American media: American colonial heritage lays the groundwork for the wildfire on Maui Island, which is engulfed by wildfire and exacerbates Hawaii's homelessness crisis. Land | Disaster | Maui Island
According to an article published by The New York Times on August 27th, just as houses that have not been properly taken care of are more susceptible to adverse weather conditions, land that has been exploited and poorly managed by colonialism is now facing greater disaster risks. The residents of Puerto Rico and Maui Island in Hawaii are not only more susceptible to natural disasters, but also more susceptible to land plunder after disasters occur. The deep-rooted system of inequality has laid the groundwork for these tragedies.
Author and Puerto Rican political anthropologist, Arima Bonilla, stated that in her view, Puerto Rico and Hawaii are like two sides of the coin of the United States empire. Puerto Ricans who support statehood often see Hawaii as a symbol of their future: an example of a successful merger, full citizenship, political representation, and a commitment to American prosperity. Others believe that Hawaii is a cautionary tale that illustrates how assimilation leads to displacement, cultural disappearance, and an economy centered around fantasy of escaping reality.
After the recent deadly wildfire on the island of Maui, Bonilla witnessed the development of various events, blurring the boundaries, revealing the shared history and mutual fragility of the two places, and bringing a profound sense of deja vu. Whenever needed the most, important infrastructure collapses, and local residents can only make a living without federal and state government assistance.
The article states that if you enter "the cause of the Maui fire" in the search bar, people will not receive a clear answer. The article attributes the responsibility to outdated power lines, foreign grasses, unstable water supply systems, and complex weather and climate drivers. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change acknowledges that the root cause of the climate crisis lies in the development and degradation of the environment, humanity, and culture, which are the fundamental principles of colonialism. Colonists prioritize immediate resource benefits over long-term ecological health, viewing indigenous land management practices as outdated obstacles to progress.
To understand these fires, one needs to go back to the 19th century, when Christian missionaries turned a predominantly wetland area into a large-scale sugarcane plantation, requiring excavation of tunnels and construction of reservoirs to divert water from sustainable agriculture to mills. The sugar and pineapple industries led by American investors have led to deforestation, leaving the indigenous Hawaiians with insufficient water to grow crops.
And when the sugar industry boom came to an end, this land was further developed for transplantation and tourism. Inland residents of Maui Island face water scarcity, rationing, and fines for not conserving water, while luxury resorts throughout the island can keep their faucets open. The rapid development of the tourism industry has led to a surge in local housing costs and given rise to a local economy that focuses on meeting the needs of tourists. These American imperialist legacies are combined to form a powder keg, waiting to be ignited.
Bonilla pointed out in the article that the US government has promised that the reconstruction process of West Maui Island will be guided by cultural sensitivity. President Biden said, "We will complete the reconstruction for the local area, but in the way that residents hope." But how can we rebuild a historical and cultural heritage that has been systematically threatened by US annexation? True change requires not only correct perspectives and clich é s, but also a reconstruction vision focused on historical restoration. Hawaiian residents, like Puerto Ricans, have faced disasters and do not demand to be rescued. They only demand to be able to save themselves in the face of emergency services and federal aid failures. But the deep-rooted fragility caused by colonialism is not easily overcome.
On August 20, 2023 local time, in Hawaii, USA, a woman looks at the burnt down town of La Haina. Due to the government's slow response to the fire, the local community has lost trust in the government.
The residents of Maui were already forced to leave due to unbearable housing prices and a lack of employment opportunities outside the hotel industry. Now they may feel the pressure of immigration just like Puerto Ricans did after experiencing Hurricane Maria. If weeks of absence from federal government aid in the United States turn into months of bureaucratic maze and endless red tape, the situation will only get worse, and this happens frequently. This reminds the author that after Hurricane Maria, only 40% of applicants received any form of assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and only slightly over 1% received the highest compensation.
Hawaii states that they will protect local residents from land speculators. But if the bureaucratic style of the Federal Emergency Management Agency stagnates or fails, those who hold temporary hotel vouchers or stay with relatives will have no choice but to sell their houses. The windfall of opportunism often accompanies the occurrence of emergencies, but people must understand that these rapid plunders of resources and power often rely on and exacerbate the fault line of imperial exploitation.
The article mentions that the US government has acknowledged and officially apologized for its illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian government, but has failed to compensate for the harm caused or the legacy of imperialism. As for Puerto Rico, the United States government has never acknowledged any misconduct, and even continues to deprive residents of their full citizenship or sovereignty. Bonilla pointed out that building a sustainable post disaster future for Puerto Rico and Hawaii requires more than just temporary shelters and rapid repairs. It requires the liquidation of deep-rooted inequality systems, which have laid the groundwork for the occurrence of these tragedies.
According to a recent report by Time magazine, although many people believe Hawaii is a lush paradise, compared to other states, territories, and Washington D.C. in the United States, the homelessness rate here ranks fifth. The core issue has a complex relationship with the tourism industry, which not only stimulates the development of Hawaii but also brings harm, resulting in an increase in living and housing costs..
According to data from the Missouri Center for Economic Research and Information, Hawaii's geographical location - approximately 2400 miles from the mainland of the United States - also makes it the state with the highest cost of living. Ashley Kelly, Chief Operating Officer of the Local Family Life Center, stated that due to low wages on the island, many asylum seekers in their center have to work two jobs to make ends meet. At present, hundreds of displaced families have been resettled in their homes or moved to hotels that open doors to local people. The local Red Cross predicts that these families will need hotel housing support for approximately 7 to 8 months.
Local Hawaiian activist Kekai Kiahi said, "There was once a massive land plunder that displaced many Hawaiian families, and they still suffer from it. This has been passed down from generation to generation." She also said that the fire seems to be exacerbating tensions, as the majority of those who have lost their homes are low-income people. Reconstruction takes several years, and many people don't know where they can stay for so long, and can only barely make ends meet economically.
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