My name is Alohilani Chun. I grew up on Kaua'i where I still reside. I graduated from Kapa'a High School, then Kaua'i Community college, from there transferred to UH West O'ahu. If I were an artist's tool I would be a camera. I like to observe and take in people and their special moments and archive it away to be cherished for long after the moment has passed.
This project explores how Hawaiian culture has been appreciated, appropriated, and exploited through social media and other media platforms. It begins by defining culture and examining how Hawaiians have preserved and shared their identity despite adversity. By comparing similar experiences in other cultures, the paper highlights both the harm and potential of media. Ultimately, it argues that success lies in using social media as a tool to spread awareness and promote cultural respect.
The concept of creativity has come a long way. The Old Greeks would call those creative forces muses, other religions referred to them as God. Today people still mostly treat creativity as an aha moment outside the area of influence. However, just by looking at the creative process one can tell, that creativity and creative work is more than just that one "Aha-Moment" (insight). It is clear that generating ideas demands planning and preparation, identifying something of interest like a problem, an opportunity or a challenge, doing research. This then leads to thinking of a solution, allowing time to incubate and iterations before arriving at something “complete.” Students learn that hard work is what makes their ideas come to life and sticktuiveness is what helps them get better.
Alohi channels culture into consciousness with her Instagram campaign Ulu ʻIke—a vibrant call to uplift and educate through Native Hawaiian stories, values, and visuals. Inspired by her research on how Hawaiian culture has been both misrepresented and celebrated in media, Alohi confronts the complexities of appropriation and exploitation head-on. Ulu ʻIke isn’t just a campaign—it’s a movement that reclaims space, fosters cultural respect, and reminds us that social media can be a powerful tool for aloha when used with intention and care.
Follow along and grow with Ulu ʻIke.