The Maui wildfires have been some of the deadliest in U.S. history: As of Wednesday, at least 106 people have been confirmed dead, per CNN. That hasn’t stopped some tourists on the island from acting like nothing has happened at all — and their behavior exposes a horrible pattern among some American and European tourists who completely disregard communities of color in the places they visit.
Lahaina, the region in Maui where much of the devastation has occurred, is a sacred cultural place for Native Hawaiians; in the early 19th century, it was the royal residence of King Kamehameha, who unified all the Hawaiian islands. According to some reports, tourists were swimming at nearby beaches just days after the fires tore through Lahaina.
“That says a lot about where their hearts and minds are throughout all of this,” a resident told the BBC. “You don’t see our people swimming, snorkeling, surfing. Nobody is having fun in tragedy.”
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What’s happening in Maui now reflects the historical disregard that many tourists have for “vacation destinations” where people of color live. Places like Maui are just playgrounds to them, as opposed to places where real people live, work and love.
Hawaiians have actually been asking tourists not to come to their islands for a while, citing concerns about overcrowding, environmental degradation and even water supply issues. Despite locals’ pleas, tourism in Hawaii actually increased this year.
While Hawaiians go through one of the most traumatic events in their recent history, some visitors to the island seem to remain untouched, unaware and unbothered. One local councilwoman told of tourists showing up to neighborhoods in affected areas looking to check in for their reservations.
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If you’re a person of color, this behavior is probably not surprising to you at all, since certain Americans seem to live in an impenetrable bubble where they don’t even seem to register the suffering of people who don’t look or live like them. Puerto Ricans have, at some points, also asked mainland Americans not to visit their island, citing rude behavior and infrastructure concerns. Could they use the extra tourism money? Yes. But apparently, some tourists clearly don’t know how to conduct themselves in someone else’s house.
Whether it’s Thai beaches being trashed or tourists swimming in Maui days after deadly wildfires, it’s time to come to terms with the truth of how some Americans treat people of color in other parts of the world. If it wasn’t clear before, I think it should be abundantly clear now: Hawaii was never our playground.
