Kaila Razonable, 23, works as a hostess at a beloved fish restaurant on one other a part of the island, the place vacationers have continued to reach for reservations they made months in the past. She makes higher cash there than she has at different eateries, she mentioned, and it’s a job that pays sufficient for her to reside, as lots of her colleagues reside paycheck to paycheck. And an evening with out suggestions will be painful.
Ms. Razonable, whose mom is Native Hawaiian and who grew up on the islands, mentioned this week had given her second ideas a few long-term profession in hospitality. She enjoys and appreciates her job, she mentioned, however has bristled on the habits of some vacationers whereas so many locals are struggling.
“There’s literally homes being burned to the foundation, that level, and you’re complaining that we can’t get you seated early,” she mentioned. “We prioritize tourism over locals way too much.”
Native Hawaiians, like Indigenous communities across the nation, have deep connections with lands and the pure world. Ms. Razonable mentioned that the fires had been proof that “we’re not listening to the land, we’re not heeding the signs, and this is the result.”
Ms. Razonable mentioned she was hopeful that Hawaii would have the ability to discover a extra sustainable stability between managing tourism and defending native communities. She hopes vacationers will be extra respectful of Hawaiian tradition and be taught to view locals as individuals, not servants.
“There used to be a saying that when you come to Maui, it changes you,” mentioned Ms. Engledow, who lately moved to Oregon after 50 years in Hawaii, partly for a decrease value of dwelling. “Now people come with so much money, they try to change Maui.”
Emily Cochrane and Kyveli Diener contributed reporting.
Source: www.nytimes.com