Saili Matagi: Samoan Migrants in Australia

by Leulu Felise Va'a

The fa'a-Samoa is not just a system of beliefs, ideas, values, and practices: it is also a process. It is situated in many different countries and communities simultaneously, and it is strong among migrant communities. It is not immutable, for it is ever subject to change both in Samoa and in receiving countries. Saili Matagi is an exploration of the practice of fa'a-Samoa among migrants, of the nature of the politics of tradition within their communities, and of the search for opportunities in new environments. Saili Matagi is set in contexts of not only of Samoan history and social organization, but also international migration. Va'a analyses socio-economic characteristics of Samoan migrants to Australia, amply supported by surveys of households, census reports, migration statistics, employment rates, educational attainments, church and family contributions, remittance estimates, expenditures for Samoan ceremonies, travel and living arrangements, use of language, and ethnicity associated with Samoan communities. The Christian church and the fa'a-Samoa have become inseparably linked; thus, Va'a explores the history and role of the Lotu, establishment and characteristics of Samoan churches in Sydney and membership in the Canterbury-Bankstown church.

298 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2001