Hawaii is not immune from the American mindset and cultural pressure of “the job being more important than the people/family”.
If people were really upset with tourists coming, they could walk off the job to go and support their family except for the people tasked with sending tourists away. It’s American work culture that abandons people who would do that.
How exactly do you “support your family” and “walk off the job”? I don’t see anyone lining up to make sure people affected by the fire (not tourists that might miss out on a vacation) are doing well, or have an income, food, homes, their businesses back, or their lives back. Yeah, there are some charities that are helping, but that’s not the same. As the article states, it’s a double edged sword, but not tripping over snorkeling tourists, or having to go perform for a group of tourists would definitely make the shit residents are going through a lot easier.
I get it, Hawaii, like many other places, are built largely on tourism, but people need to have a little bit more self awareness and respect for other human beings.
How we handle fiires and various other tragedies up here: people across Canada donate, they support causes, neighborring communities stand up to help feed and house people displaced by disaster. Federal, provincial and town governments come together to make sure people evacuate safely and are supported. A person’s “job” is like 20th if at all on the list of priorities.
Tourists are clueless and obnoxious anywhere you go in the world. But Hawaii residents and fellow American people need to look out for each other, island, state and federal governments need to look out for the affected residents.
I’m saying it should not even be a question whether one should be obligated to go to work in such a disaster. Going to work miserably to me is a failure on society’s part. It’s the tourism industry, government and people at large ignoring the residents’ needs.
I’m in complete agreement. This is America though where you can pretty much count on the federal government to make it worse, or at least sting a lot more.
Honestly, every time San Diego has had a natural disaster, people here have by and large react the way you describe. In my experience Hawaiian residents are the same.