Kickback, new goals, and advocacy planned for fall 2023

UFV’s SUS president reveals what’s in store for the upcoming semester

RACHEL TAIT

The Student Union Society (SUS) has several events and goals planned for the upcoming fall 2023 semester at UFV. In past semesters, this has included advocacy goals on behalf of students, as well as community building events like Kickback. SUS president, Ashley McDougall, sat down with The Cascade and shared a preview of what students can look forward to for the fall.

According to McDougall, SUS hopes to continue hosting popular events on campus in the fall, with Kickback taking place on Sept. 21. SUS will also be providing more free food at the event, as it was requested by students from last year’s feedback. Kickback will also usher in the return of the dunk tank as well as the beer garden.

Other familiar supports that SUS will provide include their student healthcare and dental plans, which are included in student fees. “We're also looking at continuing our Abbotsford Canucks partnership,” said McDougall, “so hopefully when the season starts up, we're going to be having some more student rush nights.”

A major change that McDougall is excited for is hosting more events at the

Community//

Chilliwack campus. She explained that Chilliwack is often excluded when it comes to hosting events, but that SUS is planning to go to the campus during the summer or fall to poll students and determine what type of events they want to have. McDougall also hinted that in the winter semester they’re “planning a bigger event out [at the] Chilliwack campus.”

“We're looking at planning some engagement with the clubs and associations (CNAs) this year,” explained McDougall. “SUS recently took over the administration of clubs and associations… so we’re really looking forward to engaging more with CNAs.”

One of the main goals that SUS hopes to achieve this year is establishing a higher level of transparency with students at UFV, including more opportunities for students to meet with members of SUS. “We want to make it as accessible as possible to students if they have questions about SUS [and] questions about what we do.” McDougall added that SUS’s vice presidents (VPs) are also working on an initiative that will likely be called Find Your Fees, which will “be breaking down the student union fees and where they go for students.”

“This year we have three student representatives at large,” said McDougall. “They're not active in the office, but they are representatives of the student body that attend the board meetings each month and engage with students, and they can choose to be a bit more involved if they want to get involved in advocacy projects and things like that.”

“UFV students come from a very unique perspective compared to other schools, and we're looking at strengthening our connection with members of the Legislative Assembly and provincial ministers to really get the student voice heard.” According to McDougall, SUS is also “advocating for our student financial aid, lowering cost for students, increasing accessibility for international students, as well as increasing institutional funding.”

Students can also expect a new campus shuttle service in the fall. “We have our campus shuttle that runs from the Abbotsford to Chilliwack campus, and back. We recently started a new contract with the shuttle, so we have a new shuttle service provider which we're really excited about because it will allow us to expand the hours for the fall semester for students.” The new shuttle provider is called LuxBus and will be

Local spotlight on Boardwalk Cafe and Games

RACHEL TAIT

Established in 2017, the local Abbotsford business Boardwalk Cafe and Games has transitioned through turbulent times of uncertainty throughout the years. Darin Graham, the owner and operator of the café, opened up about what inspired him to start up his business and some of the changes and challenges his café has gone through, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation.

What inspired you to start up Boardwalk Cafe and Games, and how long have you been in business?

We opened the doors to Boardwalk in January of 2017. We were inspired to create Boardwalk after visiting a number of board game cafés in other cities. We knew that there was a lack of entertainment options in the Fraser Valley and believed that the community would enjoy a unique experience like what we had in mind. So, we took a chance and here we are.

What do you find draws people to Boardwalk?

It seems like people value having a place to gather that is social and experiential. It's different then going to a traditional restaurant as you are sharing more than a meal. As well, since the housing market is really challenging for many people, we don't all have the opportunity to own a space that we can gather our friends in. If we have to negotiate with roommates about having a group of friends over or if we have a really small apartment, it makes it challenging to have meaningful social encounters with people. Having a social space that you don't have to worry about cleaning up, buying snacks, or if there's going to be a big enough table makes it a lot easier in today's housing market. running longer as “students are looking for more hours for the shuttle.”

You have different membership deals. Can you talk about some of the perks of becoming a member?

Our members enjoy free cover for regular gaming, 10 per cent off of special ticketed events, and 50 per cent off of ongoing and drop-in role playing game events. They also get 10 per cent off of retail purchases of new games and accessories.

You have different regular events such as Family Game Sunday, Board Game Blitz, Boardwalk Chess Club, Boardgame Meetup, and Drop-in Dungeons and Dragons. How have these events helped establish community engagement and connections for the business?

