Me Too Research & Resources

I attempted to be as authentic as I could be with my research for Me Too. I'm a Black American woman and I understand what it feels like to have my culture appropriated and I didn't want that for my half Native Hawaiian MC, Luca. I also wanted to spread the history of the dances mentioned in the novel and the history behind them. 

If you haven't realized it yet, Koa Maile is not a real place in Kaua'i or on any Hawaiian island. I did that on purpose to make sure I wasn't telling the history of an actually place wrong. So please don't go searching for it, or visiting Hawai'i trying to find it, especially during the pandemic. Hawaiians are pleading with tourists not to visit. So please don't! And that's my PSA!

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Here are the resources I used in Me Too:

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• Hawaiian dictionary - https://wehewehe.org/?l=en

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• Hawaiian proverbs - https://www.tourmaui.com/hawaiian-quotes-proverbs/

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• Hawaiian heritage - https://wanderwisdom.com/travel-destinations/Hawaii-and-Native-Hawaiians-What-You-May-Not-Know

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• Black Chitimacha heritage - https://iamblackchitimacha.wordpress.com/our-history/

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• Senegal jewelry (inspiration for Nadia’s unknown African heritage) - https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/02/02/660636686/senegals-stunning-gold-jewelry-and-the-controversial-women-who-wore-it

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• Detroit Hustle - https://gluckprogram.ucr.edu/sites/g/files/rcwecm731/files/2019-08/d50_detroithustle.pdf

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• Cupid Shuffle - https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.vahperd.org/resource/resmgr/imported/Sonna%20Longden%20Holidays%20handout.pdf

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• Electric Slide - https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/stage/2020/jun/11/how-the-electric-slide-became-the-black-lives-matter-protest-dance https://people.howstuffworks.com/stories-behind-electric-slide-moonwalk-and-other-epic-dance-moves.htm