Lilika and Maxine are two Tongan sisters, born and raised in Hawai'i, now living on opposite ends of the Pacific Ocean, sharing their experiences on history, culture, and family, while relating it all to their present realities. From California to Japan and back to Oceania.
In this episode, we have a new segment and welcome a Special Guest, our youngest sibling, Evaloni Fonua. We continue our discussion on Epeli Hau'ofa essay "Pasts to Remember."Things you will learn in this episode:* The meaning of "Ai Ke Pau!"* Our new segment, "Talanoa Ae Kainga"* Ways in how to reconstruct our Oceania histories
In this episode, we talk about why it has taken us so long to get episode 5 done, emotional labor, exhaustion, "politics," community and family relationships.Things you will learn in this episode:* Tongan WOD (word of the day)* This week's “Mālie Highlight”...To be continued. Stay tuned for Part 2 next week!
In this episode, we recap episode 3 on language barriers, we share the Tongan word of the day, introduce this week's highlight. We talk about what is happening in our hometown community, the topic of culture erasure and righteous anger and share some of our experiences.Things you will learn in this episode:* Tongan WOD (word of the day)* This week's “Mālie Highlight”* Protests against the Kahuku Wind Farm* Our experiences with culture erasure * "Righteous Anger"
In this episode, we recap episode 2 on migration, we share the Tongan word of the day, introduce a few new segments, and talk about our experiences learning (or lack of) Tongan, the stigma that comes with it, and how we can better revitalize and reserve our cultural languages.Things you will learn in this episode:* Tongan WOD (word of the day)* “Sai Ke Tau ‘ilo” Segment * “Mālie Highlight” Segment * Our experiences learning Tongan* Breaking Language barriers * The meaning of “Ko e ha ho ‘uhinga?”
In this episode, we recap episode 1 on names, share a Tongan word of the day, and talk about our family’s migration and how it has affected our reality today, as Tongans born in the diaspora.Things you will learn in this episode:* Tongan WOD (word of the day)* Our family’s migration from Tonga to the USA* The meaning of “Ko ho’o ha’u mei fe?* Local vs. Native
In this episode, Lilika and Maka introduce themselves and some background of their upbringing. Lilika lives in Japan while Maka lives and works in the Bay Area, California. They talk about the reason why they decided to start a podcast, how they decided on the podcast name, and they share their experiences as Tongans born in the diaspora.Things you will learn in this episode:* What to expect from this podcast* The meaning of “Kakai Mei Tahi”* The meaning of “Ko hai ho hingoa?* Tongan Naming CustomsResources mentioned in the episode:* ‘Epeli Hau’ofa’s “We are the Ocean” Selected Works.
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