Meet SPIO's 2022 Bay Area Pasifika Storytelling Grant Recipient, Leila Tamale
SPIO's 2022 Bay Area Pasifika Storytelling Grant Recipient, Leila Tamale. Courtesy of Leila Tamale
Leila Tamale is the recipient of the $4,000 2022 SPIO Bay Area Pasifika Storytelling Grant funded by Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
Major: Junior - Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity
University: Stanford University
Bio: Leila Henriette Tamale (she/her) is a first-generation college student and proud product of community college. She recently graduated from the College of San Mateo (CSM) with her associate degrees in Ethnic Studies, Political Science, and Social Sciences, and will be transferring to Stanford University this fall to study Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity.
Leila is an alumni of CSM’s Mana Learning Community, and has cherished serving as the Co-President of Mana-affiliated student organizations Vakatasi Pasefika and Faiva Malie in her time at CSM. She is also a graduate of Empowering Pacific Islander Communities’ Civic Engagement Fellowship and currently serves on the California Commission on APIA Affairs Higher Education Committee Advisory Body.
Born and raised on occupied Ramaytush Ohlone land in the Bay Area, Leila has ancestral ties to the Kingdom of Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, and France. These roots inform her commitment to the uplifting of her Pasifika community as a scholar, activist, and poet striving towards the collective liberation of all marginalized communities.
“Huge shout out to my village! A special thank you to: the Mana Learning Community, Dr. Finausina Tovo, Talavou Aumavae, Ehm Aliu, Dr. Wesley Hingano, Dr. Malathi Iyengar, Dr. Lee Kava, Empowering Pacific Islander Communities, Tavae Samuelu, Taelani Camacho, my Vakatasi tokos, and the rest of the amazing staff and faculty at the College of San Mateo. All of you have been the most caring, supportive, and uplifting mentors, friends, and kainga who I have the joy of continuously learning from. Last but certainly not least, thank you to my family: mom, Manon, Samantha, and all my aunties and uncles and cousins - y’all have shown me nothing but love and kindness throughout this wild journey, thank you for everything. ‘Ofa lahi atu!” - Leila Tamale
Why is it important to have Pasifika representation in higher education?
It is important to have Pacific Islander representation in higher education because it is a direct pathway to empowering our communities. Growing up, I didn’t see a single Pasifika teacher, principal, nor mention of us in the class curriculum - except for one of the middle school custodians. Instead, I was discriminated against by classmates and teachers for my brown skin and Indigenous features, called “savage” and accused of scaring the other children with my size. These experiences, declarations that I did not belong, have stayed with me my entire life.
I was fortunate enough to have a supportive family that instilled in me the importance of education and affirmed my ability to succeed, but what would my path have looked like without them? What messages do discriminatory experiences and stark lack of representation like this send to our Pasifika youth? They tell us that there is no place for us in the educational system, unless it's in the shadows performing manual labor. They tell us that we are not deserving, not smart, not capable. Of course, this couldn’t be farther from reality - after all, our ancestors were among the world’s first and greatest navigators, scientists, artists, mathematicians, orators - the list goes on.
When I started my college journey at CSM and was surrounded for the first time by Pasifika representation in higher education thanks to the Mana Learning Community and Ethnic Studies community, my worldview exploded and I felt a sense of belonging and empowerment that I had never felt before. The Pasifika scholars who came before me served as testament that I could make my own place and succeed in academia. Learning about Oceania in the classroom through Pacific Islands Studies also opened my eyes to the past, present, and future potential of our people. Increasing Pasifika representation at all levels of higher education is crucial to fighting our invisibilization, fostering Pasifika leaders, and achieving systemic change towards a sustainable and just future.
How is this scholarship impacting your education?
I am deeply grateful to the South Pacific Islander Organization for honoring me with this generous scholarship. Like many, my family’s financial situation was made unstable as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, challenges which we continue to face. The monetary assistance that this award provides will alleviate the burden that tuition places on my hardworking mom and allow me to focus my efforts on academics and my community organizing efforts.
Beyond a financial level, this award carries so much meaning because of how empowering it is to have someone, especially people as inspiring and community-driven as the folks behind SPIO, tell you that they believe in you and your dreams and want to support you achieving them. Malo ‘aupito!
SPIO's 2022 Bay Area Pasifika Storytelling Grant Recipient, Leila Tamale. Courtesy of Leila Tamale
What are your career and education goals?
The empowerment of our Pasifika communities is at the core of my academic and career goals, which primarily involve increasing access to higher education, encouraging civic engagement, and fostering meaningful relationships to self and culture through artistic expression. Understanding that I’ll be best able to achieve these goals with the tools obtained throughout the voyage that is pursuing a college education, transferring and earning my bachelor degree is my next stop on the way to eventually earning a doctorate.
In the meantime, I look forward to collaborating with Pasifika and other Indigenous students and community members to strengthen the Pasifika presence on-campus and advocate for our unique needs to be met. I’m also excited to pursue new interdisciplinary research projects grounded in Critical Pacific Islands and Oceania Studies (potentially incorporating my passion for poetry, language, and resistance) that seek to contribute to current efforts challenging colonial paradigms and indigenizing spaces of higher education.
Ultimately, I aspire to: demonstrate to Pasifika youth that we belong in all academic institutions, establish pipelines for the most marginalized students to attend college, and serve as someone our communities can depend upon for resources and support.
Any tips to students applying for scholarships?
Try to have at least one person who you trust (could be a mentor, friend, teacher, family member, etc.) review your application. Even if you feel like you don’t need it, another person’s perspective is always valuable and could reveal things you might have initially missed.
Most importantly, write from the heart and on what matters to you the most. Reflect on your purpose and ensure that your writing is a clear reflection of that and your values. Be authentic, allow your real voice to shine through, and tell your story because who else is going to tell it? Your story, wielded properly, is your most powerful weapon.