By Jillian Ogawa
The Utah desert may seem like the last place for a Pacific Islander to live.
But, in fact, the 2000 census indicates Utah has the fourth largest population of Polynesians in the United States, and the numbers are growing.
'It (the Polynesian population) has been going up quickly the last 10 years,' said Bill Afeki, director of the office of Utah Polynesian Affairs. 'I don''t see any reason why we won''t maintain that trend for a while.'
Like their Utah ancestors, many Polynesians still migrate to Utah for religious reasons, Afeki said.
'But the second attraction is the lifestyle here in Utah,' Afeki said, noting there are more job opportunities and affordable homes in Utah than on the islands.
Lupe Pi''ena, a counselor for the Multicultural Student Services, also said many Polynesian families migrate to Utah because there is more exposure and educational opportunities for their children.
Still, Pi''ena said, the Utah Polynesian community faces cultural challenges concerning education.
'Even with all of the positive support I received at home, the culture is just so strong that even I had challenges that I had to overcome and still have tendencies that I have to improve on,' said Pi''ena.
The Polynesian-Utah connection dates back to the late 20th century when missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began proselytizing on the Hawaiian Islands. Like European converts, many Polynesian converts wanted to join LDS church members in Utah. In 1889, about 50 to 75 Polynesians settled an area 20 miles south of the Great Salt Lake, and named the area Iosepa, the Hawaiian word for 'Joseph,' after Joseph F. Smith who was a LDS missionary to the islands, wrote Carol Edison in the Utah History Encyclopedia.
Although Iosepa has since been deserted, the Polynesian influence has flourished in Utah. The Ethnic Village during the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympics showed the Polynesian culture has become another facet of Utah. Polynesian groups continually gather for community and statewide celebrations throughout the year. The two Tongan LDS stakes in Utah, and the Polynesians who make up approximately 30 percent of the BYU football team also reflect the growing population of Polynesians.
Still, Afeki said, the Polynesians'' greatest challenge is education. Although the Pacific Islander youths do not have the highest dropout rate, there is still a high dropout rate, Afeki said.
For example, about one-third of Polynesian seniors do not graduate from high school because they do not complete the requirements. For the two-thirds of Polynesian seniors who do graduate, many of their GPAs are so low they are not prepared for university studies, Afeki said.
'And, to me, that is really sad, and it is because most Polynesians come to Utah for better opportunities, but it is not happening in the youth,' said Afeki.
Afeki said he thinks that happens because 'parents do not fully understand the education system. They are used to dropping students in school, and the school does everything. Schools here involve a lot of parental involvement, and both parents have to work to put food on the table. They are not able to be part of the child''s education.'
Pi''ena, a second generation Tongan, said culture clashes widen the generation gap between first-generation Polynesians and their American-born children.
'At school, they are taught to be individual, to express themselves,' Lupe said. 'At home, parents are not used to that.'
Gang activity is another problem. As of April 2003, the Salt Lake Area Gang Project reported 9 percent of gang members in the valley are Polynesian, said Marilyn Felkner, data analyst for gang unit for the Salt Lake Area Gang Project. The Polynesian population is less than 2 percent in Salt Lake County.
'The gang activity is an offshoot from bad education,' said Afeki. 'To me, once we solve the problem of education, we are going to solve a lot of the other problems that go with it.'
But once Polynesians are enrolled in college or university, cultural struggles don''t disappear.
Pi''ena said one challenge some Polynesian college students face is getting used to the spirit of academic competitiveness.
Polynesians are not aggressive by nature, nor does the Polynesian culture look favorably on competitiveness, Pi''ena said. Being in a competitive classroom requires a change of mentality, she said.
Another challenge some Polynesian students encounter is the learning style in American universities.
'Our culture is tailored to what we see, learning to what we observe, not necessarily book learning or analyzing in your head,' Pi''ena said. 'That''s something more Western in thinking. That''s another challenge our culture doesn''t really prepare us for. It''s something that we have to learn by being educated and being in the classroom. Otherwise, it''s a level of thinking that can go way above our head.'
But despite these challenges, Pi''ena said, the strong social culture makes the Polynesian culture unique. If you come to a jam session, potlucks or luau, 'you''ll find they are one of the happiest people,' said Pi''ena.