Digging for our Roots
Words by P3ATO
Connecting to our roots can be hard—we know this. Weaving the edges of our teachings and values of home, to those in this colonial space tends to feel impossible; since Pasefika concepts aren’t always compatible with the Western world and vice versa.
This leaves us thirsty, yearning for a place to belong, not just in the Pacific or this colonial space, but in the world. Because how are we to stand grounded and tall without roots? As Pasefika young’ns, it’s often difficult to connect to our roots whilst being expected to conform to whiteness. Our people are widely associated with low socio-economic backgrounds, our struggles to assimilate to whiteness often translate to ‘illiteracy’. Acts of resistance taken by our people—consequently to this nation’s overtly discriminatory systems and policies—have us known as “Pacific island male of large build, known to be dangerous do not approach”.
The assimilation of our identity, similar—though not at all identical—to the experiences of our Black brothers and sisters, is why it’s easy for us to find solace in the familiar waves of Black culture. And that’s the issue: it’s easy for us.
These days, Black culture and some parts of afrocentric beauty are fashionable. The same items of Black culture which are seen on runways and fashion shoots, still earn Black people labels such as ‘crude’ or ‘suspicious’. FUCK that. For our Black brothers and sisters, their cornrows and durags come laced with discrimination and marginalizing labels but when we, children of the Pacific, wear those items or hairstyles, we look skux for a minute and all is good. Do you see how that’s a problem? It’s easy for us to imitate Black culture and aspects of afrocentric beauty for social gain. However, (1) it’s not our culture to use for personal gain and (2) Black people are persecuted for flaunting their own culture.
The n-word. Every one of us knows the palpable effect this word can have on our Black brothers and sisters, which should be enough reason not to use it. As fellow minorities who face our own fucked up instances of discrimination and racism, we have no right to impose discomfort upon or question the struggles of other minority groups. In spite of this, there are some of us whose lips are constantly parting with the word, ever so easily and callously. We seem to be under the impression that our brown skin gives us a pass to use it. Easily, the word is thrown off of our tongues. Even though we know that through events such as slavery and segregation, the n-word became a dehumanizing term to direct hate and disgust towards Black people. We don’t experience the oppression of walking through an anti-Black society with Black skin so we aren’t part of their collective. Which means that even in its reclaimed, repurposed form it’s not okay for us to use the word. If you want a racial slur to throw around and be slick, repurpose one of our own cuz.
We turn up and bob our heads with ease for the lyricism of the likes of Biggie & Pac. But when it comes to calling out our own families, circles, and communities for their anti-Blackness, we lack that energy. When it comes time to turn up in solidarity for the Black Lives Matter movement, we lack that energy. We consume Black culture on the daily with ease, yet struggle to come through for our Black brothers and sisters. For us to continuously take and take from the culture of our Black brothers and sisters, and then sit comfortably in ignorance of their struggles is anti-Black, and shows our privilege. Let’s keep the same energy we have whilst c-walking in Boston, when we reject anti-Blackness and support our Black brothers and sisters. Sawlid.
It’s easy. It’s easy. It’s easy. In the same way in which we expect white people to be always checking their privilege, *we should be checking ourselves*. Cause whilst we fight for equity, our Black sisters and brothers fight for survival.