Cameron Crowe’s Newest Film, ‘Aloha,’ Has Been Accused Of Being Too ‘Whitewashed’

Less than a week before it’s scheduled release, Cameron Crowe’s Aloha has come under fire for its poor portrayal of Hawaiian culture and history. The Media Action Network for Asian Americans has issued a press release detailing the ways in which the star-studded romantic comedy is completely “whitewashed.”

“Caucasians only make up 30 percent of the population [of Hawaii], but from watching this film, you’d think they made up 99 percent,” said head and co-founder of MANAA, Guy Aoki.

“This comes in a long line of films — The Descendants, 50 First Dates, Blue Crush, Pearl Harbor — that uses Hawaii for its exotic backdrop but goes out of its way to exclude the very people who live there. It’s an insult to the diverse culture and fabric of Hawaii.”

Aoki went on to note that the biggest roles allotted to actual natives weren’t even given proper character names. Instead, they’re simply referred to as “Indian pedestrian,” “upscale Japanese tourist” and “upscale restaurant guest.”

“How can you educate your audience to the ‘rich history’ of Hawaii by using mostly white people and excluding the majority of the people who live there and who helped build that history?” Aoki asked. His question was likely a reference to these comments made by both Sony Pictures and Crowe earlier this month:

Aloha stars Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams, and many, many more (white) celebrities. It opens in theaters on May 29th.

(Via New York Post)