Week 8: What do you know about the Pacific Islands?
Well, I grew up in the U.S. and went to school here so NOT MUCH. Not because I didn’t think it was important. Not because I didn’t care or forgot about it. But this is where these “things” are bigger than me. Bear with me: because of my upbringing and education, because of United States exceptionalism and white hegemony, I know very little about Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia. Because of all that, I never had to think about the people who live there, the history they have endured, how the people and the land have been mistreated, and what the future holds. I never had to think about that, I never had to consider the land and lives of all the people who are from there. That alone shows my privilege of being born in the United States and for years being able to blissfully live in the ignorance of this “great” country. Ever since I started learning about feminism starting at age 19 and then enrolling in Highline College at age 21, I’ve been unlearning toxic beliefs I’ve been socialized to believe without question and I’ve learned about the axes of oppression and power dynamics. I’m aware of my privilege to an extent, I’m aware of the comfort my privilege has allowed me, the access, and the safety. But it’s so uncomfortable because I know a lot of people don’t have the privileges I do and how could I enjoy certain parts of my life knowing that other people are suffering because they are marginalized by the system of oppression I benefit from. I think it’s not a stretch or an extreme to say the Pacific Islands are not important to me and I do not care because U.S. culture, society, and education have told me the Pacific Islands are not important and unworthy to care about.
It’s a lot to take in. But back to the presentation this past Tuesday. I greatly appreciated the hard work it took and the four students who took the time and dedication to present to us. There are so many layers and complexities we had no idea existed. I didn’t know about like 95% of the content they presented but I was able to relate on the level of I also fall under the APIA umbrella and can relate to many cultural struggles.
Because of the lack of education/awareness on the Pacific Islands, we are guilty of bunching all the islands together. Considering the more “well known” islands like Hawaii and Samoa (but not distinguishing between American and Western Samoa) and at the same time not considering the smaller, “lesser known” islands. The thing is, we are not going to receive this kind of content anywhere, we are not going to be presented with this information anywhere else. And if we do, here’s me hoping the presenters are compensated greatly for their work. For me personally, there’s a reason why most of the papers I’ve written and the things I’ve talked about have had to do with systems of oppression – because that is something I know and understand (to an extent because the learning never stops) and I don’t often allow myself to focus on the good that’s happening at the same time.
Like I said, it’s a lot to take in. But now, I’ll focus a bit on the pop culture side. It was pretty cool, on the slides of PI’s in the media, seeing The Rock, Roman Reigns, and Tamina. Like everyone knows The Rock (tbh, was never my favorite wrestler because I liked the bad guys) but what’s lesser known is how he comes from a long line of wrestlers (which we can analyze and it relate it to how PI individuals, especially men, are pushed toward military and sports) who have met varying degrees of success in the world of professional wrestling. Other wrestlers I’m aware of are The Usos and Nia Jax. I grew up watching wrestling, I barely follow it now, and it will always have a place in my life. Lately, I’ve been disengaged with it because of its displays of overt toxic masculinity, the way women are represented, the glass ceiling for wrestlers of color, the way the McMahons donated millions to the Trump campaign, it’s very thin dedication to social justice, and its history of racism and sexism. Oh what a mouthful.
Anyways, the lessons of this presentation will stay with me. Not just as a reminder of the privilege I hold but I got to incorporate it into learning I do everyday. Look up PI activists and writers, do what I can to become more aware about the issues and of the people.