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Globalization in Hawai'i - Aidan Sharpe
Today, through international trade and the internet, we are more connected than ever before. Interconnectedness over vast distances is not a new idea, however. In pre-colonial Polynesia, the large region in the center of the Pacific ocean containing thousands of islands, exhibited traits of distant yet well-connected peoples. According to the textbook, "Polynesian culture, though spatially fragmented, exhibits a remarkable consistency and uniformity from one island to the next, from one end of this widely dispersed region to the other" (p. 493). The once British colony, now US state of Hawai'i is home to one of these ancient Polynesian cultures. However, even with recent preservation efforts, colonialism threatens the existence of these cultures to this day.
Connectivity has allowed for increased economic growth in Polynesia by allowing it to establish strong relationships with the outside world. While not particularly rich in resources, Hawai'i has an abundance of natural beauty. According to the textbook, Hawai'i has traveled far along the path of bringing in money through tourism (p. 494). Another positive to come out of globalization is cultural preservation efforts. Apps like Duolingo, for example, have made it part of their mission to preserve endangered languages like Hawaiian.
Despite the benefits of globalization, colonialism has done permanent damage to the Polynesian cultures. According to the textbook, "Polynesia has lost much of its ancient cultural consistency, and the region has become a patchwork of new and old—the new often bleak and barren, with the old under ever intensifying pressure" (p. 494). Additionally, Polynesia is geographically situated between two of the worlds most competitive superpowers, China and the United States. If war were to break out, it is likely that Polynesia would get caught in the crossfire.
With rising tensions between the United States and China and with increasing preservation efforts, the fate of Polynesian culture is anyone's guess. Today, the Hawaiian language is considered "Critically Endangered" by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), but the number of speakers has been rising. Looking forward, hopefully US-China relations remain relatively peaceful, and preservation efforts continue.