So nice to have one place fo share our unique stories of growing up in Hawaii. Fo me, I was born during one awkward time, in one awkward setting.
Da place Waialua (Az in da North Shore on O'ahu, NOT Kaua'i fo dose of you who dorono) Da year 1961. Da players My Ilocano (lil bit Chinee mix) fadda, who came to Hawaii on da last ship of sugar and pineapple workers from da Philippines in 1946, da "Maunawili." My Samoan (British/German mix) madda, who came sometime during da 1960s from Pago Pago. Dey met in one Japanee stowa in Waialua called "Otake Store." I am told it wuz "Lub at pirsss sight." Gotta be, right? I mean, dey had to make surusuru cause I am luving proof and da end result of dere pirsss passion.
Anyway, me, my sistahs, an adda Filipino-Samoan cousins wuz da only few kine mix in town. Everbody else wuz eida all Filipino, all Japanee, Filipino-Japanee, Filipino-Hawaiian, Hawaiian-Podagee, Chinese-Hawaiian, and any adda kine mix except Filipino-Samoan. Wuz kinda weird because people use to tell us, "Ho ka diff'rent yea you guys? Not too many Filipino-Samoans, yeah?" Sometimes, we used to feel like we wuz in one zoo wit people looking at us like we juss came from Mars. I mean, my madda wuz mo beeg den my fadda. She wuz da defenda of da family. Maybe dat wuz da reason. Anyway, felt kinda like wen people look at Popolo-Haole intaracial couples during da 60s. Eh, I know how dose people feel, man.
In elementary school (Waialua. everyting wuz Waialua. High school too), I used to get teased by some manangs. Dey used to yell out to me, "Hooooey! Pssst! Pssst! Someone! Someone!! Someone!!!" I tought to myself, "Wot da heck dey saying, la'dat?" An den I wen feegah out, "Oh my God, because of dey Filipino accent, dey no can say da word, 'Samoan.'" I laughed out loud like my fadd and said, "Aysos Maria Josep!" Den I wen I rememba's my madda's favorite piss-off kine Samoan words. You name i, I wen use 'em. Tree-letta kine, fo letta kine. I wen make up anykine dat sounded Samoan. Den, I told my madda, "Mom, I neva gonna marry one buk-buk chick!" My madda said, "Watch out boy, juss cause you said dat, you 'goin' marry one manang."
Eh, guess wot? I did. An we been togedda for 15 yeas. I wouldn't trade her fo da world. She went Campbell HS (but came from PI in 1974). I was dating her Japanee roommate in college at SFSU in 1984 and fell in love wit her. Unreal yeah? We get two beautiful chill'en, one boy and one girl. We cook all kine Filipino, Japanee, and adda island-style kine food. We talk Pidgin English all da time. An we make shuwa we still have "fun."
Da motto of dis hanabuddah story is "Nevah say you nevah goin' do someting cuz you juss might."
About Author
Steven Anthony "Pio" Tauvela Yagyagangrew up on the North Shore of Oahu and went to Waialua High School ('79). He ismarried to Regina (Bangalan, Campbell High '81) with two children, Matthew Joseph-Keoni (9yrs. old) and Gabrielle Nohelani (9 mos.). He and his family live in the suburbs ofSan Diego, El Cajon, CA. Steve has a Bachelor of Arts degree in BroadcastCommunications from San Francisco State University ('85). Last spring, he receivedhis Masters of Arts degree in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix('99). He plans to go for his Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology after taking sometime off to freelance write, consult, enjoy the outdoors, and enjoy his family. He has formerly worked for FedEx, KHNL-TV, and several radio stations in San Francisco and Honolulu. Currently, he is employed at a demographic and marketing firm. He says, "I treasure my time as a youth growing up in Hawaii and although San Diego isnow my home, I carry Hawaii wherever I go -- especially the values my parents taught meand the aloha spirit."
