*clears throat*...NOT ALL Pacific Islanders are big, masculine, play volleyball/football/rugby. We are not all related and for the love of God...we are not all Hawaiian.

Growing up Pasifika,  we’ve all heard a stereotype, misconception, or generalization about ourselves and we’re here today to try and put an end to these images and labels that have exhausted many of us. 

In this episode Keely sits down with the one other Polynesian she knew defied all Pasifika stereotypes, her younger sister Taulia Ma’ilo. What’s the “thrifty gene” hypothesis and is it why we’re ALL “so big”? Why are Pasifika women either masculinized (the aggressive fighter) or hypersexualized (the sensual hula girl)? What happens when we start to believe and embody the stereotypes enforced on us by others and our own people? Join the Ma’ilo sisters as they debunk, evaluate, and discuss some of these inaccurate (and sometimes very racist) narratives the general public has about our community. 

Sources:

Corbett, H. (2022, May 24). The history behind Common Aapi stereotypes. Forbes. Retrieved March 9, 2023, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/hollycorbett/2022/05/23/the-history-behind-common-aapi-stereotypes/?sh=65fd76bd73e1 

Langi, G. (n.d.). My Polynesian pride. The Mirror. Retrieved March 9, 2023, from https://vnhsmirror.com/207857/uncategorized/my-polynesian-pride/ 

Senthilingam, M. (2015, May 1). How paradise became the fattest place in the world. CNN. Retrieved March 9, 2023, from https://www.cnn.com/2015/05/01/health/pacific-islands-obesity/index.html 

Sloss, M. (2021, December 14). 12 things I'm sick and tired of hearing as a Samoan woman. BuzzFeed. Retrieved March 9, 2023, from https://www.buzzfeed.com/morgansloss1/things-i-hate-hearing-samoan-woman 

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