OH, THOSE POOR ISLANDERS AND THREATS TO AN IDYLLIC LIFE ON A BEAUTIFUL ISLAND!

Authors

Juliana Flinn, University of Arkansas at Little Rock`Follow

Abstract

This essay examines the representation of Pollap, a Micronesian atoll, in popular media and internet sources, highlighting the contrast between anthropological perspectives and public portrayals. While scholars emphasize indigenous agency and the adaptive use of external influences, popular media—ranging from Peace Corps blogs to disaster reports—often depict islanders through romanticized or victimized lenses. These portrayals reflect more about Western cultural fantasies and assumptions than about the lived realities of Pollapese people. Romantic narratives emphasize idyllic simplicity and harmony with nature, while disaster coverage frames islanders as helpless and dependent on external aid. Notably absent are accounts of local responses or expressions of agency. The essay argues that such representations, though now more widely disseminated through digital platforms, continue to perpetuate colonial tropes and obscure the complexity and resilience of island communities.

Recommended Citation

Flinn, Juliana (2015) "OH, THOSE POOR ISLANDERS AND THREATS TO AN IDYLLIC LIFE ON A BEAUTIFUL ISLAND!," Pacific Studies Journal: Vol. 38: No. 1, Article 7.
Available at: https://digitalcollections.byuh.edu/pacific-studies-journal/vol38/iss1/7