Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Haunani Kay Trask


Based on the reading, what are some of Trask's beliefs. What is her definition of "racism"? To what extent do you agree or disagree with Trask’s ideas? Where does she go too far?

18 comments:

  1. Her definition of Racism according to the handout we were given to read was "A historically created system of power in which one racial/ethnic group dominates another racial/ethnic group for the benefit of the dominating group; economic and cultural domination as well as political power are included in this systematic dominance of the exploiting group ..." Trask's ideas are really strong and some of them are a little to harsh for my liking. Unlike her I do not have a strong hate for Americans or whites, so it is kind of hard to relate to or understand. All though through her harshness she does open people’s eyes to how white people have affected Hawaii. I think she went to far when she voices her hatred toward white people and Americans as a whole.

    period: 7

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  2. Trask believes that all white people are part of racism against the Native Hawaiians. She says that racism is about one ethnic group taking over another one both economically, politically, and culturally. While she blames all the racism on white people, she says Native Hawaiians have a "righteous anger" towards them, which she explains is "a defensible response to racism." I agree that the white people have made some mistakes in history that made the Native Hawaiians unhappy. Still, I believe it is not right for her to show so much anger towards all white people. While she explains the white people as racists, Trask herself acts like one as well. Trask goes too far when she shows anger towards all the people like she did towards Mr.Carter.

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  3. Trask's definition of "racism" is, "A historically created system of power in which one racial/ethnic group dominates another racial/ethnic group for the benefit of the dominating group; economic and cultural domination as well as political power are included in this systematic dominance of the exploiting group ... " I agree that the annexation of Hawaii wasn't the most peaceful way of gaining the land, but i feel that her hatred towards the American people and her firm refusal to be called an American is a little extreme. Trask makes some good points and her literary works helps to open the eyes of outsiders as to how the American people have affected Hawaii. And although she is informative, her anger and hatred towards America as a whole, including the American people is a little too harsh in my opinion.
    - Dorienne M. Period 5

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  4. I think that Trask has taken "racism" on haole's a little to far. I disagree with her saying that haole's changed everything hawaiian and took over everything in Hawaii. I am hawaiian but i am also white so i can't agree with anything that Trask really has to say. I think she went to far on calling out Mr Carter because so what if he doesn't like to be called haole, that is no excuse for her to tell him to accept it and go back to louisana because he isn't wanted here. She's from California, she isn't even a true native to Hawaii so i think she has no right to say anything bad towards white people because she is one. I do not agree with anything Trask has to say about White people taking over Hawaii.
    -Tiana Spain

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  5. Trask believes that all haoles are bad and it is stupid to trust a haole, and that it is every haole's fault that Hawaii was annexed. Her definition of racism is "For racism is a system of power in which one racially-identified group dominates and exploits another racially-identified group for the advantage of the dominating group." I do not agree with most of what Trask says in her letter to Mr. Carter because I think she takes things way to far. I agree that the Americans were wrong to annex Hawaii, but she goes too far when she expresses her hatred towards Americans, when she is one herself. She was born in California and isn't a native to Hawaii, yet she refuses to call herself an American. I disagree that all haoles are bad, and I think she takes things to far when she says that it's stupid to trust all haoles, because the Americans now are not the Americans that annexed Hawaii over a hundred years ago, and she has yet to recognize that.
    -Christina Perreira

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  6. Haunani Kay Trask's definition of "racism" is "A historically created system of power in which one racial/ethnic group dominates another racial/ethnic group for the benefit of the dominating group; economic and cultural domination as well as political power are included in this systematic dominance of the exploiting group ... " She believes that there is a big racism problem towards Hawaiians from "haoles". But when you think about it, she is doing what she is talking about towards haoles. She is saying that no white person can ever get along and that their is too much tension between them. I am Hawaiian, but I am also white and I do not think that it is stupid to trust haoles and that Hawaiians are only friends with haoles because they make them an exception. I do not even know what this lady is talking about. She goes way to far when she says those things about haoles. She is being just as racist as she thinks people are towards Hawaiians. Living here I don't really think people are racist towards Hawaiians that much.

