Hawai’i is most likely one of the largest meccas of ethnic humor in the world, mostly due to the shared past of so many ethnic groups in the late 1800’s to early 1900’s. Racial slurs are also probably most common place here, without any malicious meaning, all except the word haole.
In the section of The Tattoo by Chis McKinney Looking At Musashi, the underground world of Honolulu is revealed to readers. But more that than, it becomes apparent the views that locals (Ken) have toward mainlanders -- especially service men -- more so than in other chapters. With the introduction of the character Mama-san, the bitter feelings between locals and mainlanders becomes shockingly apparent with the revelation of her past: violated, raped, and impregnated by western military men when she was in her motherland of Korea. It is shown that Mama-san’s socialization processes greatly influenced her trade in life -- that she owned the largest chain of strip bars and ‘massage’ parlors in the islands (and inter-island famous at that). She was immersed in the environment of the male’s primal urges and, whether she cared or not, perpetuated it. Whether or not is was out of defiance in making these girls do what they did or out of bitterness for the life she led, it was made clear she did what she did for the money above all else. Her daughter Claudia attested to that name meant everything to her mother: brand name, school name, title occupation name, the list went on. Status was what Mama-san cared about, she wanted power and to overcome the power differential she saw in her past.
When Claudia speaks to Ken about moving to the mainland, his first thoughts and words are spoken in fear of the ethnic stratification he believes exists on the mainland. Claudia dismisses it saying it’s from all the books he’s read of people of black skin berating on the white man, but Ken is obstinate of what he believes. Here, to locals, haoles are the scapegoat. Here, Caucasians are the minority, and are often the first to be blamed as those ‘dumb haoles’. We all have different self justifications such as they come here on vacation and take up our beaches, or they stole our Hawaii Nei and overthrew our Queen, or even because they’re tacky with their silly tourist trap aloha shirts and ABC store plastic leis. Regardless of our individual justifications, generally, most locals blame everything on haoles.
This part of the story, while not a beautiful part by any stretch, caught my interest for the sheer fact that it spoke upon paths in life. Ken went through the dilemma of whether he would end up just like his father and Claudia to defy her mother even though her mother still meant more than anything to her. It was something that stuck me as really an uncommon theme in modern day literature and cinema (the bond of family). While she still broke her bonds with her mother, it was very apparent it was a painful and heart wrenching process for her. It’s something I think that many locals go through: this idea of being the individual as American philosophies dictate, but also preserving that family bond that is prevalent in Asian and local culture.
In the section of The Tattoo by Chis McKinney Looking At Musashi, the underground world of Honolulu is revealed to readers. But more that than, it becomes apparent the views that locals (Ken) have toward mainlanders -- especially service men -- more so than in other chapters. With the introduction of the character Mama-san, the bitter feelings between locals and mainlanders becomes shockingly apparent with the revelation of her past: violated, raped, and impregnated by western military men when she was in her motherland of Korea. It is shown that Mama-san’s socialization processes greatly influenced her trade in life -- that she owned the largest chain of strip bars and ‘massage’ parlors in the islands (and inter-island famous at that). She was immersed in the environment of the male’s primal urges and, whether she cared or not, perpetuated it. Whether or not is was out of defiance in making these girls do what they did or out of bitterness for the life she led, it was made clear she did what she did for the money above all else. Her daughter Claudia attested to that name meant everything to her mother: brand name, school name, title occupation name, the list went on. Status was what Mama-san cared about, she wanted power and to overcome the power differential she saw in her past.
When Claudia speaks to Ken about moving to the mainland, his first thoughts and words are spoken in fear of the ethnic stratification he believes exists on the mainland. Claudia dismisses it saying it’s from all the books he’s read of people of black skin berating on the white man, but Ken is obstinate of what he believes. Here, to locals, haoles are the scapegoat. Here, Caucasians are the minority, and are often the first to be blamed as those ‘dumb haoles’. We all have different self justifications such as they come here on vacation and take up our beaches, or they stole our Hawaii Nei and overthrew our Queen, or even because they’re tacky with their silly tourist trap aloha shirts and ABC store plastic leis. Regardless of our individual justifications, generally, most locals blame everything on haoles.
This part of the story, while not a beautiful part by any stretch, caught my interest for the sheer fact that it spoke upon paths in life. Ken went through the dilemma of whether he would end up just like his father and Claudia to defy her mother even though her mother still meant more than anything to her. It was something that stuck me as really an uncommon theme in modern day literature and cinema (the bond of family). While she still broke her bonds with her mother, it was very apparent it was a painful and heart wrenching process for her. It’s something I think that many locals go through: this idea of being the individual as American philosophies dictate, but also preserving that family bond that is prevalent in Asian and local culture.
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