Sharing Aloha Parent Guide

If you have spent time in Hawaii, there is a good chance you have also visited the Polynesian Culture Center. Drawing about one million visitors per year, the “PCC” (as it’s known) claims to be the most visited paid tourist site in the state. Beautifully situated on 42 acres of land, it boasts six simulated villages that represent cultures past and present from the nations of Hawaii, Tonga, Tahiti, Fiji, Samoa and Aotearoa (New Zealand), along with food, shopping and live shows.

What you may not be aware of is how the PCC fits into the lives of many of its employees, about seventy percent of whom are enrolled at the nearby Brigham Young University Hawaii (BYU-H). The symbiotic relationship between the two entities (both properties of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), ensures a steady supply of workers for the PCC while also providing the students with secure jobs so they can pay for their college educations. Many of these young people might not otherwise be able to afford a degree.

Sharing Aloha is a documentary offering a detailed “behind the curtain” view of the PCC. It features moving stories of some of the center’s employees that illustrate their challenges and fragile economic circumstances. For instance, we see a young man from Fiji who is overwhelmed by the luxury within the university dorms where he is assigned to live. (The multiple beds and tiny room would leave most North Americans unimpressed.) Uncomfortable sleeping in a bed while his mother back home has only a mattress on the floor, he puts his mattress on the floor too.

Another example is Malcolm Timoteo, originally from Las Vegas. After making some poor decisions during high school, his family urges him to relocate to Islands and work on his uncle’s farm. While that puts some distance between the young adult and his problems, things don’t work out as hoped for and Malcom soon finds himself homeless in Hawaii. Eventually landing a job as an usher at the PCC, Malcom takes his first steps towards proving to his parents that he isn’t a failure. Not long afterwards, his commendable work ethic attracts the attention of his supervisors, which leads to opportunities to discover his performance talents and attend school. Now his future is full of possibilities.

As well as these personal insights, the film also dips a toe into social media accusations of cultural appropriation and exploitation by the PCC of its young staff. Multiple students respond to these concerns. One young woman exclaims she used to perform for free in her homeland, while here she’s getting paid and receiving an education. Others explain the center’s efforts to find students whose heritage aligns with those they are representing. Staff and students interviewed express a respect for all the cultures portrayed and the privilege they feel when they represent each other’s homelands. They hope their example will fosters a greater feeling of unity between cultures around the world too.

While this movie isn’t groundbreaking cinema, it does offer an interesting look at the operations and mission of this popular tourist destination. Probably the biggest downside to Sharing Aloha is if you haven’t been to the Polynesian Cultural Center, you’ll want to start saving for a trip to the Aloha State.

About author

Rod Gustafson

Rod Gustafson has worked in various media industries since 1977. He founded Parent Previews in 1993, and today continues to write and broadcast the reviews in newspapers, on radio and (of course) on the Internet. His efforts also include writing and researching media in all its forms and observing how it effects society and culture. He and his wife Donna have four children.