McDougall encourages the participation of new and returning students alike. “There's going to be so many opportunities to get involved in the fall, whether that's through clubs and associations [or by] coming to events on campus.” continued on page 4

Our events have been a huge gathering point for many people. We've really diversified the types of events that we offer in order to give options for just about every type of gamer. We've been able to build strong relationships with many of the people that come for events and we've seen many friendships grow through them as well. Our [role-playing game] events have been especially meaningful for people as they come together week after week and go from strangers to friends!

What changes have you made to Boardwalk Cafe and Games since opening, i.e. ambience, business, merchandise, menu, etc?

Along with moving locations in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, we've really tried to dial in our food and drink menu in order to operate more like a traditional restaurant.

News Briefs

Doctor Bonnie Henry received an honorary degree at UFV Convocation

At 9:30 a.m. on June 15, Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree for her leadership in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She appeared in a pre-recorded video at UFV’s Convocation ceremony. Prior to aiding in the response to COVID-19, she played an integral role in international disease control. She worked with the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children Fund to help eradicate polio in Pakistan. She also partnered with the WHO to control the outbreak of Ebola in Uganda in 2001. Henry is one of four prominent figures who was recognized at this event for their positive social and communal impact.

- Jayden Talvio

$10 billion settlement reached in 21 Robinson Huron First Nations case

On June 17, the governments of Canada and Ontario reached a settlement with the leaders of the Robinson Huron Treaty Litigation Fund. The agreement, reached at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, sees a total of $10 billion dollars (evenly split between the federal and Ontario provincial governments), awarded for unresolved claims of unpaid annuities for using the 21 First Nations’ land. The Robinson Huron Treaty has been in effect since 1850, but the annuity paid towards the 21 First Nations has not increased since 1875. “Our communities have struggled economically, culturally, and socially because of this breach of Treaty,” Chief Dan Sayers of the Batchewana First Nation said, “we see this settlement as an opportunity to show the commitment of both Canada and Ontario to respect and implement our rights affirmed in the Treaty.”

- Jayden Talvio

continued from page 3

This means more meal-type options like flatbreads so that our customers can ensure that we'll take care of their whole evening.

What has been the greatest challenge(s) Boardwalk has encountered in the midst of all the inflation?

Obviously the cost of goods has increased on many of our core ingredients like milk, butter, and cheese.

We've also seen other expenses grow, like property tax, which means our rent increases. Minimum wage increases have also caused our staffing costs to grow significantly. Unfortunately, it means that we have to raise some prices here and there.

Like most small businesses, we will probably have to continue to do that in order to ensure the long term viability of our company.

What would you like to see done in the future at Boardwalk?

We're looking at some minor tweaks to our physical space in order to create a more intimate ambiance. We're also looking at our decor to ensure that all our customers are able to see themselves within the hobby as a whole. Historically, this has meant finding a way to bring BIPOC and [LGBTQ+] representation to the forefront through art installations. It's not really a secret that the tabletop games hobby is pretty homogenous, and straight, and white, and male. So, we have been as proactive as possible to ensure that other groups are meaningfully represented.

What is the most rewarding aspect of running Boardwalk Cafe and Games?

It's rewarding to see people enjoy a concept that we've built from the ground up. To see people interacting with the space in a way that we imagined years ago is really sweet. It still has a plethora of challenges and stress points, but the community that has supported us and been built out by us is very rewarding.

Students//

Ekta continues to empower students’ voices

Collaborating with students on important issues and world events

RACHEL TAIT

With its first season nominated by the National Campus and Community Radio Association (NCRA) Community Radio Awards in the category of “Breaking Barriers,” Ekta is in its second year and still going strong. Created in 2022 by Victoria Surtees, UFV’s Teaching and Learning Specialist in internationalization, Ekta is a student-focused podcast. Each episode engages with a different UFV student as they discuss topics that deeply affect them. Surtees sat down with The Cascade to discuss Ekta season two and the impact it’s having on students and the community.

Currently with around 700 downloads, the podcast is gaining a following, and Surtees hopes to continue working on the project. “I think that there's still a need for those stories,” said Surtees. “I think that what I'm doing with season two is broadening the different kinds of experiences that I'm bringing.”

She explained that her process for each episode of Ekta is an intense one that requires a lot of research and trust-building with the students. Spending roughly eight to 20 hours per episode, Surtees said that she takes the time getting to know the students she works with as they collaborate on the content to ensure that they get the right message across. “I think that's really what works, and the assurance for them that I don't publish anything without their express permission.”

