Reviews: Three Pasifika Books

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Emmaline Pickering-Martin reviews three new Pasifika non-fiction books with important messages to share—from a student-written poetry collection to a wellbeing journal to a collection of personal narratives about autism, all told through a Pacific lens.

Pasifika Navigators: Pasifika Student Poetry Collection, edited by Dahlia Malaeulu

This brave and exciting collection of poetry from Māori and Pacific rangatahi explores numerous contentious topics for young people but with fresh perspectives. I always find it invigorating to read poetry written by young people and this collection is no different. It’s filled with raw, honest, and sometimes confronting poems about the gender spectrum, education system, language loss, justice, familial pressure, climate change and societal standards of beauty—a range rarely seen in one piece of literature.

Pasifika Navigators is an ode to the beauty of being a part of and living in the diaspora

Pasifika Navigators is an ode to the beauty of being a part of and living in the diaspora. It shows us that the incoming generation of writers feels compelled to share their confusion, deepest emotions, and moments of clarity, especially in regard to identity, which is a key theme throughout this collection and one that the authors do not shy away from. There are some beautiful pieces that share joy, hope and pride, but also pieces that question religion, service and belonging. Pasifika Navigators takes you on a ride that questions, probes, celebrates and shares so generously. 

It is not often we get to see writing that isn’t heavily edited, especially from young people, but this book really gives you the impression that you are sitting alongside the authors—you can sense their presence through their words. These young people express a depth of feeling that we don’t often see with adult writers. 

This text is an eye-opening glimpse into the lived realities of many of our young people who are trying to find their place in society

This text is an eye-opening glimpse into the lived realities of many of our young people who are trying to find their place in society. Pasifika Navigators would be a welcome addition to any book collection. If you are a poetry fan, a Pasifika writing fan, or a fan of youth-written stories, this one’s for you. And if you are young and from Māori and Pasifika families, this is not just a beautiful celebration of being a part of the diaspora, but also of being from a strong, honest, and intelligent generation.

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Vāsifika: Our Autism Journeys, edited by Dahlia Malaeulu

This is a collection of short personal narratives from Pacific people/families who are autistic or who have family members with autism. Vāsifika contains many gems, but the thing that stood out to me most, as a Pacific mum with family members who are on the autism spectrum, was how refreshing it was to read stories very much like ours.

There is a beautiful intergenerational aspect to this text: it has stories from young people with autism as well as stories from their grandparents who are journeying alongside them

This book takes what can often be a scary and difficult topic to discuss in our communities and shares it openly and lovingly through these stories. There is a beautiful intergenerational aspect to this text: it has stories from young people with autism as well as stories from their grandparents who are journeying alongside them. What a wonderful way to see the different sides of the journey and what it entails for different people! 

The book shares excellent ideas about what families can do to help from diagnosis to the day-to-day care of people in their lives with autism. It gives you a really unique glimpse into their everyday experiences and the nuances that come with autism. For example, there is a narrative from a teacher who shares different aspects of the education system relating to getting assistance for young people with autism in schools. There are also explanations and definitions that I think would be very helpful for extended whānau wanting to learn more about autism.

By sharing these stories, Vāsifika opens the space for dialogue about a topic that is still tough to understand for many

This book is a gift to our Pacific communities in many ways. By sharing these stories, Vāsifika opens the space for dialogue about a topic that is still tough to understand for many. With autism being a ‘new’ concept to a lot of the older generations of Pacific people, this book is really helpful in sharing knowledge and experiences in a casual but hugely important way. The stories are easy to read and so are appropriate for people of all ages within families. They also provide hope and joy for those who are facing a new diagnosis or who are just on a journey to understand neurodiversity for themselves.

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Tama Pasifika Wellbeing Journal, by Solia Darcy and Mani Malaeulu

The Tama Pasifika Wellbeing Journal is an excellent tool for young and old people alike. The book can, in simple terms, be summarised as a ‘mindfulness journal, but make it Pacific.’ It is filled with excellent tools to assist you with tapping into who you are, where you’re at, and where you want to go/who you want to be. 

The journal has pages for the reader to fill in with words or drawings or to use as they please. It has prompts to help readers think about things in a deeper, more meaningful way and is filled with Pacific notions of wellness and ideas that can be incorporated into the reader’s daily routine/life. 

It is clear that there is a need for mindfulness practices across the board, particularly in this day and age, but to see a journal specifically for Pacific people is heartwarming. It shows that we are moving in the right direction in terms of acknowledging that we have work to do when it comes to emotions and how we manage them as Pacific people. 

To see a journal specifically for Pacific people is heartwarming. It shows that we are moving in the right direction…when it comes to emotions and how we manage them as Pacific people

This journal also gives the reader the opportunity to take their mindfulness practices and actually apply them to their everyday lives, not just while reading it. It is a hopeful piece of work that can be easily incorporated into your day: whether it be first thing in the morning when you wake up, or during your coffee break at work. I highly recommend giving this journal a read and a go, as it truly is a great tool!  See for yourself how much it changes the way you perceive yourself, your strengths, and how you view the world around you.

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