Hawaii Recalls: Selling Romance to America: Nostalgic Images of the Hawaiian Islands, 1910-1950

This week, the Disney Corporation announced their complete plans for a "Hawaii-themed" park named Aulani in... Hawaii. Their promotional website notes "In a nutshell, how would you describe the Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawai`i? A premier oceanfront resort on the island of O`ahu, Hawai`i, the Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina is a place for families to gather, reconnect and immerse themselves in the stories of Hawai`i." Think about this. You go to Disneyland not to "reconnect and immerse" yourself in Anaheim, or Orlando, or Paris, or Tokyo. You want the fantasy of Disneyland. So to go to Hawaii, then to go to the Aulani, "A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawai`i," means they plan to give you something you supposedly can't get outside the resort. And that thing is the fantasy, not the reality, of Hawaii. Where does that fantasy come from? From the relentless marketing of the "Hawaiian" brand. And in Hawaii Recalls: Nostalgic Images of the Hawaiian Islands, 1910-1950, you get a visual tour of the development of this branding, along with the insights of author DeSoto Brown. "...it was probably something of a shock for some people to arrive in Hawaii and find an American community complete with cars and telephones and plumbing, when they expected to see grass skirts and grass shacks. They expected these things, of course, because of the advertising they had seen that featured a 'Hawaiian' way of life that never really existed. Unfortunately, the 'Hawaiian' activities that so many tourists have been seeing for decades now are, in many cases, sadly lacking in the original meanings that made them living traditions. The loss of the need to maintain certain practices of native life - such as fishing and canoeing - has turned these things into mere entertainment; little more than empty actions, put on for show. Such a condition is hardly unique to Hawaii; it's true all over the world now. Yet, ironically, the tourism that, on the one hand, has served to undermine true Hawaiian traditions has also assisted in preserving them as part of Hawaii's distinctiveness. Bt wanting to see the hula performed or to go surfing, tourists have awakened Hawaiian to the need to preserve these remnants of their culture before they are lost forever" (p. 47). "In the mid-20th century, Hawaii's economy underwent a fundamental change from one based upon agriculture to one relying on tourism. Not only did this change mean a great growth in service industries which took care of the needs of vacationers, but it also meant a change in the lives of Hawaii's workforce. Generally speaking, the sons and daughters of sugar and pineapple plantation workers grew up to be employed by hotels and tour companies" (p. 85). "Ah, that world-famous locale, 'the beach at Waikiki.' That, of course, is where movie stars vacationed on the golden sands and those sweet brown maidens danced the hula all day long and beachboys cavorted in the surf amon

Like taking a trip back in time to the Hawaii we all wish remained. A vacation without the jetlag. Fantastic resource for graphic designers, artists and a wonderful gift for anyone who loves Hawaii. Full color photos throughout are fantastic.