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Against the backdrop of the Fourth of July fireworks and the ongoing protests for racial justice, many stayed at home to watch the smash-hit Broadway musical Hamilton, which dropped on Disney+ just in time for America’s most patriotic day. Given the slew of critiques and debates brought to the forefront across social media, I thought it was only fitting to include Lin-Manuel Miranda’s record-breaking musical in this week’s newsletter.
Initially, I wanted this edition’s subtitle to be “how lucky we are to be alive right now,” but it seemed insensitive given the fact that COVID-19 continues to find new victims around the planet. In the U.S. alone, the number of positive cases, particularly in Florida and Texas, continues to surge. Still, several videos and anecdotes are circulating online of white people refusing to wear masks in public, then throwing tantrums when confronted. Just wear a mask!
Meanwhile, in New York, which used to be the epicenter of the global pandemic, the figures are improving and the state is entering its next phase of reopening. But that doesn’t mean a permit to party! I say this because the rooftop of my Brooklyn apartment was full of people I’ve never seen in my life, gathering and drinking while watching New York City’s Fourth of July fireworks. (For the record, the rooftop is usually empty and I didn’t think there were that many people living in the building.)
Photo by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona on Unsplash
On Sunday, The New York Times published an article entitled “The Fullest Look Yet at the Racial Inequity of Coronavirus,” underscoring what we already know — thanks to centuries-long systemic racism — that Black and Latino folks have been disproportionately affected by the novel coronavirus. These racial disparities are real and lamentable. Yet, I am extremely disappointed that a newspaper like The New York Times left out key populations that are also disproportionately dying from the virus. Not only are Native Americans missing from the data, it also excludes a growing population in the mainland U.S. that has been disproportionately affected by severe COVID-19 outcomes: Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islander communities. Instead, you can find the full data here.
(Read more: COVID-19 Disparities For Pacific Islanders Worsen Nationally by Anita Hofschneider, Honolulu Civil Beat)
Figure of the week: 1 in 3,100
The number of Pacific Islander Americans that died from COVID-19, following the 1 in 2,300 Indigenous Americans that have also died from the virus, according to APM Research Lab.
Fourth of July in the Pacific Islands
Look around, look around, a revolution is happening within Indigenous Pacific Islander communities to take back their land. On the island of Oahu, in Hawaii, American flags were scattered in Kailua, but some Kia’i decided to put up signs of protest to remind the islands’ colonizers who the rightful owners of the land were.
The same thing happened on the U.S. territory of Guam, better known as Guåhan. On Fourth of July, a motorcade demonstration took place to remind local residents that in addition to Black lives, Indigenous lives on the Pacific Islands aren’t truly free as well. Protesters held up signs in front of U.S. military bases that said “We refuse to be erased” and “You’re on looted land.” Reminder, and you should already know this, that the U.S. took control of the Marianas archipelago during World War II for strategic military purposes. As someone born and raised in the island of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, just north of Guam, I can attest to the massive military influence that the U.S. holds over our islands. In fact, I saw more military recruiters than college recruiters during my high school years.
What a Fourth of July.
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash
OK, let’s talk Hamilton.
The timing of Hamilton’s movie adaptation dropping on Disney+ adds a new layer to the conversation of race in America, especially as more Americans criticize the celebration of Fourth of July. While — I must admit — the record-shattering musical production is a work of art, in short, I stand behind the critique of the show’s portrayal of the Founding Fathers, especially Alexander Hamilton, and of American slavery.
As Harvard Historian Annette Gordon-Reed said in 2016, Alexander Hamilton “was not an abolitionist. He bought and sold slaves for his in-laws, and opposing slavery was never at the forefront of his agenda.”
Although Gordon-Reed did say that a Broadway show is no documentary, and that “artists have the right to create,” she also argues that “historians have the right to critique.” The Harvard Gazette wrote that Gordon-Reed criticized the musical for simplifying and sanitizing history. “The Hamilton on stage is more palatable and attractive to modern audiences,” she said. She also added that “he was not a champion of the little guy, like the show portrays. He was elitist. He was in favor of having a president for life.”
In concert with the growing Black Lives Matter movement — where protesters and activists are taking down statues and demanding a change in building names named after slave owners, segregationists, and white supremacists — some activists are calling hypocrisy on people supporting the movement, while also rejoicing Hamilton.
(Speaking of statues, during Fourth of July, Baltimore protesters took down the Christopher Columbus statue and tossed it into the city’s Inner Harbor. Did you know that when you search up Columbus statue on Google Maps in Baltimore, Maryland, it pins the harbor? Try it.)
Of course, many are also defending the brilliance behind the musical, including one of my favorite authors Roxane Gay who tweeted, “I think it’s a brilliant show. As I said, it’s not some vulnerable upstart. The show can handle critical engagement and the performances and book and music will still be absolutely incredible.” I agree with her. Others also celebrated the diversity of the actors on stage, especially Black and Latino actors who are commonly underrepresented. I mean, Leslie Odom Jr. was just phenomenal. (By the way, I started listening to his album Mr on Spotify.)
But while some people were talking about Hamilton, President Trump — instead of giving a unity speech — engaged in promoting a culture war against “far-left fascism” during his Independence Day speech at Mount Rushmore on Friday. Trump emphasized that the far-left is leading a “campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values, and indoctrinate our children.” Pretty wild accusations from 45th. Meanwhile, Trump took to Twitter on Monday to demand an apology from Bubba Wallace, a Black NASCAR driver who did nothing wrong. Trump also attributed NASCAR’s “lowest” ratings, which are actually up, to its decision to ban confederate flags from their races.
From what I know, presidents who are up for re-election typically try to broaden their base to attract more voters, but Trump just seems to be widening the cultural divide, which could very well backfire in the upcoming election. Speaking of which, make sure you’re registered to vote — don’t throw away your shot!
In case you missed it 🙃
On TikTok. Harvard student Claira Janover lost her internship at Deloitte after posting an anti-”all lives matter” video rant on TikTok, that conservatives thought was threatening. Meanwhile, Deloitte has “diversity” emblazoned all over its site and social media platforms.
Uh. Kanye West belatedly announced on Twitter he’s running for president, but the celebrity hasn’t exactly taken any steps yet.
Remember Central Park Karen? Amy Cooper now faces charges after falsely reporting that a Black birdwatcher was causing her harm.
Repainting Black Lives Matter. Less than an hour after the words “Black Lives Matter” were painted on a street in California, white Trump supporters tried to cover it up and splattered the slogan with black paint, getting into altercations with people walking by.
What I’m reading …
Do Americans Understand How Badly They’re Doing? by Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic
Why Hamilton is as frustrating as it is brilliant — and impossible to pin down by Aja Romano, Vox
Columbus statues are falling across the country. Will ‘Columbus,’ Ohio, fall, too? by Jasmine Hilton, The Washington Post
3 Years After Hurricane Harvey, Many Houston Homeowners Don’t Know Who’s At Risk Next by Sophie Kasakove, HuffPost
As protests against police brutality go global, these Latina moms fight in memory of their sons by Esmeralda Bermudez, Los Angeles Times
thanks for reading, and don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t already. see you next week!