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  7. Some of her beliefs were that the Hawaiians and the land that the Hawaiians found are brothers and that both the lands and the Hawaiians came from God therefore they have all the rights to own the land. Another belief that she has is righteous anger. She believes that righteous anger is not racism but it is a reaction to racism. She believes that she is not racist against the people who took over the land that the Hawaiians owned. she believes that she has righteous anger towards these people. Her definition of racism is when a racial group takes over another racial group for their benefit. I agree that the Hawaiians have every right to be angry because their land was taken away. i think that she went too far when she wrote that letter to the student Joey carter. i think she went too far because he was just a student who has his own opinion and she kind of had no right to go of on him. i also think that she went too far when she said she would die before she would become an american. i think she went too far because she was born in america and she does have some american blood in her. I just do not think she should deny who she really is.
    ~ashley Seki~

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  8. Haunani Kay Trask is a sovereignty activists that denies any chance of a harmonic relationship between the Native Hawaiians and people with white ancestry. Trask presents her anti-white opinions publicly and with strong hatred. Some people say that even though she expresses herself on the most extreme level, she holds the same views that nearly all sovereignty activists hold inside of them. According to Trask, the first English immigrants who "discovered" Hawaii in 1778 not only brought their new ways of living and their beliefs, but also diseases that nearly "wiped out" the native Hawaiians living in Hawaii, leaving only five percent of the Native Hawaiian population. Trask's definition of racism are the views that white people hold against the Native Hawaiians. In one of Trask's essays she claims that white people are racist against Native Hawaiians. Also in this essay she clearly states that there can never be "full partnership" between whites and Hawaiians. She also states that at the University of Hawai'i there is severe white racism against people of ethnic Hawaiian ancestry. Trask believes that the University of Hawaii's academic foundation is designed to "allow whites to analyze and criticize natives and native culture." I agree with Trask in the sense that Hawaiians were the first to inhabit the Hawaiian islands and were the first to settle in Hawaii, but I disagree with her strong hatred towards America that is driven by her belief that ALL white people are to blame for what Hawaii has become. I think Trask goes too far when she takes an entire race of people and their country and releases her "righteous" anger on them. Knowing that she was born in California and also has white ancestry, Trask's hatred toward America and white people is extremely hypocritical.

    Courtney Seki- Period 7

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  9. Professor Trask's definition of racism is, "A historically created system of power in which one racial/ethnic group dominates another racial/ethnic group for the benefit of the dominating group; economic and cultural domination as well as political power are included in this systematic dominance of the exploiting group ... " I agree with Trask's ideas on the Native Hawaiian land and how they had the land first before people starting sweeping it away from their feet. Although I agree with this, I disagree with how Trask thinks of white people. She was born in California and has White ancestry, and for her to blame all the White people is not right. Also for her to be calling Joey Carter a haole and how he needs to leave this island is not the "Hawai'i" way of showing love and respect for all. Trask is a hypocrite when it comes down to it, and for the most part I do not agree with much of what she has to say.

    Cassie Castillo- Period 7

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  10. Haunani Kay Trask's definition of "racism" is "A historically created system of power in which one racial/ethnic group dominates another racial/ethnic group for the benefit of the dominating group; economic and cultural domination as well as political power are included in this systematic dominance of the exploiting group ... ". For the most part I agree with Professor Trask because the Americans did take away the Native Hawaiians land and it is something that should be fought for. I think she goes to far when she talks about white people and how she married a man of white race. Its so ironic how she does that. She talks bad about the haole's and then ends up loving one.

    Breanne Flores

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  11. Trask believed the racism was something that she was not doing. Her beliefs on the definition of racism was "A historically created system of power in which one racial/ethnic group dominates another racial/ethnic group for the benefit of the dominating group; economic and cultural domination as well as political power are included in this systematic dominance of the exploiting group ..." I do believe that it was wrong for the "haoles" to take away the native Hawai'ian land but to that extent where she was blaming almost every "haole" out there was wrong. For her to even a student that felt he was verbally abused by this word, was every wrong on her part as a teacher. As the article says that she is "high up" than him, she should be the one to teach the mainland people and the people that grew up her how to take care of the land instead of dwelling on the past.

