As I was browsing the web for more information on the Marshall Islands and the link to nuclear testing and colonial power one of the first sites that arose after I simply typed "Marshall Islands" into my search engine was www.visitmarshallislands.com. The site featured beautiful oceans, white sandy beaches, and sported the headline "Marshal Islands: Pearl of the Pacific". A slide show of tourists paddle boarding and sailing on seemingly private beaches was joined by an image of native women dancing and laughing in "traditional garments". The site divided into different resorts, activities, tours, and accomodations paints the picture of a tropical paradise. For a moment, I even thought I would look at ticket prices...
If it were not for my participation in this class, I do not know how aware I would be of the violence inflicted upon the Marshallese landscape and people, for the common knowledge of Americans seems to be one of tourism into the landscape of the commodified tropical getaways. The irony of trying to getaway in a land where people were bombed away is chilling and terrifying. The dominant narrative in the United States seems to be one of estranged political influence through the commodification of the landscape of islands as places to travel and experience peaceful and tranquil vacations. The disturbing influence of American money, military, and political power in the Marshal Islands reduces the native culture of such islands to a plane ticket, spa specials, and fishing trips.
A mode of critical analysis is vital in informing more Americans of the deeper implications that our government has had in our tourist culture. Voyaging into other lands as form of vacation without understanding the violence that has created such tourist locations seems to be a branch of colonialism in itself.
No comments:
Post a Comment