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People in traditional Polynesian clothing at the Holiday Inn at San Francisco International Airport. Photo: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
As you walk through Visitacion Valley and Sunnydale, you’ll immediately recognize the communities that have established themselves in these neighborhoods.
- On one corner you’ll find the Polynesian Island Luau shop with its colorful mosaic of island clothing. A few blocks away is the Samoan Community Development Center, which is showing a documentary about local mental health initiatives.
Why it matters: Pacific Islanders have played a pivotal role in the city’s development since they first arrived on the California coast in the 19th century. San Francisco’s new effort to establish a cultural district for Pacific Islanders aims to recognize their contributions over the past 150 years.
Context: Today, Pacific Islanders make up less than 1% of the city’s 808,400 residents, according to census data. But it wasn’t always like this — by the mid-1700s, Native Hawaiians made up 10% of the population.
- San Francisco experienced a surge in Pacific Islander migration after World War II, when colonization allowed the US military to recruit Pacific Islanders into their ranks.
- When the war ended, they looked for opportunities at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, the Mormon Church, local farms and more.
- In recent years, increasing climate threats have also forced many Pacific Islanders to relocate to the United States
Yes but: “Decades of neglect” have led to high rates of poverty and health inequalities, community leader Faauuga Moliga told Axios.
- Lack of access to sustainable employment, housing and quality education has forced many to leave the city, said Moliga, a former school board member and San Francisco’s first elected Pacific Islander official.
- These inequalities have been exacerbated during the pandemic — as of May 2020, Pacific Islanders had the highest COVID-19 death rate of any racial/ethnic group in California.
Game Status: The goal of the cultural district is to help reverse these trends and “contribute to the fabric of the city,” Moliga said.
- Grassroots founding efforts began in 2017, but getting the community to recognize this opportunity has been a major challenge, noted Gaynor Siataga, director of Pacific Islander Community Resource Hub The Hut.
- “They felt like we’ve never gotten anything from the city before,” she told Axios, “because we never have.”
- After the Board of Directors approved the move last winter, local officials convened a task force to gather data on priorities and needs, which was lacking in the past due to the Pacific Islanders’ AAPI category.
- They are now working to put together an advisory board, award more grants annually, and hold meetings to hear from community members.
What you say: “It feels good to be seen and recognized,” said Moliga.
- “We used to not even sit at the table,” he remarked. The district will “be instrumental in moving the needle,” but the city must commit to making it a long-term investment.
- “Look at our ancestors — this work took years and years and decades and centuries before us,” Siataga added. “It’s about ensuring this longevity for future generations.”
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