Island Girl Mystique
I am a Pacific Islander.
I am also a girl.
In theory, this makes me exotic.
Though anyone who knows me also knows that I am entirely void of exoticism. I may exude hubris, pretension, malice, deviance and depravity– but I certainly do not give off any vibes indicative of my lush-green “native” islands.
So then what’s the deal with this supposed “Island Girl Mystique”?
“We are all familiar with the South Sea maiden. She has thick long hair decorated with a fragrant floral garland, or perhaps a hibiscus behind her ear. She wears a grass skirt on occasion, although more often a hip-hugging floral print pareu. At least in male fantasy and National Geographic, she is likely to be barebreasted,”(Sturma, 2002, p. 1).
The exoticism of Islander women began when Europeans first found themselves trampling through our lovely Oceanic region. Even before they’d encounter the inhabitants of the islands, writers found themselves tantalized by the mere topography:
“When Edwin Pallander approaches Tahiti he describes the island lying ‘before us in her bridal veil of cloud, reef-girdled, her haughty diadem of mountains bathed in the magic of the rising moon — a Queen of the Sea, faint and voluptuous as the breath from her own flower-chalices.’ Robert Louis Stevenson compared his first encounter with a South Sea island to a ‘first love,’ evoking ‘a virginity of sense.’ Island mountains become ‘volcanic breasts’ and coconut palms become ‘great phalluses’,”(Sturma, 2002, p. 6)
Of course, upon meeting the inhabitants of these erotic isles, it’s hardly surprising that writers from this era were enamored. Barebreasted women openly walking about must have been quite a shock to Western men who lived in an era of sexual repression.
“Having spent monotonous months at sea in cramped quarters and often inclement weather, eating bad food, they suddenly found themselves in a verdant landscape of fragrant plants and abundant food. Not only this: after months without female company, they confronted a culture that condoned full body massage, erotic dancing, live sex shows, female wrestling, and extramarital sex. In short, the place was a sailor’s dream,” (Sturma, 2002, p. 15).
The iconic “Island Girl” has long been the Western epitome of exotic sensuality and untamed sexuality. Whether reading the works of Melville, watching old Brando films or simply perusing the travel section of a magazine– “Sweet Leilani” will surely appear and beckon you to her “Bali Hai” paradise.
Or so people seem to think…
In 2002, the National Geographic Society conducted a survey of college students throughout the United States, most of whom only knew of the South Pacific through musicals and tourism advertising– the college students who participated in the study generally perceived the South Pacific as “people, places and things emblematic of Polynesia–in some instances, exclusively, such as the respondent who wrote: ‘Hawaii, roasted pig, grass skirts, Hawaiian shirts.’ For these respondents, such cultural features as ‘tattoos,’ ‘luaus,’ ‘leis,’ ‘bonfire-style feasts,’ and ’surfing’ were emblematic of the entire region,”(White & Adinkrah, 2007).
More commonly recalled were vivid images of “the iconic position of Pacific island women in general and Polynesian womanhood in particular–celebrated through legends, narrative, painting and song in the heyday of European exploration of the region–still emblematic of the sensuality that made Pacific Islanders the epitome of ‘noble savagery.’,”(White & Adinkrah, 2007).
What I found more disturbing than the ubiquitous references to Polynesian curios was the mortifying lack of knowledge regarding Melanesia and Micronesia:
When asked “What is Micronesia?”, only 19 out of 149 respondents were able to provide marginally acceptable answers.
When asked “What is Melanesia?”, only 14 out of 149 respondents were able to provide marginally acceptable answers.
Of the acceptable answers, a majority of them were focused on climate or general region– and only one respondent was able to successfully name nations within the regions.
Though many of us can proudly say that we’ve seen more accurate portrayals of our cultures on documentaries and reality shows (think SURVIVOR), these small steps have not made “a sufficient enough impact to bring the South Pacific into real time for many in the U.S.”(White & Adinkrah, 2007).
I was saddened by the National Geographic Society’s conclusion, not for it’s harsh nature but, because of it’s brutal honesty:
“It is essential to stress, nonetheless, that the South Pacific is an enigma in the U.S., and the North more generally, not only because it fails to receive sufficient coverage in a school curriculum that places insufficient emphasis upon a more inclusive world geography, nor because it fails to figure prominently in what passes for ‘news’ in popular media. Perhaps the reason that the South Pacific is marginalized in geography lessons and does not figure prominently in what passes for news in popular media is because to bring the South Pacific into real time would preclude its fulfillment of the role it has served in the North since the 19th century–purveyor of fantasies and dreams of tropical paradise, so gingerly capitalized upon by tourist industries throughout the South Pacific,” (White & Adinkrah, 2007).
We, as a people, can contribute to the greater global arena in areas outside of tourism and sports. We are more than what even we give ourselves credit for… But until we can stand up and speak out, we will continue to be regarded as little more than somewhat savage, somewhat sexy novelties.
References
Sturma, M. (2002). South Sea Maidens: Western Fantasy and Sexual Politics in the South Pacific. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. Retrieved September 13, 2007, from Questia database: www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=1…
White, C. M., & Adinkrah, M. (2007). “Mythical Realities”: College Students’ Constructions of the South Pacific. College Student Journal, 41(1), 99+. Retrieved September 13, 2007, from Questia database: www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5…