Surtees emphasized the importance of being careful about what is said and not said in each episode because it can negatively impact the student in the episode. “[Ekta] can be accessed anywhere all over the world, and that's something that I've really had to think deeply about because what is acceptable to talk about here may not be acceptable to talk about in India, Iran, Russia, or other places.”

The podcast can occasionally delve into difficult subjects. A recent epi- sode of Ekta centered on a Turkish student who discussed the recent earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, and how that impacted “his experience here at UFV, [and] his ability to engage the things that were going on for him.”

In the future, Surtees believes there are different potential directions she could take Ekta, such as featuring faculty members, and discussing how they have adjusted to “the local teaching environment,” especially those who come from “different places and backgrounds.”

“I'm also starting to engage more with students who are taking leadership positions here at UFV. So I'll be doing an episode with two members of SUS (Student Union Society), talking about advocacy, leadership, and the things that they're working on for students.” Whichever direction Ekta takes, Surtees makes it clear that it’s up to the students. “Ultimately, what this is all about is telling the stories that [students] want to tell, so it's not necessarily my decision to make.”

Shelley Liebembuk, PhD, an assistant professor from the theatre department, was appointed as the new director of the School of Creative Arts (SoCA), and will step into the role at the end of June. The previous director, Heather DavisFisch, PhD, is leaving UFV to work at the University of Lethbridge as the new dean of fine arts. Liebembuk sat down with The Cascade and shared some of her goals and plans that she hopes to achieve.

“I feel very well stewarded to take on the directorship,” said Liebembuk. She attributed her qualifications to her experience working at the university for the last four years as well as building curriculum. “I also recognize that there's going to be a learning curve. This is a new kind of position and it’s a managerial position at a certain level for a very large group of humans.”

Liebembuk said that it was her mentor and colleague, Davis-Fisch, who first told her about the job opening and encouraged her to apply. She attributed much of her success and opportunities here at UFV to Davis-Fisch, as she was the one who encouraged Liebembuk to first apply to work at UFV four years ago.

The hiring process for the position was quick as Liebembuk learned about the opening in mid-April, and was promoted on May 12. “I was interviewed by a panel of folks from the School of Creative Arts,” said Liebembuk. She was later unanimously voted in as the new director by permanent faculty from SoCA. “I feel like I'm supported and folks believe that I can step up to the job, and that's a really nice feeling.”

Liebembuk equates the transition into her new position with “preparing for a role.” She is grateful for all the shadowing that she has done with Davis-Fisch, saying she has gleaned a lot of wisdom and knowledge from her mentor in the last six weeks. “[I am] feeling very well supported because Heather's guidance has been incredible. From the first day I got here and right through [to the] end of this month, we basically switched roles and she's been very generous with her time and very detailed in the information.”

Liebembuk said that one of the main components of her position is “to oversee the operations of the school.” This includes “helping people feel heard, [getting] work done, [collaborating] and [advocating] for what people need, and supporting them in that process.” Liebembuk will also be “overseeing staff, budget, events, faculty, as well as engaging and dealing with any conflicts that come up.”

The other aspect of being director of SoCA is reviewing and creating new curriculum, which Liebembuk has prior experience with. On top of teaching theatre, Liebembuk has been “working extensively in curriculum programming at the College of Arts.”

She will also be helping to implement the curriculum that SoCA has been working on under Davis-Fisch. “[Davis-Fisch] was stewarding us through all the areas to do revisions and visioning for new programs that will come out fall 2024,” said Liebembuk. “The different areas [of SoCA] are all focused on really innovating our curriculum, making them more interdisciplinary, honouring how creative arts practice is being taught in innovative institutions across North America. So, a big part

Professor Liebembuk promoted as the new director of SoCA Unexpected

of my job in the next year is about that curriculum,” which will include “an indigenous art certificate… that we're hoping to roll out.”

There are some goals already in place by SoCA that Liebembuk will help fulfill as director, which include the renovations in Building K, creating more areas for students to utilize, including a multimedia space that can be used for theatrical performances.

Liebembuk also emphasized the importance of SoCA’s community partnerships. “We develop possible projects both for student practicums and also for events for festival programming… The Chilliwack Cultural Center now has eight student practicums in theatre for students for next year, including the winter term.” She will also continue to build relationships with partners that already work with SoCA, such as The Reach, expanding opportunities for students to gain experience in the industry. Despite the transition to an administrative role, Liebembuk still plans to teach in the future. “I'm excited about the directorship because I think it's a chance to have a different access point to tell a different group of people how important what we do in the classroom is,” but stipulated, “I am first and foremost an educator.”

