Roots Tourism: Blackbirding and the South Sea Islander Diaspora

Abstract

Roots tourism and diaspora travel are inextricably aligned and embody more than just another avenue for the expansion of tourism. This article, using Vanuatu as the context, argues that roots tourism has far broader implications for diaspora, especially in so far as geopolitical relationships between colonial powers and their former outposts are concerned. The return sojourns of Australia's South Sea Islander diaspora are used in this article to highlight the phenomenon of roots tourism. The circumstances surrounding the arrival of the first islanders during what became known as the blackbirding era, beginning in the 1860s through to the early 1900s, is subject to contestation as to whether this constituted free or forced labor. Such narratives are common among diaspora when evaluating the legacy of colonialism, particularly when the specter of exploitation and mistreatment resonates. Roots tourism and the travel of diaspora are aimed at reconciling the ensuing questions of identity, culture, and place. This article argues that roots tourism offers personal relief and restitution as well as contributes to broader sociopolitical advancement between the descendants of the colonized and present-day institutions.