Vacation or Gentrification?

For those who come from immigrant families to people who have grown up with summertime visits to the archipelago, Hawaii is widely regarded as a second home to many. Hawaii is most well-known as a popular tropical getaway to flock to over the summer, with $2 billion spent by visitors in June 2023, a 22.9% increase in spending from June 2019 (Maui Now). Due to recent developments, vacationing in Hawaii now holds more weight. As the new school year approached in August, so did the news of the Maui wildfires. For many native Hawaiians, what was reported at the beginning of August is the farthest from a freak accident. 

Throughout the month, news outlets relayed the cause and effect of the wildfires. The dubbed “Lahaina disaster” supposedly started when snapped power lines made contact with dry grass, damaging a significant amount of infrastructure and cultural grounds in western Maui (Hawaii News Now). The history behind the sporadic and seemingly unnatural dryness of Maui can be traced back to the destructive actions of the U.S. military during World War II. According to Physiology and Anatomy teacher Kurt Barcenilla, who is of native Hawaiian descent, the former American military bombing site and uninhabited island, Kaho’olawe, is one of the places where the U.S. military had altered and ultimately damaged the natural ecosystem.

“Kaho’olawe [then] was just like every other island,” Barcenilla said. “[It was] natural, tropical [and] had [many] trees, [enabling it] to hold on to humidity. [This water would] then be released, flow over to the west side of Maui and keep it wet; now, Kaho’olawe is just a dead island. Those who live on Western Maui lost all humidity and rain on that side [of the island].” 

The series of Lahaina wildfires cost dozens of lives, including those of Hawaiian descent, widely agreed to be the most disadvantaged demographic in their own occupied nation (Hawaii Public Radio). Anuhea, a native Hawaiian Instagram user running the account @anuheanihipalii, posted informative graphics meant to spread the word of the Maui fires and “colonization issue” behind the disaster. In their post shared on Aug. 10, Anuhea calls out two phenomena linked to the Maui fires: overtourism and the ongoing climate crisis harming native habitats. 

Hawaii’s struggle against the effects of drought and homelessness can be understood through the concept of climate gentrification, or when housing becomes difficult for locals to afford after a natural disaster (Associated Press). The most recent Maui housing crisis occurred after the spread of the fires, which left many newly displaced families vulnerable to land offers by outsiders seeking to own property on the island. Lahaina has already been subjected to unsolicited land offers that have been investigated by Gov. Josh Green and his administration – this state of instability to lose property and a safe place to live is not new to native Hawaiians since their first interactions with Westerners in the nineteenth century (Public Broadcasting Service). As observed by senior Mischa Coogan, whose family has visited Lahaina for years, Lahaina residents and those on neighboring islands have been quick to rebuild and ensure the safety of their own community as well as non-locals.

“Everyone helped by donating, and a lot of people around the U.S. flew over there just to help with cleanup,” Coogan said. “[This was to] make sure everyone had their essentials that they needed to survive since they did not have a home. Good Samaritans and [U.S.] organizations all contributed [to ensure everyone’s safety].”

Lahaina families have been subject to displacement and loss of income (University of Hawaii). This present issue reflects on the history of Hawaii’s tourism industry and its aftereffects. Some argue that overtourism has been a lasting issue in Hawaii because travel agencies have paid little attention to native Hawaiian welfare since the 1960s (Economic History Association). Overtourism can be defined as when too many people visit a place so much that it leaves a negative impact on the environment and communities grounded in it. In the past few years, water shortages in the natural environment and local neighborhoods have been caused by high water usage in hotel, restaurant and recreational services (Boston University International Relations Review). Mainland corporations have diverted essential sources of water that made up Maui’s tropical green landscape, fishponds and agriculture, to golf courses and resorts unregulated by native Maui residents, resulting in a staggering power imbalance.

The issue of overcrowding, or when there are more residents in a given area than recommended, and unaffordable housing market caused by state and county policies has also pushed lower-income native Hawaiians out of their homes (Honolulu Civil Beat).  The repercussions of tourism and overcrowding on native Hawaiian residents are issues that senior Maile Mirikitani, who spent her early years in Hawaii and is a seasoned hula dancer of Filipino-Japanese descent, views as a recurring cycle.

“Lahaina [residents did not] want people to come because it [came across as] treating it like a spectacle, or ignoring [the damage caused by the wildfires] with people casually swimming in the waters that people died in,” Mirikitani said. “However, [as a result], those living in other parts of Maui suffered due to the [heavy] reliance on tourism in the Hawaiian economy overall. It is a classic Hawaiian issue. Native Hawaiians [do not prefer] tourists and do not want them [vacationing in Hawaii]. At the same time, tourism is the main backing of the Hawaiian economy and when taken away would cause [residents] to suffer.”

Lahaina, home to a proud coastal community, holder of sacred land and water as well as the ancient capital of the Hawaiian kingdom, will take years to rebuild infrastructure and clear out toxic waste produced by the wildfires. Despite challenges, the ready amount of community support and the push for justice from the wounds of colonial greed proves to be overflowing (The Nation). The steps taken to restore and cultivate spaces of healing and immediate care to the Lahaina community include relief programs and mutual aid facilitated by groups such as the Hawaii People’s Fund, Maui Food Bank and Hawaii Community Foundation. To keep up to date on further coverage and commentary on the Maui wildfires and the propagated unrest from native Hawaiians, it is best to source from reliable news outlets published and led by native Maui residents themselves.