As A Bisexual

I write this article having only been “out” as bisexual to very few people. So if you know me personally and you didn’t know this about me… Hey! What’s up?

Ironically, I don’t even feel the need to label myself most of the time. Why do I call myself bisexual then? I only use the word for convenience purposes: when it’s the easiest way to signal to people that I’m attracted to more than just men.

An American Psychiatric Association study suggests that bisexuals are more at risk of suicide than monosexuals: people who experience attraction to one gender, and that bisexual women in particular are at a higher risk of mood and anxiety disorders than monosexual women. Bisexual men are also at a higher risk of mood and anxiety disorders than heterosexual men. Given these statistics, it’s important for people to give bisexuals a chance to dispel the additional stigmas we face for loving who we love, because I fear the consequences for our additional discrimination.

This is not to say it is every bisexual person’s job to combat pernicious myths surrounding bisexuality. I just happen to be a bisexual person who is willing to bring attention to the unfair assumptions others have about us.

Here’s my list of unexpected predicaments:

Others assume I’m hitting on women when I’m not.

I was chatting with a woman who I had just met, and I was having some friendly conversations with her. Later, a friend who was a witness to the conversation, teased me for apparently appearing attracted to her. It took longer than I would have ever anticipated to convince them I wasn’t interested in her. continued on page 6 continued from page 5

Others assume I’m on a date with a woman when I’m not.

Once, when I met up with a friend at a café, someone else I knew was there. They were making bow chicka wow wow faces at me, and it became very clear to me that they thought I was on a romantic date. The rest of the time I was hanging out with this friend, I was hyper-conscious about doing everything in my power to not look like I was on a date.

Men are oblivious when I’m flirting with a woman.

There is perhaps nothing more awkward than when you’re trying to chat up a woman, and a guy who is interested in you — and who you are not interested in — is following you around like a puppy. Respectfully, back off and let me proceed with my mission in peace.

Dealing with the, “Is this your girlfriend?” question from elder millennials.

LGBTQ+//

I usually assume that elder millennials are young enough to know that calling someone “girlfriend” when they mean “a girl that’s a friend” is outdated. Therefore, in these situations, I assume they mean the romantic type of girlfriend. But then I go through a mental list of how they said it — was there a flirty tone? What does their body language say? Are they progressive enough to even consider that I could have a girlfriend?

Why I’m over the rainbow

Dealing with the, “Is this your girlfriend?” question from boomers.

Just kidding. Easy. Over 99 per cent of the time, they mean a girl who’s a friend.

I really don’t have a solution to situations of mistaken attraction or intention. However, as long as these people don’t subscribe to the belief that bisexuals experience attraction towards everyone, I don’t get worked up over it. Also, can we please eliminate the use

“Rainbow capitalism” has neutered the meaning of the original Pride flag.

Matthew Iddon

It’s Pride Month again, and you know what that means. Walmart and Target are rolling out their annual barrage of tacky Pride merch, corporations are swapping out their Twitter profile pictures for rainbow-striped alternates, and Skittles are gay once again. At first glance, this seems like good news. After all, there’s no denying that such ubiquitous support for Pride from some of the most powerful companies in the world is a major victory. It’s hopefully a sign that those of us with differing sexual orientations and gender identities are becoming a “normal” fixture of everyday life. But when I see what corporate Pride actually looks like, I can’t help but notice how hollow this victory feels.

It’s a bitter fact that most large corporations are only willing to go so far when it comes to showing their support. We all know why Pfizer Inc. and Pfizer Canada have donned the rainbow on Twitter, yet Pfizer Saudi Arabia has not. Why risk angering your consumer base in a country where homosexuals are major targets of religious and political persecution? Target recently withdrew some Pride Month merchandise after receiving threats from angered customers. Endorsing Pride puts these companies into uncomfortable situations — either go all-in and potentially put employees (and profits) at risk, or give into intimidation and rescind your allyship. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

So why does seemingly every business feel the need to show their rainbow stripes every summer? Corporations aren’t activist organizations, and have no obligation to visibly support Pride. But if they can make a couple bucks by slapping rainbows on their products and selling them in an LGBTQ+ friendly market, they surely will. Plus, they’ll also garner praise and favourable press along the way. This kind of shallow corporate allyship has become so prominent in recent years that it has a name: “rainbow capitalism.” It’s not always done in bad faith — and spreading awareness isn’t a bad thing — but oftentimes, “awareness” tends to overshadow the need for actual activism.

