Hawaiʻi’s Food Cultures: Gastronomic Multiculturalism and Avoidance of Colonial Histories

The food of Hawai‘i is often celebrated for its inclusion of a long history of cuisine, from original Polynesian traditions, Asian, Portuguese, and Puerto Rican immigrant cultures, and from the influence of US military foods. However, the presentation of a melting pot narrative often acts as gastronomic multiculturalism, erasing the colonial and exploitative histories that have underpinned migration to the islands. Through an analysis of the agricultural histories presented at the Dole Plantation and Hawaii’s Plantation Village, this paper reveals how food narratives ignore plantations’ negative impact on immigrant laborers, Indigenous agriculture, and the Hawaiian nation. An examination of Disney's Aulani resort displays how a performance of authenticity can also support neoliberal ideologies that work in opposition to Native Hawaiian sovereignty. Finally, a comparison is drawn between the narratives in tourist sites and local news sources and the Hana Hou magazine. While these depictions of Hawai‘i’s cuisine may perpetuate gastronomic multicultural ideals, they center the positive material impact of food. This paper connects food’s histories of violence and imperialism with the social good food cultures can provide today in order to present a more complex depiction of the islands’ food landscape.