50th Anniversary of Hawaiian Statehood this year! - General Tiki

B bigbrotiki Tiki Socialite Tiki Island, above the Silverlake Joined: Mar 25, 2002 Posts: 11621	B bigbrotiki Posted posted on Fri, Jan 23, 2009 4:16 PM Since we have our first " Hawaiian" president now (sort of), I want to make this an open thread for this momentous event. I realize that statehood is not met with the same naive idealism today than it was 50 years ago, and that for native Hawaiians it is a sensitive issue. I quote: "Keiki/Kupuna The golden anniversary, the golden jubilee, the semi centennial: fifty years marking the span of time observed across generations; embraced as a once-in-a-lifetime occasion, the half century is a moment of both introspection and auspicious celebration. Marking fifty years of Hawaii statehood, 2009 is the first milestone in which a mature understanding of our civic and personal achievements can be presented as U.S. citizens, afforded with the full rights and protections guaranteed under our Constitution. Those who had been there, having participated or witnessed the change from territory to state, can now, with the hindsight of the last half-century, soberly reflect upon the benefits or disadvantages of statehood." (from http://statehoodhawaii.com/index.html ) But for me, as a pop culture historian and mainland Tiki culture researcher, looking back at its impact 50 years ago, I believe the advent of Hawaii becoming a U.S. state was very important to the flourishing of Tiki Style here on the continent. I am constantly reminded by my findings that the heyday of Tiki started in the very late 1950s, and was over by the mid-60s. I now believe that it was no coincidence that the date of statehood, 1959, coincides with the biggest push by mainland developers to build Polynesian apartment buildings, motels and bowling alleys in many cities in the US --a move that for me defines the "maturing" of Tiki style from mere restaurant and bar culture into a viable design genre. I welcome all urban archeologists and Tiki hunters to share their opinion on this theory, and also any news on the state of the statehood's 50th anniversary in general. [ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2009-07-31 12:14 ]

Since we have our first " Hawaiian" president now (sort of), I want to make this an open thread for this momentous event. I realize that statehood is not met with the same naive idealism today than it was 50 years ago, and that for native Hawaiians it is a sensitive issue. I quote:

"Keiki/Kupuna
The golden anniversary, the golden jubilee, the semi centennial: fifty years marking the span of time observed across generations; embraced as a once-in-a-lifetime occasion, the half century is a moment of both introspection and auspicious celebration.
Marking fifty years of Hawaii statehood, 2009 is the first milestone in which a mature understanding of our civic and personal achievements can be presented as U.S. citizens, afforded with the full rights and protections guaranteed under our Constitution. Those who had been there, having participated or witnessed the change from territory to state, can now, with the hindsight of the last half-century, soberly reflect upon the benefits or disadvantages of statehood."
(from http://statehoodhawaii.com/index.html )

But for me, as a pop culture historian and mainland Tiki culture researcher, looking back at its impact 50 years ago, I believe the advent of Hawaii becoming a U.S. state was very important to the flourishing of Tiki Style here on the continent. I am constantly reminded by my findings that the heyday of Tiki started in the very late 1950s, and was over by the mid-60s. I now believe that it was no coincidence that the date of statehood, 1959, coincides with the biggest push by mainland developers to build Polynesian apartment buildings, motels and bowling alleys in many cities in the US --a move that for me defines the "maturing" of Tiki style from mere restaurant and bar culture into a viable design genre.

I welcome all urban archeologists and Tiki hunters to share their opinion on this theory, and also any news on the state of the statehood's 50th anniversary in general.

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2009-07-31 12:14 ]

Post #430287 by bigbrotiki on Fri, Jan 23, 2009 4:16 PM