MY CULTURE IS MY HOME- Response to ‘ Sons for The Return Home

I am originally from Samoa, I left Samoa when I was 10 years old, I found it very difficult to leave my family and this is how I relate to this novel “ Sons for The Return Home” I grew up in Samoa learning all about my culture values which my FA’ASAMOA. Leaving my homeland in Samoa was the hardest thing for my but especially my parents, because they sacrifice leaving their family and parents just so that I can get a good future in life. Even though I was ten years old, but I would remember how I felt when seeing my family standing at the airport with tears and waving goodbye and shouting out ‘BE A GOOD GIRL AND ALWAYS OBEY YOUR PARENTS’ it’s the saying that it stuck in my mind and got me thinking deeply about where am I going. Is this country going to be bad or good, is it true that I hear it’s the land of milk and honey. 

In my homeland of Samoa my culture and my religion guide me in my life. I was brought up with a strong fa’asamoa of respecting others especially the adults, I was raised up to be humble, honest, caring and to always appreciate what I have every single day. I was discipline by getting a smack and a growl so that I can live by my fa’asamoa. I was always happy, seeing my family everyday laughing together, eating together and praying together. I was used to being together with my family every day and going church and Sunday schools every Sunday. I was used to having being happy with whatever I get. In Samoa there is a saying that goes ‘it is better being poor but happy than being rich but unhappy’ this saying forever stays in my mind. 

But when I moved to New Zealand I began to see life differently. I began to see this new world revolving around me. Leaving Samoa was the most hardest and emotional thing happened in my life. Having to grow up in a simple life in Samoa was the happiest moment of my life. After a week living in New Zealand I began to be home sick and always crying to my parents go back to Samoa.  Seeing different things that I have never seen before and experiencing life way differently. I started high school and it was there I started to experience difficulties in life. As I was growing up, I noticed how my culture was slowly going away, my fa’asamoa was weakened. This is what made me missed my homeland, because not only that I was starting to lose my fa’asamoa but I was getting influenced in the new life.

Having to live and experience life in this new world was very challenging at first. I was always home sick because life in Samoa was easier compare to the life I was now experienced. Always comparing my life with what I was used to do in Samoa e.g. the chores, going to Sunday schools, having family prayers and getting smack for being naughty. I started to think back about the times we spend with family every day. It made it harder for me to forget my home land and I always find myself being emotional and locking myself in the room and wishing that I could go back to Samoa on the next day. It was very hard trying to live the new life and the new culture because I was brought up strongly in my fa’asamoa and I was used to it. I was not long after I started to try and do the usual stuff I did in Samoa like picking up the rubbish, going to Sunday school and of course still getting smack and enjoying family prayer every night. I started to feel happy and felt I was back in my homeland. I was not long after that I started to call this new life and new country my HOME. 

I began making friends from different ethnics and started to learn about their culture. I accepted the new life and started to become familiar with the lifestyle and always applying my culture values in it, being respectful to others and caring. I started to view the world like how I viewed my homeland in Samoa, that no matter wherever we live and whatever situation and problems we come across, FAMILY , CHURCH and CULTURE is the most important thing in my life. Applying the culture values I grew up back in my home land to my new HOME made my life happy and easier to live. It doesn’t mean that I don’t missed my homeland in Samoa anymore, it just means that I am happy to be able to feel that wherever I go, my culture stays in me, so that It can guide me in any lifestyle and help me to overcome any temptations and obstacles in life.