‘Vacationing in Hawaii Is So Embarrassing’ Tweets Woman Living in Gentrified Building on Lenape Land
It’s like, I get it, this is your home, but now it’s mine too!
April 21, 2022
By: Andal Paul
New York, N.Y. – Emma sighed as she closed her laptop at the end of her work day, dusting the non-existent dirt off her jeans and fetching a can of Waterloo sparkling water from her shared refrigerator. Emma’s roommate Mary heard the telltale signs of Emma ending work and joined her in the kitchen. They moved around the space for a second in silence before Emma said abruptly, “You know what bothers me?”
Mary paused, “What?”
“When people go somewhere they know natives don’t want people going to.” Emma leaned against the stainless granite island in their newly renovated kitchen. “Like, ok, I was on Twitter, and literally all of these people are talking about how Hawaii is having a water shortage and how tourists shouldn’t be going to the island right now. But I check instagram and I swear at least two of my mutuals have gone or are currently there right now.”
“That’s so fucked up,” Replied Mary.
“I know! And like, I know they know it’s fucked up too, because they definitely follow me on Twitter and I quote-tweeted one of the tweets saying how it’s embarassing and stuff.” Emma crossed her arms, Waterloo forgotten. “It just really gets on my nerves when people don’t take this seriously. You can literally vacation anywhere else.”
Mary nodded. The two girls sat in silence for a moment, before Mary let out a breath and said, “Do you still wanna go to that Chinese place downtown today?”
“I would love to,” Emma started, “but I need to stay here and unpack. Things got so twisted since the last tenants refused to move out due to eviction or whatever. It’s like, I get it, this is your home, but now it’s mine too. Don’t shoot the messenger you know?”
Mary nodded again then yawned loudly. She smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, not you, just didn’t get much sleep due to the Native American-sorry-Indigenous protest last night.”
Emma gave her a sympathetic look. “I get it. I also totally sympathize with them but don’t really get what they’re accomplishing by protesting at 11:00 pm on a tuesday.”
They both chuckled. Emma threw her nearly full can of sparkling water in the trash. All was well.
