1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:04,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, A production 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radio. Hello, and Happy Friday, everybody. I'm 3 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:17,600 Speaker 1: Holly Fry and I'm Tracy B. Wilson. Oh. We had 4 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:20,120 Speaker 1: to talk a lot about Hawaii this week. Tracy. Yeah, 5 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 1: I know, I know. It's one of your favorite places 6 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:25,000 Speaker 1: that you love so much. I love it so much. 7 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:28,640 Speaker 1: I can't even describe it. Hawaii change the way I vacation, 8 00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:32,080 Speaker 1: which I have maybe talked about on the show before, 9 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:34,159 Speaker 1: but prior to that, most of our vacations were like 10 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:37,879 Speaker 1: running vacations, where we would be like, let's go and 11 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:40,160 Speaker 1: I'll run a half marathon in this city, and we'll 12 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 1: also explore the city. And then for our our anniversary 13 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:45,839 Speaker 1: one year, we went to Hawaii went we went to 14 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:49,199 Speaker 1: Oahu incid Emily and like we did nothing. It was 15 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:50,880 Speaker 1: the first time I had ever done nothing on a 16 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:53,560 Speaker 1: vacation and I was like, wait, you mean I don't 17 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 1: have to get up at three in the morning and 18 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 1: put on my shoes and warm up and go run 19 00:00:57,080 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: a bunch of This is how we vacation from now on. 20 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 1: It changed my life. The story of Duke Kahanamoku was 21 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: very appealing to me for a number of reasons, obviously, 22 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:09,120 Speaker 1: but one of the ones that I really thought was 23 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:13,440 Speaker 1: important about his story is how clearly it illustrates the 24 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:17,280 Speaker 1: ways that people assume that they know how someone who 25 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 1: is in the public spotlight lives. Right. We presume that 26 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:24,039 Speaker 1: if you are famous, you are also wealthy, in your 27 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:26,120 Speaker 1: life is fairly easy, and people give you things and 28 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 1: take care of you. And this evidence is that that 29 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:32,679 Speaker 1: is often not the case. In the case of Duke Kahanamoku, 30 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:35,399 Speaker 1: there is a racist element to that, right, Like he 31 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 1: went to Hollywood and struck out, whereas Johnny wise Miller 32 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:42,959 Speaker 1: went to Hollywood and made it big. He talked later 33 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 1: in his life about how Jim Thorpe suffered a similar 34 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:50,000 Speaker 1: situation where it was like after the Olympics, he didn't 35 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 1: have a lot of options because the things that he 36 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 1: may have been able to succeed in he was not 37 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:59,800 Speaker 1: allowed access to because he was not white, which is 38 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:04,360 Speaker 1: is really interesting. Um, we also talked you and I 39 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: talked before we started recording about like the whole tangled 40 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 1: mess of assimilation that has always been perceived in very 41 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:17,360 Speaker 1: similar ways to what we've talked about before. Yeah, we 42 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:21,880 Speaker 1: have talked uh in a number of previous episodes about 43 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 1: basically when a colonized people was trying to figure out 44 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:31,600 Speaker 1: how to survive, um, not everybody having the same opinion 45 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:34,679 Speaker 1: on the best way to do that, and having uh, 46 00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 1: you know, one part of a community thinking Okay, maybe 47 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:40,680 Speaker 1: if we assimilate with this to at least some extent, 48 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 1: we will be able to survive, and then other people 49 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 1: within the community thinking that basically the opposite of that, like, 50 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 1: let's retain our culture at all costs. And I always 51 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:51,919 Speaker 1: feel like like I am a white woman talking from 52 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 1: the safety of my house where I live and have 53 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 1: none of these pressures on me, so like I don't 54 00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 1: really feel like I ever uh have space to judge. 