    Brittney Brown

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  12. Trask's believes that racism is "A historically created system of power in which one racial/ethnic group dominates another racial/ethnic group for the benefit of the dominating group; economic and cultural domination as well as political power are included in this systematic dominance of the exploiting group" I agree that we should keep what is native and traditional in our islands, but I also think that it is wrong to apply this in every situation. She takes it to far when she believes that all haoles are the same, and she also says to not trust any of them. She is by law considered an American but does not agree under any circumstances that she is. She doesn't realize that a lot has change over the years and that people back then are not how they are today.

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  13. Trask's believes that racism is "A historically created system of power in which one racial/ethnic group dominates another racial/ethnic group for the benefit of the dominating group; economic and cultural domination as well as political power are included in this systematic dominance of the exploiting group" I agree that we should keep what is native and traditional in our islands, but I also think that it is wrong to apply this in every situation. She takes it to far when she believes that all haoles are the same, and she also says to not trust any of them. She is by law considered an American but does not agree under any circumstances that she is. She doesn't realize that a lot has change over the years and that people back then are not how they are today.
    -Chaztity Mendigorin Pd. 7

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  14. Haunani Kay Trask's definition of "racism" is "A historically created system of power in which one racial/ethnic group dominates another racial/ethnic group for the benefit of the dominating group; economic and cultural domination as well as political power are included in this systematic dominance of the exploiting group ... ". There are some parts where I agree with what she’s feeling. I do believe that foreigners from the mainland took away the Native Hawaiians land, however for her to say that basically that no “haole” can have a friendship with a Hawiian, is pretty cruel. It’s ironic how she is talking about racism and yet she’s being racist to the white people. No matter how much hate she has towards what happened to the Hawaiians, the past is the past. Three words she should live by is, life goes on. -Jayna Jeremiah

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  15. Some of Trask's beliefs are the vacillates between racial separatism and ethnic nationalism. Her definition of "racism" is a historically created system of power in which one racial/ethnic group dominates another racial/ethnic group for the benefit of the dominating group; economic and cultural domination as well as political power are included in this systematic dominance of the exploiting group ... " In her story, i agree with couple of parts she said because some parts of the story is based on her own opinion and its not for us to judge her own opinion about others. Some parts you may disagree because of the racism you have against others. I think that she goes far in the beginning when it says "her language drips with hatred toward America, and anti-white racism."

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  16. Trask defines racism as "A historically created system of power in which one racial/ethnic group dominates another racial/ethnic group for the benefit of the dominating group; economic and cultural domination as well as political power are included in this systematic dominance of the exploiting group". I don't really have the same beliefs as Trask. I feel that she is quite harsh and blunt on the subject. Racism is not an easy subject to understand and is not only all about Whites against Native Hawaiians, as Trask would believe otherwise. Racism doesn't come to a person other night; it is usually formed based on the persons childhood and the way that person was raised and taught to believe. Trask should not hold a grudge against an entire race only because of what a group of people have done to Hawaiians a while ago. Trask should realize that his actions and beliefs are unnecessary and he should open his eyes to see the bigger picture.
    -Jessica Baginski Period 7

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  17. Track's definition of rasism is "a historically created system of power in which one racial/ethnic group dominates another racial/ethnic group for the benefit of the dominating group; economic and cultural domination as well as political power are included in this systematic dominance of the exploiting group..." and in a way I agree that we should keep our traditions in our islands. At the same time, it isn't to be used all the time. She is also really mean to the haoles to say that they are all the same and cannot be trusted, this is false. This is also situational irony because she talks about racism and how it needs to top but yet she is racist to the haoles.

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  18. Some of Trask's beliefs is that she says "there can never be full partnership between whites and Hawaiians" (3). Also she believes that she is not an American. Her definition of racism is a historically created system of power in which one racial/ethnic group dominates another racial/ethnic group for the benefit of the dominating group; economic and cultural domination as well as political power are included in this systematic dominance of the exploiting group. I am part hawaiian and mostly white so I don't really agree with her being racist to the white people and I think it's disrespectful. I think she went too far when went to attack Joey Carter, while he was "complaining about the perforative use of the word "haole"" (4).

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