Hawaii university holds talk on 'mental health implications' of 'colonial mentality'

This past semester, the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM) hosted an event titled, “Brown Skin, White Minds: Colonial Mentality and Mental Health among Historically Oppressed Communities.”

The event, which took place on March 14, was organized by the Abot Kamay na Pangarap Project and Samahang Filipino Club of Hawai’i Community College and sponsored by the UHM Student Equity Excellence and Diversity Program.

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“Centering the experiences of Filipino Americans and other historically oppressed peoples, this talk will discuss the mental health implications of colonial mentality or internalized oppression and how this insidious phenomenon may exist and operate outside of our awareness, intention, or control,” a presentation description read.

Author and professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage, E.J.R. David, led the lecture on “internalized oppression,” a topic he addressed in his 2014 book, Internalized Oppression: The Psychology of Marginalized Groups.

David is also the author of the 2013 book, Brown Skin, White Minds: Filipino -/ American Postcolonial Psychology, which is described as “a tool for remembering the past and as a tool for awakening to address the present.”

A university spokesperson told Campus Reform that, “Higher education is about sharing and discussing new ideas and concepts and different perspectives, especially on topics that can be considered divisive. This is one of the ways we learn.” 

“The University of Hawaiʻi easily hosts more than a hundred different speakers, presenters and performances each year throughout the 10 campus system,” the spokesperson added. 

UHM has been a site of several other controversies recently, mainly related to anti-Israel occurrences.

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In March, a UHM student wrote: “Who ever did this I hope u die a slow and painful death #freepalestine,” in reaction to seeing Israeli flags that were placed at the school’s campus. 

On May 3, during an anti-Israel rally, one protester allegedly threatened a pro-Israel UHM alumna, telling her: “The only thing keeping you safe right now is the community guidelines.”

Campus Reform has reached out to E.J.R. David for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.