Disney's relatively new cinematic creation Moana is making waves around the world. It's an animated film telling the story of an island girl who, against her parents' wishes, risks her life to go on a voyage across the ocean for the betterment of her community. Many people have been wondering: Is this movie really representative of Hawaii and Polynesian culture? I, someone who does not have a drop of Polynesian blood in my DNA but has been born and raised in Hawaii, think that Moana's doing great things for the representation of our islands in today's media.
In this movie, I've seen pieces of island culture, bits of legends or stories I've heard growing up, some Hawaiian history, and most importantly Auli'i a girl who I can relate to playing the lead role. Admittedly, Moana is not the best representation of Hawaii. It definitely has its flaws (i.e. a demigod singing broadway showtune-like music). However, it is representation at the least. Little progress is still progress, and I'm confident that this'll improve.
I'm all for this move and its characters because brown skinned and Polynesian children now have someone famous to look up to. How the animations look, act, and sound is a step towards normalizing local ways and local accents around the world. It's one of the worst things for a Hawaii kid to have their lifestyle called out as being "exotic" when they go to the mainland.
There are so many little things that I absolutely adore about Moana - some that probably only those who've grown up in Hawaii would notice. At one point near the end, the characters participate in the exchange of Ha, the breath of Hawaii, as they touch their foreheads to each others'. The traditional storyline, determination, and intelligence of the canoe voyagers in the movie relates to what I've seen watching updates on the journey of the Hokulea. How Moana treats her Grandma reflects the importance in Hawaii on respecting the guidance of Kupuna (elder / ancestors). Disney didn't do such a terrible job in getting the feel of Hawaiian culture.
The key lesson I drew from this movie, that is so vital to remember as a youth in Hawaii is this: knowing where you come from and finding strength in your identity and history. Going off of that, the theme song "How Far I'll Go" that talks about venturing out there past comfort zones to prove yourself is a song that is so relevant to Hawaii college kids like me. The fact that many recent high school graduates and the Keiki (children) of the islands can self-identify with Moana and feel empowered by that is so beautiful. Ten out of ten recommend.