At the heart of “rainbow capitalism” is the rainbow itself, a symbol with a fascinating history. Conceived in 1978 by Gilbert Baker, the flag originally had eight colors and was intended to unite the LGBTQ+ community under a single banner. The colored stripes were not meant to symbolize the various communities under the LGBTQ+ umbrella; they each represented different aspects of human existence (sex, nature, art, etc.). By 1979 the flag had evolved into the familiar sixstriped design we tend to see today, but the meaning was still radically clear: no matter your identity, the rainbow emphasizes the importance of your humanity

Baker’s flag was extremely influential, and in the years since, countless Pride flag variants have sprung up. In 2018, Seattle’s LGBTQ Commission combined two preexisting flags: Amber Hikes’ rainbow flag (featuring brown and black stripes to represent queer people of color) and Monica Helms’ transgender Pride flag, creating a massive 11-stripe flag. The newly added stripes were reshaped into an arrow by Daniel Quasar, forming the “Progress Pride Flag.”

It’s possibly the most widely-used variant today, flown everywhere from shop windows to city skylines to the White House. Quasar has expressed concerns about corporate misuse of the flag without consulting or giving back to the LGBTQ+ community — rainbow capitalism at its finest.

There are a few post-Quasar designs that have surged in popularity since 2018. There’s an intersex-inclusive design, and a “red umbrella” design intended to represent queer sex workers. There’s nothing wrong with these variants existing (although in my humble and purely vexillological opinion, everything post-Baker has been kind of ugly). They highlight the needs of underrepresented and marginalized communities. However, the widespread corporate adoption of these flags has turned into a dickmeasuring contest — if you don’t have the latest Pride flag hanging in your store, you simply aren’t being progressive enough. Most businesses have updated their standard Pride flags to the Quasar arrow and intersex circle variant by now.

This has created the misconception of “girlfriend” in a platonic sense? It’s just plain old confusing to me. And finally, to those men who unknowingly sabotage my game when I’m trying to flirt with women… quit crotch botching me and go away! that these increasingly complex variants have somehow been unanimously decided to be the “new Pride flag” by the LGBTQ+ community. In reality, these designs are typically created by independent artists and make no claim to be the “definitive” symbol of Pride, yet corporate appropriation pushes them to the forefront of popular culture. Flag discourse begins; people become angry that the “new flag” is needlessly inclusive, or that it’s not inclusive enough. Why does the transgender community get three whole stripes while other communities get nothing? All of this debate over inclusion and representation on the flag misses the point of the original rainbow flag: no one is being left out, because everyone is automatically included.

Pride Month is slowly but surely becoming a wholly commercialized season, much like Christmas or Halloween. Every June, companies will be able to sell rainbow-coloured kitsch and hopefully expect an uptick in profits. If consumers push back, some companies may decide to give in, and discreetly remove anything overtly gay from their stores and websites. In both cases, actual corporate activism will almost certainly decline. Most companies will take the path of least resistance, and it will be considered good enough to put up some committee-approved Pride flags and call it a day. The revolutionary and unitary power of the original rainbow has diminished since 1978, and I fear that the flag in its place feels more like a corporate logo that is constantly being rebranded, rather than a call to action.

Advice// Here’s a little tip

Does sweat drip down your brow when you stare at a swiveled iPad?

EVA DAVEY

We’ve all been there. You’re standing at the cash register after ordering an iced oat latte when suddenly the barista flips the iPad towards you, and you’re faced with tipping options. Now you’re at the big moment when you have to decide quickly what your own tipping etiquette is. Personally? I’m someone that tries to give a tip any time I can! The easiest way I do it (for example at a coffee shop as that’s probably my strongest example) is to use the tips I earn and give them that. It feels like a passing-it-forward kind of idea.

I understand not everyone is a tipper. Many argue that if people make minimum wage then they should be fine. Yet it’s often proven that it’s called minimum wage for a reason and people nowadays are barely making enough to cover their groceries. Some say, It's just a latte! Why do I have to tip? Short answer: you don’t have to. If you’re this person, I don’t care, and I don’t want to hear it. Sometimes I agree with not tipping (apparently some self checkouts are now providing a tipping option), but in other situations I feel as though it is simply nice.

