Friday, September 22nd was a special day on the farm. Just a quick glance at the Old Acre revealed that something was different: the Farm was decked out in marigold streamers, Farm flower bouquets, and white tablecloths for the book launch of Cooling the Tropics: Ice, Indigeneity, and Hawaiian Refreshment by Profesor Hi'ilei Hobart.
The workday was the most routine part of the afternoon, yet spectacular. The week's drizzle halted for students to harvest a bounty of sweet potatoes and do a thorough weeding job around the beds and chicken coop. Students also de-installed infrastructure such as posts and tarps in several beds to transition for the coming season.
After an afternoon of work, students, professors, and community members alike gathered around the Lazarus Pavilion for a panel honoring Profesor Hobart's latest book.
Professors Ned Blackhawk (Yale University), Jodi Byrd (Cornell University), Jean O'Brien (University of Minnesota), and Noenoe Silva (University of Hawaii Mānoa) gave their reflections on Professor Hobart's book, noting its unique analysis of how culture, infrastructure, and colonialism on the islands relate to the popularity of frozen treats, from ice cream to shave ice. Hobart’s opening remarks focused on the unidentified girl that marks her book’s cover. Analyzing the representation of Hawaiian people in frozen treat marketing campaigns serve as an entry point into the book’s themes—the impact of constructions of whiteness, Indigenous identities and food systems, supply chain networks, the tourism economy, and more.
After the panel, Joshua Ching '26, Helen Shanefield '26, and Jairus Rhoades '26 performed a moving hula to close out the program. The celebrations did not stop there. Soon after, attendees were treated to a bounty of fresh pizza, cold drinks, and, of course, some Farm-made shave ice in delicious flavor iterations of hibiscus, passionfruit, and ginger. While centered around cool treats, the Farm exuded an extra poignant sense of warmth.
Much gratitude goes out to Professor Hobart for sharing her scholarship with us, the Yale Center for the Study of Race, Indigeneity, and Transnational Migration for collaborating with YSFP on this event, as well as all who made the trip to New Haven to be there to learn and celebrate.
To many more beautiful afternoons like this one together.
Photos from the event by Grace Cajski ‘24 can be viewed here.
Update [October 9, 2023]: a more extensive article on the book launch and Prof. Hobart’s journey was published by the Yale Herald and written by Joshua Ching ‘26.