Thinking about Samoan and Chinese immigrants' children and their futures (Children of migration)

 Children of migration (review)

Samoans come to New Zealand with the hope of good education and better life. Most of them come to New Zealand with their children and later have more children. Deep in their heart, they always want to go back to their home town after they get rich, for they worship their homeland for ever.

However, the lives in New Zealand are not always the same as they expected. Before they come, they dream very positively about the lives ahead, but after coming, they begin to find that they are bond to the hard work and have very little time for their children. The only time for them to be together is on Sunday, when, parents go to the church together with their children, and then enjoy a moment of peace.

In real life, Samoans respect their family life, no matter how much success they have got, they want to share with their families; no matter how far they are away from their families, they always think that their families are their soul. Samoans’ parents could do all kinds things for their children, and the children are taught to be kind towards their parents, which are very same habits like Asian.

Actually, after many years in New Zealand, the children have grown up and they slowly find New Zealand is their real hometown, and eventually, the parents could not return back to Samoa anymore, for the sake of their children. Generation after generation, Samoan become New Zealand’s kiwi, their life have been blended with the local. Only one thing has not been changed, their culture, their original culture, passing down mouth to mouth, they still keep their own customs and habits within their circles. They are half Samoans and half New Zealanders in their hearts still. This may be the results of all immigrants.

This reminds me of Chinese immigrants in New Zealand. Chinese belongs to a very small minority in New Zealand, and they have very different culture and habits with local people, so they also feel very boring and lonely in New Zealand. The motivation for their immigration to New Zealand is children’s education and future. China is developing very quickly, but its basic facilities are still needed to be improved, so, many parents want to try more advanced western education system in New Zealand. Same as Samoans’, Chinese children develop more and more Kiwi styles and choose to stay, so, their parents may have to stay in New Zealand forever, which is out of their own original perception.

I once ask some Chinese, whose grandparents immigrated to New Zealand from Old China, what did they think about China. They shake their heads and said they did not have any ideas about their roots, for no one told them anymore, their parents may remember some, but with the development of China, they totally did not know what and what, so, at last, they would not ask anymore, the only thing they could relate to China is Chinese Lantern Festival and old family photos, that is all. They are different from Chinese internally.

Time could change everything, no matter you want to accept or not, immigrants’ minds are changing. As long as they live in a peaceful country, they generally think everything is same; they live in the place, then the place belongs  to them, and they worship it as their hometown. The history of immigrants is like the history of human beings, there is no right or wrong, only recognition.

Therefore, as a country of immigration, New Zealand has great cultural diversity, and needs to face many challenges in the future. In order to have a peaceful and prosperous society, all immigrants are responsible for the acceptance of other people’s culture, so, people of different diversity could understand and respect each other. In the future, they may care about the same thing, attend the same festivals, and discuss about the same topic of the country, they are kiwi, at least they think by themselves. Just like the present Kiwi, most of them are of English offspring, but they now call them Kiwi, no one call themselves English anymore, for they have already belonged to this country, these Samoan and Chinese are the same as well.

A letter to the author.

A letter to the author as a response to Grace Taylor's spoken word poem, "Navigating Space."

Dear Ms Taylor,

            Hi. How’s it going? I hope all is well with you. I am writing this letter to state my thoughts, opinions and own experiences relating to your poem, “Navigating Spaces.” First of all, I really love how your poem portrays a message that almost everyone can relate to, especially those who are passionate about their own culture, origins and heritage despite any challenges. Secondly, I like how proud you are of being an Afakasi and how you are not afraid of what you perceive yourself as. My favourite line in the poem would be, “Where I’m from, I’m always half, but half for me is full. I’m a race within a race.” I think this line is a strong symbol of patriotism and love to your own country. Finally, I love it when you said that the people in your country “survived” during the colonising period, “adapted” to the new environment, but still “remembered” their old land.

As a girl who comes from a place that was colonised by many countries, I understand what it is like to have different bloods. The Philippines was first settled by the people from Malaysia. After that, we were colonised by the Spanish and Mexican for almost four centuries and then ruled by the Americans for forty years. Just like stated in your poem, we fought, survived and adapted to new way of living. But we still remember to this day our own originality. Furthermore, although I have Malaysian and Spanish bloods in my bloodline, I still define myself as a proud Filipino. I’m proud of my culture and how far my country has gone through. This is the reason why I agree and relate to your viewpoints about being an Afakasi.

Now living in the land of the long white clouds, I’ve gone through many things. Yet, seven years of living in a foreign country did not stop me from thinking and reflecting back to my home country, my culture, my roots and colours. Every day, I think about the things me and my family used to do in the Philippines. I also think about the things I’ve learned back home. I would never forget about my culture because it is what made me the individual I am today.

Yours Sincerely, 

Jodealyn Cadacio

a book and a pen

“A Book and a Pen” is a poem written by Jon Jonassen (1980). It is a very nice poem. It describes the confused feeling of the author. He found that he actually did not know who he was and why he lived, with 'a book and a pen', which he used for the whole life. He finished high education and got a job, but the job was not related with his study. When he got old and returned back to his hometown, he eventually found that he couldn't interpret the meaning with the knowledge he learned from schools, and he was disappointed.

The hero repeats the" book and pen "three times, that means he has read many things, and written a lot, which are thought to be necessary for the ruling class and for his future. However, all his learning is proven to be useless in his job- “trash” he explains it as. His people still live in the very primitive life and style, they do not need it.

Moreover, the "book and pen" is again proven to be unfitted for his original life after he retires to his hometown, for people communicate to each other with their own indigenous languages and songs, which seem very different from what he received from his "book and pen" education.

