By Ana Breton

Feleti “Fred” Matagi will never forget the day his views changed during an internship he did as a graduate student at the U several years ago.

While working at the burn unit at University Hospital, a supervisor came up to him with a comment that left Matagi blindsided.

“Interns from different cultures tend to work slower than others,” said the supervisor, as Matagi recalled. “And you are definitely the slowest.”

From that moment on, Matagi, who has a Pacific-Islander background, was forced to question himself. Was it true? Was there something wrong with the culture he belonged to? Was there something wrong with him?

When Matagi confronted his supervisor weeks later, the supervisor said Matagi had misunderstood what he said.

“He said that I took it differently than how he meant to say it,” Matagi said.

“And that was just a small example,” he said. “I see it all the time.”

Now, as adviser of the Pacific Islander Student Association, Matagi works every day to stop stereotypes that surround his culture.

Many of the male students he advises are constantly asked if they are on the U’s football team just because they are Polynesian.

“In the beginning, they just said ‘oh, I’m not on the team,’ but that made them feel inferior,” he said. “So with time, they just end up saying ‘oh, the team’s great’ or ‘yeah, we’re doing good.'”

Another stereotype Matagi hopes to bring down is luaus.

Around this time 15 years ago, PISA decided to make a political statement through Pacific Islander Awareness Week: The group would not be holding the annual luau.

Instead, it defeated the “all-Hawaiians-are-good-hula-dancers” stereotype and held a talent show, he said.

This talent show, which is still held each year, features everything from students clogging to salsa dancing.

By defeating stereotypes, Matagi hopes to reach out to other ethnicities across campus.

“A lot of students see these kinds of events being advertised and think they’re just for Polynesians,” Matagi said. “And unfortunately, it ends up being that way.”

PISA will be holding a cosmology session today from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the Union Collegiate Room as part of the ongoing Pacific Island Awareness Week.

On Thursday, a “Lau Langi” high school conference is scheduled in the Union Ballroom, and on Friday, there will be a performance by Nonosina from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Union Ballroom. PISA will also hold a dance Friday night in the Heritage Center from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. The dance, to be held in Room 1A/1B, will have a $3 admission cost.

Lennie Mahler

Feleti Matagi joined PISA as an advisor, hoping he can help raise awareness about and eliminate stereotypes surrounding Pacific Islander culture.

Kim Peterson

Pacific Islander Student Association advisor Feleti “Fred” Matagi speaks to open Monday night’s Pacific Islander Student Association talent show in the Union Ballroom. The talent show and other events held for Pacific Island Awareness Week are open to all students.