55 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 1: There's things, but so a tangel At the same time, Yes, 56 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:11,799 Speaker 1: it seems there's this extra layer to it in the 57 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 1: Hawaiian scenario to where I think so much of Hawaiian 58 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 1: culture is about being relaxed and cool with everybody, and 59 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 1: that there was a very um there seemed to be, 60 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 1: at least again from my perspective reading on it, a 61 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:32,680 Speaker 1: very concerted effort to maintain that image to the whole world. Um. 62 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 1: And so that gets into a whole other thing. We're 63 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:38,160 Speaker 1: like no, we have to be the nicest, coolest, best, 64 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 1: most relaxed and accepting, and that also means part of this, 65 00:03:41,720 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 1: but that caused a lot of problems as well obviously. Um. 66 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 1: It's also really interesting. I watched there's an episode of 67 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 1: This Is Your Life about Duke. Oh yeah, you were 68 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:56,000 Speaker 1: telling me about this That was filmed I think in 69 00:03:56,080 --> 00:04:01,480 Speaker 1: the nineteen fifties. He was already married. Um, and it's 70 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:05,880 Speaker 1: really interesting because I was one blessed the host you 71 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:10,200 Speaker 1: can see sort of that same the way Victorian exoticism, 72 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:16,159 Speaker 1: uh wanted to like, you know, assimilate its language to 73 00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:18,839 Speaker 1: include other cultures and felt like they were being inclusive, 74 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:23,280 Speaker 1: but really there was a whole weird construct going on there. 75 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:25,520 Speaker 1: There's a similar thing going on there, and bless them, 76 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 1: Duke roles with the whole thing, where like the host 77 00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 1: keeps calling it havaii and I'm like, um, yeah, I 78 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 1: mean the listeners can't see the face I just made. 79 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:39,520 Speaker 1: This is easy to see online this episode. Um, but 80 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 1: it is really interesting. And one thing that really struck 81 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:47,160 Speaker 1: me was Duke's sister Bernice talking about the day they 82 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:50,480 Speaker 1: all became American citizens and how proud they were of 83 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:52,359 Speaker 1: that and I'm like, where you really are you just 84 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:55,599 Speaker 1: being super nice because you're a super nice person. Um, 85 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:57,839 Speaker 1: And we don't I don't know. I mean that whole 86 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 1: family seemed incredibly nice and kind. Um. I will not 87 00:05:02,279 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 1: go into specifics because it's way too adult for this podcast. 88 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:08,040 Speaker 1: But I did tell you also about a quote from 89 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:13,480 Speaker 1: Duke's brother that we cannot use about Duke's relationship with 90 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:19,359 Speaker 1: tourists young women, but basically confirming that he played the 91 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:23,680 Speaker 1: field a lot. Yeah, like that's also become a stereotype 92 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 1: right of the of the having the fling with the 93 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:34,440 Speaker 1: hot swimming instructor. Yes, you also mentioned the sleeping. Yeah, 94 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:37,120 Speaker 1: so much napping. I'm I'm on board. I mean, I 95 00:05:37,360 --> 00:05:40,480 Speaker 1: number one, if you're an athlete, sometimes you gotta take 96 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:43,039 Speaker 1: the nap when you can get it. But also that 97 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:49,600 Speaker 1: was just about athletic I know he was. There is 98 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:52,840 Speaker 1: a really good nap story that I saved for this. Yeah, 99 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:55,360 Speaker 1: tell me so. We mentioned in the episode that at 100 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:58,360 Speaker 1: one point, to try to make ends meet, he had 101 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:01,839 Speaker 1: taken a job as an underwater inspector for the city government, 102 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 1: which meant that he would put on his scuba gear 103 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 1: and like go down and inspect like the pilings underneath 104 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:16,240 Speaker 1: docs and stuff. He fell asleep underwater once the person 105 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:19,560 Speaker 1: that was working with him expected him. Like, it sounds 106 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 1: like I could be misremembering the details, but it sounds 107 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:25,320 Speaker 1: like they were moving on land from spot to spot 108 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:29,120 Speaker 1: and like signaling back and forth with Duke who is underwater. 109 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:30,920 Speaker 1: And they got to the next spot and Duke never 110 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:33,160 Speaker 1: showed up and never showed up, and they went back 111 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:35,599 Speaker 1: and he had just curled up in his scuba gear underwater, 112 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 1: sleeping away, having a naperu. That seems terrifying to me 113 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:44,640 Speaker 1: as a person with lifelong insomnia. This is just a 114 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:48,080 Speaker 1: majestic unicorn of a concept. I'm like, you mean you 115 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:50,120 Speaker 1: just closed your eyes if you were asleep? What is that? 116 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:56,679 Speaker 1: How does Yeah? I should also mention it's less fun, 117 00:06:57,160 --> 00:07:02,320 Speaker 1: but that um. That statue of do at Waikiki is 118 00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:08,240 Speaker 1: not universally loved because of the way it's positioned, which 119 00:07:08,279 --> 00:07:11,720 Speaker 1: is that Duke is facing towards the city and away 120 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:14,920 Speaker 1: from the beach. And there were several people that said, like, 121 00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 1: if you ever took lessons from Duke, and he would 122 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:19,560 Speaker 1: just casually teach people, like even if it was not 123 00:07:19,640 --> 00:07:21,960 Speaker 1: a formal lesson, and he was not getting paid. If 124 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:24,440 Speaker 1: he saw someone like struggling with a surfboard on the beach, 125 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:25,920 Speaker 1: he would be like, do you want some pointers? Like 