Hating ourselves

Re: Chinese influence in Samoa 

Another racist letter to the Samoa Observer about the Chinese. This Asipau writer straining with every scrape of the empty barrel to try and differentiate and isolate the newer Chinese migrants as some “other” to be feared; to be despised; to be suspicious of, and ultimately to be de-humanised. 

The aim is to discriminate against them and their families and drive them out of the country, despite any enduring familial links they have to Samoa.

It is quite sad there are still racist views like this today in Samoan society. Especially when Samoans themselves suffer racism when they migrate in their droves to overseas countries, especially the palagi countries. Indeed, the writer will likely have many relatives number among those migrants overseas.

All the more sad because these newer Chinese are doing exactly what the first wave of Chinese did - marry Samoans, have Samoan children, and set up businesses to sustain their Samoan livelihoods.

For such a Christian country, there is far too much hate and racism being bred on the pages of the daily newspaper with letter writers like this. 

Learn from the racism overseas; nothing good comes of it. If Samoa has ever been taken over, it was by the palagi, not by the Chinese. 

Samoa has been fortunate that the migrants who have come to Samoa have assimilated into Samoa and become Samoans; unlike nearby Fiji where Fiji-Indians are distinct and remain culturally separate from the indigenous Fijians. In fact, every Samoan family will probably have a relation who is descended from a palagi or Melanesian or a Chinese migrant. Hating migrants is essentially hating ourselves.

 

Petelo Suaniu 

Samoa Observer

Upgrade to Premium

Subscribe to
Samoa Observer Online

Enjoy unlimited access to all our articles on any device + free trial to e-Edition. You can cancel anytime.

>