Palu (Emma)
Emma is my American name but I’m called Palu back in Tonga my motherland. We migrated from Tonga into the United States in 1990 together with my parents Malia (my mother) and Atu (my father), my grandmother Sela and Lio jr. my nephew (Small, 2011). As an immigrant in America from Tonga, I have had both awesome and challenging experiences in the United States. For instance, I have been acculturated into American life mainly because of my outgoing personality. My most significant experience is having a very intimate relationship with an African American, Greg who is my fiancé. As a Tongan, it was not easy to think of being in a relationship with someone beyond a Tongan. The experience implies that my life has completely changed and has become an American.
As just highlighted, my home is in Tonga. My home is decorated with traditional artistic styles and mats on the floors. These decorations remind me of life in the homeland and the social life in Tonga. Usually, people prepared items like mats for giving out without expecting any favors from the recipients (Small, 2011). Unlike my mother, my father Atu disliked life in America because his social class and economic were higher in Tonga than in the United States. Although our home was relatively highly recognized, the rooms were of average size and decorations were overly traditional with few western or modern designs. All the family members valued the western way of clothing. As mentioned, the social class of my family made my home somewhat different from other homes in the village.
I strongly feel and would identify myself as an American because of nearly every American aspect suites my life. However, this identity has changed over time through acculturation. Although I interact and treat people of different races without discrimination or favoritism, I find myself closer to Americans than Tongan Americans besides my family members in the United States. Migration has greatly impacted my family and culture as well as my entire life. For instance, while Tongans are mostly socialists, I and other family members have developed capitalist characteristics in that life has become more about myself and no longer about our problem (Vogel, n.a). Although my father died while still not fully acculturated into the American lifestyle and culture, nearly all other family members have limited attachment to the Tongan life and society.
Being interviewed by Cathy Small reminds me of the Tongan life and how different Tongan cultures differ from western cultures. The interview makes me feel that there are individuals with interests in different cultures and other people’s identity. While Cathy Small suggests a socialist community as an ideal community, immigration from Tonga to America has impacted my view on socialism. Having been fully acculturated in American culture, I have developed a strong belief in capitalism (Vogel, n.a). The interview has demonstrated the differences in viewpoints on immigration and the reasons why people would want to leave their home countries or delink themselves from their primary cultures. I have a strong feeling that Cathy is part of my family because of her close inquests about my life and her understanding of the life of other people. Most of my family members like knowing more about other people’s identities and cultures (Small, 2011). The underpinning reason why Cathy engaged in this anthropological investigation is the understanding of how immigration affects people’s way of life and identity. Although participating in Cathy’s interview did not have negative effects, it reintroduced memories of the old home and traditional life in Tonga. Cathy is writing from a social science viewpoint.
Discussion questions
- Palu asks Malia, do you feel migration to the United States has any effect on your primary culture?
- Palu asks Lio Jr., Do you feel Tongan American, American, Tongan, or something else, and why?
Response to posts
Lio Jr. migrated to the United States while still a small child together with Palu, Sela, Malia, and Atu. For this reason, Lio Jr. has very little attachment to the Tongan culture or lifestyle. The latter makes it easy for Lio Jr. to identify himself as an American. However, Lio Jr. would want to interact with Tongans in their homeland to have firsthand information about the Tongan culture or have some little experience in the Tongan culture. The main reason that makes Lio Jr. have a strong feeling of being an American is that most of her family members are comfortable in America and himself has no significant experience of the Tongan culture.
Malia has a feeling that, although she has significant experience with the Tongan life and culture, migration to the United States has greatly changed both her cultural values and perception about life. While life in Tonga was more of socialism, capitalism is core to the American culture. Malia would agree that her socialist character has faded away over time while adapting to the capitalist approach to life. As such, Malia understands that every individual must work hard to gain wealth and live a comfortable life. Besides, Malia would still value some of the decorations found in Tonga if she happens to see them, western life has affected strong attachment to the Tongan traditions and practices.
References
Small, C. A. (2011). Voyages: from Tongan villages to American suburbs. Cornell University Press.
Vogel, E. (n.a). Voyages Ch 2 reciprocity. retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mba9MjCij24&feature=youtu.be