now more than ever, please vet gofundmes before you donate.
copy and paste descriptions into google to see if there are scam accounts reusing the same story, check to see if there are any images/updates on the fund with faces. go to the original blog, check if the post asking for help is only an hour old, or even less than that. refrain from donating if all it links to is a PayPal account, without any further confirmation of identity.
it’s horrible to say but it’s never been a better time for scam artists to exploit your generosity, when things seem so dire, and I’ve donated to campaigns before only to realise later that the entire story was stolen from an actual family in need. due diligence might take a few more minutes out of your day but at least you won’t be sending money to an opportunistic scumbag.
What’s up just a reminder that the Hula Girl stereotype can go to hell and is in part responsible for Hawai’i being the tourist destination and getting invaded by rich white people, and for Hawaiian culture being disrespected and appropriated
Here’s a few sources on the topic:
How America’s Obsession With Hula Girls Almost Wrecked Hawai’i (the site is weird but the research is legitimate, gives a good overview of the issue and references a lot of sources that are harder to get your hands on read: books)
“Pop” Goes Hawai’i: The Twentieth Century Origins of Tourism in Hawai’i and the Impact of U.S. Pop Culture on Women in the Islands of Aloha (this one is very long but a really good read)
Misperceptions of the “Hula Girl” (this one is a personal essay but it’s an entry in the University of Hawai’i’s academic newspaper)
reminder that donating just a few $ to gofundme campaigns actually helps, you don't have to donate huge amounts if you don't have the funds, every little bit is useful. give $10, $5, even $1. it all adds up. don't scroll past because you think you can't help. help in your own capacity. donate a dollar. share and speak up.
As important as explicit gay rep is, nothing will ever be funnier to me than an entire fandom collectively deciding a relationship between two characters is gay without even a shred of subtext