Customer Reviews

Aloha Betrayed: Native Hawaiian Resistance to American Colonialism (a John Hope Franklin Center Book)

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Dr. Silva's book relies on seldom-used Hawaiian-language newspaper sources to document native Hawaiian resistance to foreign power in the islands. Most histories of Hawaii depend on English-language (and all too often missionary and American) accounts of the people and events in Hawaiian history, which means that they often miss, or ignore, the opposing, and generally native voices. It is as if the Hawaiians simply gave up. But, as "Aloha Betrayed" documents in some detail, this version of history is not true, and is in fact part of an on-going struggle to erase native struggles. At times, the book is one-sided, as if only native Hawaiians resisted imperialism and only foreigners supported it, but this tendency is forgivable because she is reacting to so many books on Hawaiian history that have written native Hawaiians out of Hawaiian history and created a mythical history where missionaries and capitalists take over the islands with great fanfare and little resistance. "Aloha Betrayed" is not the final history of the Hawaiian islands, but it is a well-researched, well-written and much-needed contribution to the field.

This book is a landmark that marks a sea change in the way Hawaiian history is understood. All Hawaiian history books written after this one must include discussion of Dr. Silva's findings. If they don't, they are inadequate, deficient and indeed, biased for omitting this information. This book also marks a change in the language of politics. Knowing that one's own ancestors signed a petition gives great strength to the continuing struggle for sovereignty. This book is essential for anyone living in Hawai'i who wants to begin to understand the depth of the commitment of Hawaiians to restoration of their independence and dignity.

Noenoe K. Silva's contribution to Hawaiian history is an interesting work that is far too one-sided to stand alone. Her thesis--a refutation of the assumption that Hawaiian islanders passively allowed America to destroy native culture--comes across more broadly than early records show. Working from Hawaiian language sources allows her to see details non-Hawaiian reading scholars miss, but her closeness to the subject prevents her from seeing that many Hawaiians actively sought societal change. She is correct that passivity did not dominate the social landscape in the century before annexation, but, unlike her argument, not all active Hawaiian involvement opposed the new ways. Numerous powerful Hawaiian leaders supported the changes brought from Europe and America, but these figures receive only lip service, if that, in this study.

Technically, the book is a mess. Silva uses an enormous amount of Hawaiian quotes and terminology within the text without any visual distinction, arguing that Hawaiian is not a foreign language and should not be treated as such. Unfortunately, most of her readers do not know Hawaiian. Long Hawaiian language quotes pepper the work, each followed by a parenthetical translation. I understand her point, but the lack of italicization of the Hawaiian phrases makes for an exhausting read.

Overall, Aloha Betrayed is an interesting read but fails to present an objective view. Silva's radicalism polarizes her view, forcing a story of evil Americans subjugating an innocent people.