positive things Pacific Islanders do that are unbeatable (not bias at all): a thread

• we love to serve. serve our church, serve our families, serve the community - service is key

• we are raised by villages. I don’t know any Pacific Islander who can say they were raised by their parents alone. Raising children is a communal act - even if you’re apart of the diaspora

• historically many, if not all, indigenous pacific islands were accepting of different sexual orientations - many male warriors (yes warriors) had male partners/lovers

• sisters are regarded as high ranking in the social hierarchy (fahu system, the feagaiga) - The pacific islands are traditionally a matriarchal society.

• Tonga has the most PhD’s in the world per capita - we are not savages; we are doctors, engineers, teachers, scientists, lawyers, we are all of the above and more

• many Pacific greetings do not translate to “hello” but are manifestations of acknowledging eachother with love/recognising another’s breath of life

• Pacific Islanders navigated the world going as far as the indigenous America’s while white people thought there were monsters in the Pacific Ocean - thousands of years later coloniser James Cook would say he discovered the pacific

• Kanaka Maoli reclaimed surfing as a form of expression and connection to the land while colonial Americans commercialised it for tourism

• Pacific Islanders were masters of medicinal healing, astrology, science, and navigating

• Pacific Islanders pride themselves on the values of love, service, humility, and courage

• much of the food we eat is actually plant based/vegan (in Samoa anyway)

• Where ever we go in the world more people are bound to follow and help others to join along the way - eg. My dad bought his brothers, who bought their cousins, who bought their families and now Auckland has the largest population of Islanders than any other city in the world

• we respect the land of the people we are on MORE than the colonial government - for me, it is the law of tikanga (the customs of Māori), for others it might be First Nations, or native Americans.

^ if you come to Samoa we expect you to respect our village customs in return

• birthdays, weddings, funerals and other functions are not solely paid for by the respective host family - we all contribute to the event with money, food, & other services

• *traditionally* brothers are meant to cook, clean, and serve their sisters families — “my sister is the pupil of my eye” — a (rough translation of a) Samoan proverb.

• we never turn up empty handed, it is considered rude to visit an extended family member or friend without a gift in the form of food, especially if you recently came from the islands.

• we only take from from the land what WE NEED — the rest should be distributed to the village

• Pacific people value education. Education is seen as a way to advance ones position in life — parents are willing to spend thousands to send their kids to good schools, even working long hours and multiple jobs.

• FOOD IS A BIG THING. Food is how we show love, how we care for people. Food is love. Sunday lunches are feasts, and the food is ALWAYS good (but if your sapasui got veges in it, ima just leave those to side )

This was like me — when I went to Japan, I stayed with a Samoan aunt & her family that I had never met before but they welcomed me because I was Samoan & there were not many Samoan’s in Japan. https://twitter.com/ssaltedcaramel/status/1279953442094542848

• everybody eats - guarantee you that even if you turn up uninvited (but u lowkey shouldn’t) you’ll still end up eating, EVERYBODY EATS

• The Māori word for “disabled” is “whaikaha” which means to have strengthen or to be differently able

• names carry mana (power, significance) — our names mark historical events, landmarks, and can be a reflection of a families history. Our names are more than just decoration on pieces of paper.

• pacific people have social groups which allow them to discuss important issues — these are also beneficial for mental wellbeing eg. women’s committees, koko’anga (women’s ngatu making group), faikava clubs etc.