could never believe he'd turn on them like the finale is implying.

Kono my GIRLLLLLL!! The only woman is such a male dominated show. They did well with writing her. Sometimes these shows struggle in writing women cops. They're either very soft and often used as honey bait in every case or their entire characterization is about being tough and proving sexists wrong. She's not a love interest to any of the guys (Thank u) Love that. She's a rookie so I love when the others take the time and ask her questions like a sort of training. She's a pretty girl without being sexualized and surfing is an interesting element to her story. She's funny and cool. Total badass with her fight scenes or dealing with criminals. She always has Chin back. 🥹 He must've appreciated you so much. You can't help but want to be her or her friend.

I hate that y'all are backseat to the two main white characters. Don't get me wrong I LOVE Danny and Steve but Kono and Chin are main characters too and I don't see them enough. I never watched the original show so pls don't tell me about Steve being the main protagonist and blah blah. it feels wrong especially when you consider Chin and Kono being Native Hawaiians. Don't even get me started on the lack of representation in reoccurring characters in the show. We're in Hawaii yet everyone is white except our police officers and ofc the CRIMINALS. We have Kamekona who is cool but he also seems to be an offensive caricature. Not sure if I'm overthinking this one but the fat jokes are too numerous. Sidebar but how is Kamekona an informant for them but hasn't been caught. You telling me no has noticed Kamekona asking for info then suddenly someone is getting busted by Five 0. This premiered in 2010 so yes I have to give it leeway and my friend told me that they get better in the later seasons. Also why are Kono and Chin played by Asian actors. Again I don't have a problem with who they're played because Daniel Dae Kim is just FINEEEEE on my scream and he does well conveying the levelheadedness of Chin while being snarky at times. Kono is bad ass. There's no words to describe her. Insanely cool. My beef is with casting because you telling me you couldn't find 2 Native Hawaiians hell even some other Pacific Islander to play them.

[valkyries-things]

DR. HAUNANI-KAY TRASK // SCHOLAR

“She was a feminist scholar and poet who spent her life advocating for sovereignty for Hawaii’s indigenous peoples. She was a supporter of the Black Panther Party, and was active in the anti-Vietnam war struggle. She earned her doctorate in political science in 1981. She was a founding member of Ka Lahui Hawai’i, an organisation that champions Hawaiian self-determination. In 1993, she led 15,000 Native Hawaiians in a march to reclaim Indigenous lands held by the the US government. She was also a tenured professor at the University of Hawai’i. She is credited with co-founding the contemporary field of Hawaiian studies, and went on to become the founding director of Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies at UH Mānoa. Her legacy continues to live on in the fight for Indigenous self-determination.”