Jessica Machado braids Hawaiian history into her memoir ‘Local’
Jessica Machado’s memoir “Local” is a coming-of-age story about growing up in Makakilo on Oahu in the 80s and 90s, not knowing if she belonged in the islands or about the history of Hawaii.
As an “indoor kid,” Machado felt like she didn’t fit into Hawaii’s “beachy vibes.” She lacked an appreciation for the island’s beauty, while being a “90s alt kid” who listened to Hole and was “buried under the American rituals of homework, fast food and prime-time television lineups.” Instead of finding a connection with Hawaii or her identity, she fought feelings of loneliness with alcohol and by attaching herself to the wrong people.
For anyone who lived in Hawaii during this era and frequented strip malls or enjoyed the island’s nightlife, familiar local references abound: Liberty House, Zippy’s 2 a.m. eggs and rice, pancakes at Liliha Bakery, Indigo’s in Chinatown and the Wave Waikiki.
