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  • 1 week ago
A backstage exploration of what it means for young Islanders to preserve and pass on the culture of their ancestors, div | dG1fSlh4dWJRM1BKX2c
Transcript
00:00from the very beginning I felt like I was gonna have some issues fitting in all I wanted to do
00:20was to prove to my parents I'm not a failure everyone is big Polynesian looking and I'm
00:26here small Asian skinny Filipino looking kid I'm gonna see if they're gonna take me and hopefully
00:31they do good morning and welcome we're excited to have you here with us today you have to audition
00:39in front of everybody I was so nervous I'm so scared I don't blame them for being nervous it
00:46can be overwhelming the first number will be 14 you ever watch gladiator you win the crowd you win
00:59your freedom female fire knife dancers are very rare it's a male-dominated sport but for us to
01:07pull it off on the big stage when we feel like we did really good I think we know it imagine dancing
01:14for 90 minutes solid hard people say we're slave labor people say that we're selling our culture
01:21for money take a picture it lasts longer is a cultural appropriation I call it cultural survival
01:31it's not just about performing this is about sharing your culture this is about sharing who
01:36you are as a people they didn't go on Google they learned it at the knees of their ancestors a lot of
01:42us kids are able to come from the islands be able to get an education because of this place most
01:48students are in debt almost for life a tear chips out students are able to get an education almost for
01:56free which is unheard of I found a family here it's been going good they haven't kicked me out yet
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