Imperialism and Colonization have a very big influence our out lives today. As a kingdom who has been colonized, it has really effected my life, culture and my thinking on the world. It makes me want to change things for the better and make sure that change can be done. I know that I, a sixteen year old girl, cannot solve the worlds problems alone, but iʻd like to be apart of the journey. Imperialism and Colonization has lead the way for many individuals to find their voice, especially me. After educating myself and looking at the world today, I can see all the hurt and injustice. It breaks my heart to see a family with children on the street, or a women being degraded by a man. And I do believe that Imperialism and Colonization are a root to those issues. “How the American Empire Destroyed the Kingdom of Hawaii.” OZY, 11 June 2020, www.ozy.com/true-and-stories/how-the-american-empire-destroyed-the-kingdom-of-hawaii/74697. This changes the way I look at the world because I know the truth. I know how they took over the Hawaiian Kingdom(along with many others) and pretended it was okay. Their defiantly are people who hold grudges and prevent them from wanting to solve the issue, which gets us no where. I know that Imperialism is very serious, but we can either be mad at something that happened hundreds of years ago, or we could come together and figure out a way to make things better. I will never forget where I come from and what happened to our kūpuna and our beloved queen Liliʻuokalani, but I believe there is so much that we as a lāhui(nation) can do to make things right. Katz, Marissa Maile. “A Plea for Sovereignty.” Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, 5 Apr. 2009, www.mtholyoke.edu/%7Ekatz20m/classweb/A%20Plea%20for%20Sovereignty.html.
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The Revolutions that occur from the Industrial age, like the French revolution, has made the path to where we are today. It has allowed people to see that we can stand up when we do not believe in what is happening. In the French revolution, the royals would spend all of the money in disregard to the poverty the people were experiencing. The royals ran out of money and up-ed the tax amount, taking even more money from people who had none to begin with. As a result, the people came together to fight against the royals to be treated fairly. This was a turning moment in history. Ever since then, people have been coming together to stand up for what they believe in and have the courage to say no! This was the start to a lot of other moments in history. Knowing what we know from the French Revolution, it has inspired me, along with many others out in the world. Lately, we have been seeing more protests and people standing up against the things they do not agree with. Such as; BLM, Stop Asian Hate, The Mauna Kea protest, Womenʻs Rights and so many others. Understanding this history as well as our cultural history plays a very big roll in the activism in the community today. As a Hawaiian, I have been taught my culture, language and history. To some, Mauna Kea might just be a mountain with a snow cap on the top. But to me and many other Hawaiians, it is so much more. It is a sacred place where we can connect to the akua(Godʻs) and is supposed to be untouched for that very reason. The thought of more telescopes being built there, at the resting place of the godʻs, is sad and disrespectful. That is the reason for the protest. By knowing the history and the meaning, it is easier to speak up and educate people who do not know. That is the solution. To educate the uneducated. Peaceful protests allows more to listen which makes for more people wanting to learn and join in the protest. Once the people can all come together with aloha(love) in their hearts, everything is possible.
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Tyli Waialeale BattadAloha! My name is Tyli, I am a student at Kamehameha Schools and I am from Lihuʻe, Hawaiʻi. ArchivesCategories |