Long before it became a tourist mecca, Waikîkî ("Place of Spouting Waters") was a watery expanse fed by mountain streams, underground springs, and ocean waves. Its waters irrigated taro plantations, which in turn fed man-made ponds rich in fish and seaweed. Waikîkî nourished the spirits of Native Hawaiians as well as their bodies. The area was considered sacred; several heiau (temples) were built and many came for spiritual healing. Early Asian immigrants to Hawai‘i continued to raise fish in Waikîkî, as well as duck, and cultivated acres of rice paddies. Only in the last century would Waikîkî’s waters be drained, purportedly to combat disease carried by mosquitoes, initiating a relentless reclamation of land for defense and building by military officials, government leaders, and businessmen. Waikîkî’s environment was ravaged, and many of its people were displaced to make way for military installations and hotels.
The story of Waikîkî’s conversion from a vital self-sufficient community to a tourist dystopia is one of colonial oppression and unchecked capitalist development, both of which have fundamentally transformed all of Hawai‘i. Colonialism and capitalism have not only changed the look and function of the landscape, but also how Native Hawaiians, immigrants, settlers, and visitors interact with one another and with the islands’ natural resources. The book’s creators counter this narrative of displacement and destruction with stories—less known or forgotten—of resistance and protest. Throughout they provide important interpretive frameworks often ignored in the examination of Hawai‘i’s popular and visual culture to give readers a better understanding of the decisions of Hawai‘i’s leaders and politicians and the business practices of hotel entrepreneurs and beachboys—as well as recent communal efforts to revive a wetland habitat in Waikîkî.
Waikîkî: A History of Forgetting and Remembering critically examines the diverse ways Waikîkî has been remembered in official history and collective memory. It will alter the way we view this famous site by challenging its portrayal exclusively as a tourist destination. This fine-grained history of Waikîkî’s environment and culture will appeal to a wide range of readers.
