{"id":262644,"date":"2020-07-23T06:29:37","date_gmt":"2020-07-23T10:29:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=262644"},"modified":"2020-07-23T06:29:37","modified_gmt":"2020-07-23T10:29:37","slug":"far-right-boogaloo-movement-is-using-hawaiian-shirts-to-hide-its-intentions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2020\/07\/23\/far-right-boogaloo-movement-is-using-hawaiian-shirts-to-hide-its-intentions\/","title":{"rendered":"Far-right ‘boogaloo’ movement is using Hawaiian shirts to hide its intentions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Members of the loosely organized far-right \u201cboogaloo\u201d movement are making the rounds in the news. They\u2019re gaining notoriety not for being linked to domestic acts of terrorism in the United States<\/a>, but for their penchant for Hawaiian shirts.<\/p>\n

Their fondness for aloha-infused militia looks has caught the interest of journalists and prominent news outlets<\/a>. This mix of street fashions has become an identifying characteristic of boogaloo boys or bois.<\/p>\n

The boogaloo is a fragmented community<\/a> that began as a firearms board on 4chan<\/a> and then blossomed on Facebook<\/a>. The term boogaloo<\/a> comes from the 1980s movie Breakin\u2019 2: Electric Boogaloo<\/em>. More recently the term has been used to refer to anti-government sentiment, civil unrest and the desire for a second civil war<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The boogaloo community includes far-right, pro-gun, anti-government libertarians spanning a wide spectrum of ideologies including white supremacy<\/a>, anarchy and a range of conspiracy theories. The boogaloo are, however, unified by violent militant attitudes and terrorist tendencies. They are also savvy when it comes to managing their public image and hiding their actions.<\/p>\n

Hawaiian shirts vs. aloha shirts<\/h2>\n

As a scholar studying the intersections of fashion, visual culture and social issues, the boogaloo\u2019s adoption of Hawaiian shirts troubles me. Hawaiian shirts have historically<\/a> symbolized place, consumerism, colonialist oppression and the opposition to conventional culture, and have been an alternative to formal wear<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On the one hand, we have the problematic association of Hawaiian prints with laid-back lifestyles. On the other hand, Indigenous Hawaiians perceive these motifs as stereotyping their authentic culture<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Hawaiian shirts\u2019 meanings play out in surprising ways within the far-right\u2019s efforts to make their ideology mainstream. For mainstream onlookers, Hawaiian shirts worn with tactical gear may fool them about the boogaloo\u2019s true colours. The common association of Hawaiian prints with relaxed easy-going attitudes<\/a> is misguided here. The boogaloo are bent on violence<\/a> and hope for a second civil war to advance their agenda<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Called aloha shirts<\/a> in Hawaii, these garments were reclaimed from their colonialist implications by Indigenous Hawaiian designers. Since the mid-1980s, designers like Sig Zane have injected aloha prints with authentic Indigenous energy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Early Hawaiian shirts featured Asian motifs, which were replaced by local motifs in the 1930s. With this shift the shirts started embodying \u201caloha,\u201d meaning respect for all animated or inanimate beings<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For Hawaiians, and especially Indigenous Hawaiians, the boogaloo\u2019s co-opting of Hawaiian shirts is outrageous. In today\u2019s Hawaii, aloha shirts symbolize tolerance and Hawaiians don\u2019t want it associated with the racism of the boogaloo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Five
The boogaloo are known for being armed and wearing militia-style clothing.<\/span>
\n(Anthony Crider\/Flickr)<\/a>, CC BY<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Boogaloo boys\u2019 street style<\/h2>\n

Although the boogaloo movement seems to pop up in 2019, its roots are entrenched in online fringe politics. Civil rights advocacy groups and researchers have linked the boogaloo to white supremacist<\/a> groups as early as 2013. These online communities are a natural evolution from neo-Nazi and militant white nationalist organizations.<\/p>\n

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\n
\nRead more:
\nHow conspiracy theories spread online \u2013 it’s not just down to algorithms<\/a>
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Accessorizing fatigues with Hawaiian shirts<\/a> is a styling attempt by far-right groups to manage their public image. The clash of camo or tactical fabrics and aloha prints is certainly striking. This is especially true against urban backdrops of cityscapes or protester and police outfits.<\/p>\n

It isn\u2019t new for white supremacists to co-opt conformity dress, but incorporating Hawaiian shirts<\/a> opens new avenues for political posturing. A similar strategy was employed in 2017 by white supremacist protesters in Charlottesville, Va. They sported polo shirts and khakis<\/a>, in an attempt to lend a sense of legitimacy to their cause.<\/p>\n

White supremacists adopted business casual attire to distance themselves from the negative connotations of Nazi and Ku Klux Klan garb. At least superficially, this new look helped conceal their true nature. But their violence eventually surfaced and fashion brands\u2019 promptly made declarations to distance themselves<\/a> from the movement.<\/p>\n

What do Hawaiian shirts mean to the far-right?<\/h2>\n

Perhaps Hawaiian shirts, fatigues and assault weapons synthesize the disparity of beliefs among the loosely organized boogaloo. The colourful elements in Hawaiian prints could suggest this unity in a perceived diversity. Although these fringe groups share a belief in an upcoming race war, they differ on many other topics.<\/p>\n

Some commentators have suggested that the Hawaiian shirt motifs speak to the boogaloo\u2019s online origins<\/a>. After all, they were a meme before becoming a somewhat coherent virtual and then physical organization. This inside joke, copy-and-paste esthetic of memes and GIFs<\/a> is shared by boogaloos in social media.<\/p>\n

Integrating Hawaiian prints into paramilitary outfits is a calculated effort by far-right affiliates. They want to get noticed in a crowded political space. Thus, the boogaloos\u2019 seemingly innocent outfits are about calling attention to themselves, while simultaneously masking their violent intentions.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be tricked by the kitschy cheerfulness of their Hawaiian prints. There is nothing as far from the aloha spirit<\/a> as the hate championed by the boogaloo.\"The<\/p>\n

Henry Navarro Delgado<\/a>, Associate Professor of Fashion, Ryerson University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

This article is republished from The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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