Talofa lava, my name is Tafeu Falefitu Ausanetaliitama and I go by Fitu. I am a Matai (Chief) of Falelatai on the island Upolu, Samoa.
I came to Canada in 2009, by way of human labour trafficking. I became a Canadian Citizen August 2023 and carry dual citizenship in Canada (Turtle Island) and New Zealand (Aotearoa). English is my fourth language with Samoan, Tongan and Māori being by first three. I am my parents’ eldest child and only son. I am Dad to three inspiring Afakasi Canadian-born girls. I am a small business owner and member of the St Albert Chambers of Commerce. My business donates to and sponsors initiatives like the Stollery Children’s Hospital Pediatric Heart Transplant Winterfest and the St Albert Pride Sidewalk. I am a tufuga and su’a (traditional Samoan tattoo artist) and my shop is the only shop in Alberta approved by AHS for traditional hand tapping.
While I am a proud Canadian Citizen with Canadian values, at first glance I do not always look, sound or act like the average Canadian. For this reason, sometimes when I say ‘Good morning’ while riding my bike to work on Red Willow Trail, passersbys don’t hear it. This is because of the tune of my Samoan accent. Sometimes, when I wave hello while walking my dogs around the neighbourhood, neighbours don’t see it. This is because of the vivid colours of my skin: its deep melanin and spirited tattoos. Sometimes when I offer my spot in line at the grocery store, the 2-3 item carriers don’t take it. Tautua is an original Samoan concept: ‘to serve/contribute to the community’.
I am grateful to my neighbours who have seen, heard and acted beyond, to get to know me. While I have been recently working hard to re-landscape my backyard, they come with curiosity, questions and compliments – which never go unappreciated by me.
It is for this reason I was surprised by my new neighbour, out for a Mother’s Day walk with his wife and two sons, who laughed at his son’s use of the n-word and joke ‘that immigrant needs to put his [effing] shirt on’. As a Samoan Chief, Canadian Citizen and active contributor to St. Albert’s cultural, business and philanthropic sectors, my only response is complete bafflement.
Dad to Dad, what knowledgeable father would encourage his children to use racial slurs that perpetuate the stereotype of the ‘savage Samoan’, in their Samoan neighbours’ own backyard, no less - and feet from a playground where children of colour play? What I have come to learn since leaving the oppressive streets of South Auckland and the entrenchment of human trafficking in Southern Alberta is that I deserve better.
Most importantly, my girls deserve nothing but the best there is to offer. And all I can say is thank you to my neighbours who have shown me and my girls the true St. Albert Spirit.
To my other neighbour: Best of luck to you, sir – and get to know me before you judge me.
Tafeu Falefitu Ausanetaliitama (Fitu), St. Albert
