HONOLULU

Abstract

In the grand narrative of Honolulu as the
 gateway to the Land of Aloha, Honolulu
 metaphorically negotiates a position that
 mediates the contrasts between a typical
 socio-economic, urban reality and touristic
 myths of pastoral excoticism. Drawing on
 the critical works of postcolonial scholar
 Edward Said in conjunction with theories
 on semiotics and tourism, the article posits
 that two main factors contribute to reinforce
 and repeat the (neo)-colonial paradigm’s
 persistence in the grand narrative
 on Hawaii – namely aloha and nostalgia.
 Aloha functions conceptually as a unifying,
 pacifying force amongst the local
 population, while it defines the tourist
 gaze on Hawaii as a welcoming and politically
 uncomplicated holiday destination.
 Nostalgia, on the other hand, is the
 ideological interpretation of the past based
 on utopian desires in the present. Conjoined,
 aloha and nostalgia favor the
 tourist gaze and continue the hegemonic
 processes that colonize the minds of
 tourists and locals alike.