Brianna: 6th

Recently I read a blog about how Samoan kids have it hard when they grow up away from Samoa and live in the states. I decided that this was interesting; especially because it refers to me since I am half Samoan and half palagi or white person and decided to do a blog on it.

            I, personally, think that it is hard for kids that grow up away from their ethnicity group but also we have it easy, we don't have to face some hurdles our parents had to face when they were growing up. I am just learning to speak the Samoan language because I haven't been exposed to it in recent years and I really am just starting to become aware of the real Samoan culture. I have lived in the states for all of my life, never even been to Samoa, but I want to learn about Samoa and to be as good a Samoan I can be though I also want to be as good a palagi I can be too. That could mean walking a very fine line between the two cultures.

            On one hand in Samoa elders are the most highly regarded and usually eat first. In the states though it is, in most cases, first come first serve. Another difference in the two cultures is the way they bring up their children. In Samoa the kids usually are like servants, they do what they are told when they are told without complaints. Basically the Samoan way is much stricter. In the states though in most cases, kids are usually expected to do good in school and do some chores, not be like servants, much less harder on the children. More differences are that men hunt and cook the food and women are supposed to take care of the fale or house. They tell stories through dance like the Siva Afi or fire dance. In the states kids usually ride the bus or a car to make their way to school but in Samoa kids either have to walk for over two miles or more, ride a boat or swim to the mainland so they can go to school.  When they do get out of school they have chores, like the boys have to cook and the girls have to clean before they can do anything fun. The girls also are not allowed to date unless the parents approve and if one is found, the boy is beat up by anyone who is related to the family, much unlike the in states. If that is not enough of differences another thing is that when someone gets married the high chief of the family must come to the boys or girls family to ask permission to marry the daughter or son. All in all the two cultures are very different and have very different ideas of society, so how are we supposed to find the middle?

            I believe that the middle is to just to respect both cultures and to keep both cultures alive through your own living, this not only goes for people of Samoan background but for anyone feeling a little homesick, if you feel like your losing your culture or if you feel you are feeling confused between two cultures you embody. We should respect our cultures and try to live our lives to the best of our abilities like this fellow blogger from http://samoanwoman.wordpress.com says   

            "We should be proud of whoever we are.  Some of us may be both a palagi and a Samoan, or a Chinese and a Samoan, or a Tongan and a Samoan.  If that's you, celebrate you are.  Be proud of all that you are.  Many of us come wearing more than just the one hat.  We're not just one or the other.  We're many pieces that have come together to form the one.  All of that makes us who we are."

         This is true, we should be proud and should try our best to keep any culture we are alive but also be open to other cultures and incorporate that into our identity. We should try to be the best that we can be even if that best is a little part of everything.

                                              Image of Samoa provided by Classroom Clipart