China Daily, August 29 (Xinhua) According to an article published in the New York Times on the 27th, just as houses that have not been properly cared for are more susceptible to severe weather, land that was exploited and mismanaged by colonialism now faces greater damage. disaster risk. Residents of Puerto Rico and Maui, Hawaii, are not only more vulnerable to natural disasters but also to land grabs in the aftermath, with entrenched systems of inequality setting the stage for these tragedies.
The author, Yarimar Bonilla, a Puerto Rican political anthropologist, said that in her view, Puerto Rico and Hawaii are like two sides of the American imperial coin. Pro-statehood Puerto Ricans often cite Hawaii as a symbol of their future: an example of successful annexation, full citizenship, political representation and the promise of American prosperity. Others see Hawaii as a cautionary tale of how assimilation can lead to displacement, an economy where culture disappears and escapist fantasy is the center.
In the wake of the recent deadly wildfires in Maui, Bonilla has watched events unfold as these lines blur, revealing a shared history and mutual vulnerability between the two places, and creating a profound sense of déjà vu feel. Vital infrastructure crumbles just when it’s needed most, leaving local residents to fend for themselves without federal and state aid.
The article wrote that if people typed “causes of the Maui fires” into the search bar, people would not get a clear answer. The article places the blame on outdated power lines, exotic grasses, erratic water supplies and complex weather and climate drivers. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recognizes that the climate crisis is rooted in the exploitation and degradation of the environment, people and culture that are the fundamental laws of colonialism. Colonists prioritized immediate resource gains over long-term ecological health, viewing Aboriginal land management practices as outdated barriers to progress.
To understand these fires, one needs to go back to the 19th century, when Christian missionaries transformed an area of mostly wetlands into massive sugar cane plantations, requiring the digging of tunnels and the construction of reservoirs to divert water from sustainable agriculture to mills. The sugar and pineapple industries, dominated by American investors, led to deforestation and left Native Hawaiians with insufficient water to grow crops.
And once the sugar boom ended, the land was further developed for transplantation (plants) and tourism. Inland Maui residents face water shortages, rationing and fines for not saving water, while luxury resorts across the island keep their taps running. The surge in tourism has led to soaring local housing costs and spawned a local economy that primarily caters to tourists. These American imperialist legacies combine to form a powder keg waiting to be ignited.
Bonilla pointed out in the article that the US government promised that the reconstruction process of West Maui will be guided by cultural sensitivity. President Biden said: “We will complete the reconstruction locally, but in the way the residents want.” But How to reconstruct a historical and cultural heritage that is systemically threatened by US annexation? Real change requires more than sound perspectives and clichés, but a reconstructive vision focused on historical restoration. Hawaiians, like Puerto Ricans, have faced disaster and don’t ask to be rescued, only to be able to save themselves in the face of failure of emergency services and federal aid. But the deep-seated vulnerabilities created by colonialism are not so easily overcome.
On August 20, 2023 local time, in Hawaii, USA, a woman watched the burned town of Lahaina. Local communities have lost trust in the government due to the government’s slow response to the fires. (Source: Visual China)
Residents of Maui were already forced to leave because of unaffordable housing prices and a lack of employment opportunities outside the hotel industry. Now they may feel the pinch of immigration the way Puerto Ricans did after Hurricane Maria. It would only get worse if weeks of absence from U.S. federal government aid turned into months of bureaucratic mazes and endless red tape, as often happens. This reminds the author that after Hurricane Maria, only 40% of applicants received any form of FEMA assistance, and just over 1% received the maximum payout.
The state of Hawaii said they would protect local residents from land speculators. But if FEMA’s bureaucracy falters or fails, those with temporary hotel vouchers or sleeping with relatives will have no choice but to sell their homes. Opportunistic profiteering is often accompanied by emergencies, but one must understand that these quick grabs for resources and power often rely on and exacerbate fault lines of imperial exploitation.
The article mentions that the U.S. government has acknowledged and formally apologized for its illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian government, but has failed to make up for the harm done or the legacy of imperialism. As for Puerto Rico, the U.S. government has never admitted wrongdoing and even continues to deny its residents full citizenship or sovereignty. Building a sustainable post-disaster future for Puerto Rico and Hawaii will take more than temporary shelters and quick fixes, Bonilla said. It calls for a reckoning with the deeply entrenched system of inequality that underpins these tragedies.
According to a recent report by the US “Time” magazine, although many people think of Hawaii as a lush paradise, compared with other US states, territories and Washington, DC, the rate of homelessness here ranks fifth. The core issue has a complex relationship with the tourism industry, which stimulates the state of Hawaii but also hurts it, driving up the cost of living and housing. .
Hawaii’s location — about 2,400 miles from the continental U.S. — also makes it the most expensive state to live in, according to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC). Ashley Kelly, chief operating officer of the local Family Life Center, said many asylum seekers at their center had to work two jobs to make ends meet because wages were so low on the island. Hundreds of displaced families have now been resettled into family homes or moved to hotels that have opened their doors to locals. The local Red Cross expects the families will need housing support from the hotel for about seven to eight months.
“There was a huge land grab that displaced many Hawaiian families and we still suffer from it today. It’s been passed down through generations,” said local Hawaiian activist Kekai Keahi. The fire appeared to be designed to heighten tensions, as most of those who lost their homes were low- and moderate-income earners. It will take years to rebuild and many people don’t know where they can live for that long and are barely getting by financially.
(Compilation: Ma Rui Editor: Hu Xiaoshan)
[Responsible editor: Hu Xiaoshan]
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2023-08-29 07:31:00