126 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:28,680 Speaker 1: and they often wouldn't even know, like, oh, an olympian 127 00:07:28,800 --> 00:07:31,280 Speaker 1: is literally standing here teaching me how to surf and 128 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:34,360 Speaker 1: swim in the waters of Hawaii. Right, But he would 129 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:36,840 Speaker 1: tell people, and told apparently several people like that you 130 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:39,560 Speaker 1: never turn your back on the water, like just so 131 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 1: you maintain aware situational awareness. And so the fact that 132 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:44,840 Speaker 1: his statue is turned with its back to the water 133 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:48,520 Speaker 1: really troubles some people, and that he is facing like 134 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:51,240 Speaker 1: all of the kind of tourist parts of Waikiki and 135 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:55,000 Speaker 1: not the natural part of Waikiki is, you know, not 136 00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:57,960 Speaker 1: something everyone loves, so oin of mind if you go visit. 137 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:02,800 Speaker 1: I encourage everyone who am has any opportunity to to 138 00:08:02,920 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 1: go visit Hawaii and ohah who in particular is I 139 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:12,400 Speaker 1: love it? Yeah? Yeah, I um So, before the pandemic started, 140 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:16,720 Speaker 1: I think Hawaiian Airlines announced that they were starting direct 141 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:21,960 Speaker 1: service from Boston to Hawaii, and I had this moment 142 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:24,160 Speaker 1: where I was like, should we good? We had a 143 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:27,480 Speaker 1: different vacation planned for that year, so it was not 144 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:31,600 Speaker 1: something that was possible. Um, and then the then the 145 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:36,520 Speaker 1: pandemic started. So I'm definitely not getting on an airplane 146 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:41,120 Speaker 1: to fly any place at this moment. Yeah, we were 147 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:44,760 Speaker 1: supposed to go to Hawaii this year because um, I 148 00:08:44,880 --> 00:08:47,400 Speaker 1: am turning fifty this year and two days after that, 149 00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 1: Brian's mom turns eighty and we were all going to 150 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 1: go for thats just not going to happen. Now. It's 151 00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:57,960 Speaker 1: also our anniversary at the end of the year, so 152 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:01,440 Speaker 1: we may see if that will work. Yeah, but I 153 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:03,559 Speaker 1: certainly have my list of all the things I want 154 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:09,920 Speaker 1: to do. Sometimes you just nothing, and that's great. I 155 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:13,640 Speaker 1: have my same beautiful breakfast every morning. Yeah, I just 156 00:09:13,679 --> 00:09:16,640 Speaker 1: see what happens. I take naps on vacation in Hawaii. 157 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:21,040 Speaker 1: It's magical. Like I said, I know, that's an incredibly 158 00:09:21,040 --> 00:09:22,840 Speaker 1: privileging to be able to do. So I hope if 159 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:26,559 Speaker 1: anyone has the opportunity they seize it because it really 160 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:31,480 Speaker 1: is a spectacular place and like just beautiful. And I 161 00:09:31,559 --> 00:09:34,760 Speaker 1: always get in great conversations with people that live there, 162 00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:38,959 Speaker 1: and they're so willing to like teach you about the land, 163 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:41,080 Speaker 1: and they'll tell you where their secret hangouts are on 164 00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:44,280 Speaker 1: where the beaches are like not the touristy beaches, and 165 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:47,880 Speaker 1: it's just really wonderful. So I love so much, so 166 00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:52,720 Speaker 1: much love for Hawaii. Um, if you are having a 167 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:55,199 Speaker 1: weekend that is a real weekend and not a work weekend, 168 00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:57,800 Speaker 1: we hope it's wonderful. If you're working, we hope everyone 169 00:09:57,920 --> 00:09:59,680 Speaker 1: is nice to you and that you have his little 170 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:03,880 Speaker 1: stress as possible, uh, to honor that Hawaiian spirit and 171 00:10:03,960 --> 00:10:09,439 Speaker 1: maybe take a nap in honor of Duke Kahanamoku, who 172 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:11,480 Speaker 1: I like I said at the top of that two 173 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:14,600 Speaker 1: parter was delightful to research because he really was not 174 00:10:14,679 --> 00:10:18,360 Speaker 1: a jerk. Yeah, couldn't find find dirt on that man. 175 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:23,839 Speaker 1: So thank you, thank you, thank you for listening. Subscribe 176 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:25,640 Speaker 1: if you wish. We'll be here every Friday with our 177 00:10:25,679 --> 00:10:29,400 Speaker 1: little shorty insights into how we researched the week's episode 178 00:10:29,440 --> 00:10:33,520 Speaker 1: and what we loved about it. UH and sometimes random 179 00:10:33,520 --> 00:10:39,120 Speaker 1: other stuff. Sometimes random other stuff. Let's all go to Hawaii. UH. 180 00:10:39,160 --> 00:10:41,280 Speaker 1: May people do with stuff you miss an history class 181 00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:43,439 Speaker 1: trip to Hawaii one day. I would do it. I 182 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:47,440 Speaker 1: think that sounds like a grand plant. Otherwise, we hope 183 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:48,960 Speaker 1: you all take care and we'll see you back here 184 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:56,480 Speaker 1: next week. Stuff you Missed in History Class is a 185 00:10:56,520 --> 00:10:59,679 Speaker 1: production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from my 186 00:10:59,840 --> 00:11:03,040 Speaker 1: heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 187 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:08,319 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. H m 188 00:11:08,559 --> 00:11:08,640 Speaker 1: hm