He seems understand that he has just learned according to what "they " asked him to study. He is forced to accept all kinds of 'new thing', for 'they' thought that he needs to give up his backward culture and language.

But as a human being, one thing is with him the whole life: his original culture, his source of living; he may forget it for a period of times for some reasons, he eventually would remember who he is, and, what he longs for, in his deepest heart. Just as the author wrote, the old songs and legends about his ancestors linger when he getting old, and he regrets for his not knowing them earlier, maybe he should have learned them younger, for this brings him life in the end.

This poem calls out that colonization can conquer a person's outer action and even his knowledge, while can not conquer a person's internal spirit. Human traditions and cultures can pass down generation to generation, even not by written communication, for they flow from  people's heart.

Poem for saved

 A response to Saved by Jon Jonassen


You have come into our country
You have come for your own country
You have let us keep our custom
You have let us keep our language
You haven't changed us much

You have taught us your ways
You have taught us your customs
You have taught us your language
You haven't changed us much

You have promised us our freedom
You have loved us
You have made us loved you
You have our loyalty
You have our soldiers to help you fight the Japanese
You haven't changed us that much

We believed in you
We died for you
We fought for you
We loved you unconditionally
But you turned your back on us
You have betrayed us
You have ruined our friendship

You have given our freedom to another
You gave up on us
You let us suffer when you left
You let our people died
Now you have blood of my people in your hand
You haven't changed us that much

You have given the power to another
They treat us like animals
They take away our land
They take away our homes
They take our children and women
They then rape and kill our women
They also take our men
They take us to be porters
They turn us into slavery
They beat me and my people
Our people keep dying
You haven't changed us that much

You have come into our country
You have come for your own country
You let us keep our custom
You let us keep our language
When you left us with another
You have changed us in the most unimaginable way

So on behalf of my people
I have a message to you
When you were in our country
You promised my people
That you will give us freedom
You taught us your ways
We have loved you
We fought for you
We died for you
But we curse you when you left
For you have caused us to cry tears
For our women and our people

Avoid Manipulation

My first personal response to the poem called “Kidnapped” by Ruperake Petaia

I walk a mile,

head facing down,

head facing down.

In an unfamiliar place…

I’m in a field,

I look around

captured by awe.

In an unfamiliar place…

Time does not sleep,

Light whelmed, by night.

Lost, lost feeling.

In an unfamiliar place…

Fear will hunt me,

Lost, I might be.

Path, I can’t see.

In an unfamiliar place…

A voice tells me,

You, can be free!

You, can be free!

From an unfamiliar place.

A response to A book and Pen by Vaine Rasmussen and Kidnapped by Ruperake Petaia

Dear Editor

Hi I’m writing this letter to state my point of view about the theme portray in the poems A book and a pen and kidnapped written by Vaine Rasmussen and Repereka Petaia. In my point of View the education that the two authors got wasn’t a waste and only if that have think positively they could have use the education that have receives to help their own people.

My name is Wah Eh Htoo and I came from Burma but my ethnicity is Karen. My country is ridden with war, we are fighting a side that are trying to colonise us by mutilating our women, killing our children, our elderly, taking our land and trying to destroy our culture and our people. They have driven us out of our own country for generations yet we are resisting. I have been driven out of my country into New Zealand the land of the long white cloud, where education is free and where education is the most important thing. I have to agree with that view. I was one of the lucky few that have a freedom to study at primary intermediate, college and university. I haven't graduate yet but when I do graduate my dream is to go back to my own country to help my people. Let me tell you a story about a friend of mine. 

My friend name Amy who came to New Zealand 13 years ago.

Amy came from the same country as me.  We both came with a Refugee status and because of the war Amy doesn't have time to go to school, and even when she is at school there were not much school supplies. So the only things they can do are listening to the teacher and write on the ground. Sometime there is even no school, especially if they are running in the jungle. So to have pen and papers to use is a luxury for Amy. 

When Amy first came to New Zealand she was surprised with all the education and how free the education is.

Amy was encouraged by her mum to study. Her mum once told her

"Amy, I have nothing to give you the only thing that I am able to give you is education, so Study hard"

Amy took that word to heart and study to become a Doctor at a University in Auckland.

I asked her why she tried so hard and she told me,

"The only thing my mum can provide for me is education, its might not be much, but if I can get a degree in Medicine I can go back to my country and help my people"

Amy involved herself in the community in New Zealand, helping them to retain their culture. Amy graduated in medicine with the piece of paper that the authors said was useless. Now Amy is in Thailand helping out our people with illness like malaria, or an amputated leg.  

I also have the same dream as Amy and she is my inspiration but instead of being a doctor my aim is to be a teacher. 

The education that my friend Amy got wasn't a waste. Just like the authors she came from a foreign country that has no freedom but made the most of the education that she got.

Your's Sincerely

Wah Eh Htoo

A poem response to Vaine Rasmussen's poem "A Book and a Pen"

Here's my first attempt in writing a poem as a response to Vaine Rasmussen's poem A Book and a Pen



At only a decade old
They gave me a green booklet and a white document
To use for traveling
A puffer jacket, a beanie and a scarf
To wear if it turns cold
No need to bring a baggage
Just bring the sultry heat of our summer
The image of our palm trees, our green meadows
And our roots and colors

Half a decade later
Well-adjusted and wearing a puffer jacket,
A beanie and a scarf
They gave me lots of folded white papers,
And then an entrance to University
Overjoyed,
But still feeling the sultry heat of my summer
The image of my palm trees, my green meadows
My roots and colors

A decade later
I came home with a puffer jacket,
A beanie and a scarf on my one hand
A piece of paper on the other,
Called a CV
I sat down, contented with everything
And felt the sultry heat of my summer
The image of my palm trees, my green meadows
My roots and colors