When I’m not writing for The Cascade,

I am working at a local liquor store, and surprisingly, I make tips. Whenever I tell people this it is almost always met with shock, because let’s face it, why the hell am I making tips at my kind of job? I started my job just after the pandemic hit in 2020 and for a couple of years a lot of people didn’t like being handed back dirty change, so they would throw a couple cents into the little glass jar by my till. Steadily, my tips have decreased due to people being fine handling physical money again, and it’s now mainly regulars that throw in a buck or two. The winter holidays are great times for tips at my workplace! Sorry you’re working Christmas Eve! Take a $5 bill! You’ll never catch me complaining, especially when that money goes towards my weekly latte budget. On summer closing shifts people feel bad I can’t go enjoy the lake or have a beer on a patio and will tip, but once again, me getting tips goes back to the customer just feeling like being slightly kind enough to throw some bread in the jar.

There are unspoken rules at my workplace: anything $10 or above we split between the two cashiers. If we get a tip from carry out service the tip only goes to the carrier, and on Christmas Eve everyone working splits all the tips. There has also been a debate on tipping in my workplace. A few regulars have asked us when we are getting a tipping option on our card machine as some of them still avoid cash. We’ve asked managers about this, and it’s not like we came up with the idea ourselves. There have been customers demanding it! Yet, it was shut down by the higherups as it made them uncomfortable. They stated that if they went to a liquor store and saw a tipping option they would feel mad, so they wouldn’t want that in their store. My coworker raised a great question to their response: Why do you even care? She made a great point. The higher-ups wouldn’t see the reaction to the tipping option, and they wouldn’t be receiving the money anyway. So at a staff meeting we were all told no tipping option on the machines… end of discussion.

I wouldn’t expect anyone to tip me at my job, but I think I do more at my job than people realize. I don’t just scan items and take your money. In the end it’s sweet when we get a tip, and it makes me think about all those that I’m giving a tip to and all the work they do that I (the customer) am just not seeing. Once again it just cycles back to being kind in my eyes. I encourage that next time you go to your local establishment to pay in cash and happily say, keep the change!

Black mermaids and Hawaiian… Hawaiians?

The “House of Mouse” has been at the top of the western entertainment world for quite some time now. Disney made big splashes in the film industry dating as far back as 1932, when they produced the first full-colour cartoon. In more recent years, those industry changing splashes have shifted to accusations of catering to a “woke” culture that some will claim is the cause for loss of revenue for the megacorporation.

The most recent discourse came with the announcement of a live-action casting choice. Disney is rebooting, or reimagining as the Mouse House would say, the 2002 classic film, Lilo and Stitch The outcry comes from the casting of Sydney Agudong as Nani, Lilo’s older sister. I found this a bit curious.

Agudong is of mixed background and was born and raised in Kaua‛i, where Lilo and Stitch takes place. The upset stems from the fact that Agudong has lighter skin and more eurocentric features than the original animated Nani. This isn’t the only case of conflict for racial casting choices. The Little Mermaid, another recent Disney liveaction reboot, caught attention for the casting of Halle Bailey as Ariel. Physical characteristics and heritage do play some role in Lilo and Stitch, mainly that the characters Nani and Lilo presented something exceedingly rare: representation for many female Pacific Islanders. Though Bailey looks significantly different from Disney’s original animated Ariel, the story of the mermaid and its moral message are not impacted since it focuses on the story of a fish out of water, in the most literal sense. Having viewed the reboot, I can vouch that the change in appearance made little to no impact on the quality or plot of the film, though a hyper-realistic flounder was rather startling.

So, is it a major issue that a lead supporting character is being played by a lighter toned Hawaiian? Hawaiians come in all sorts of different tones of skin. Much of the population is mixed, like Agudong. Personally, as another person of mixed heritage, I don’t see an issue with it, especially considering she is native to the very specific location the film takes place in. Many people choose to see things as black and white, if you don’t naturally fall into one category or another, they refuse to acknowledge the grey and then force a person into one of the pre-existing categories. Agudong may be partially BritishIrish, but that doesn’t diminish her

Hawaiian heritage. It feels silly to argue about whether a woman born and raised in Hawaii and of Hawaiian descent should be playing the role of a Hawaiian. All of the cast members are varying in appearance and skin tone, which in my eyes it just shows the broader spectrum I believe people are caught up in old beliefs and are being hypercritical of choices made by other people rather than themselves. A mythical creature can look however you want and not every Hawaiian will look like the stereotypical image we have in mind. Disney is adapting to the mixed and multicultural world that we all live in, and I think that’s something to be celebrated, whether it comes in small steps or big waves.