Tala left Samoa in 1950 and is now 90 years old, having resided in New Zealand for 70 years. She has been a trailblazer in the Pacific community.

Samoan

"E leai se nofoaga e tutusa ma lou aiga​."

Na tu'ua e Tala Samoa i le Tausaga e 1950. Ua 90 tausaga le matua o lona soifua ma ua 70 tausaga talu ona aumau i Niu Sila. O se tagata e sogasogā ma sa'ili mālō mo le Pasefika. Sa galue faafaipule i le Puleganu'u a Ueligitone, na avea fo'i ma sui o le Norman Kirk Trust ma o ia fo'i sa taulamua i le faavaega o le PACIFICA, o se faalapotopotoga na ta'ita'ia le itupā o tama'ita'i Pasefika e fesoasoani mo latou lava. O le faamuamua a Tala ina ia fesoasoani mo tagata Pasefika.

Sa a'oa'oina Tala i le a'oga a Taupousā i Samoa ma na galue faa-shorthand typist ma le book-keeping i se ofisa Loia sa i Samoa i na taimi. Sa malaga mamao mai i le vasa mo Niu Sila i le va'a o le MV Mātua ma na ui mai i Tonga, Fiti, faato'ā taunu'u mai lea i Lyttleton. (O le MV Mātua sa iloa e Niu Sila ma le atu Pasefika o le "banana boat - va'a fa'i")

Ina ua taunu'u mai i Niu Sila sa ia matuā maofa i lana vaaiga. I le faagasologa o lona iai i Niu Sila sa taunu'u ai i Ueligitone ma ia galue ai i ni galuega e iai le book-keeping ma le shorthand typing i le Social Security Services ma le faleoloa se'evae o Hannah.

Ina ua mavae nai taimi na nofo ai i Ueligitone, sa fai ai loa lana faai'uga ina ia faalelei lana gagana Igilisi ma na fai ai loa ma ana a'oga pō i le Wellington High School.

Sa faaipoipo Tala i le 1957 ma e to'a lua o la alo ma le to'a tolu na vaetama mai Samoa. Sa tatala lana faleoloa i le 1970 e faatau ai oloa ma mea taulima mai Samoa. E lē faagaloina e Tala, Samoa, ma e talanoa so'o lava faapea: "E leai se nofoaga e pei o lou aiga".

Sa faae'e iā Tala le suafa matai o Namulau'ulu

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English

Tala left Samoa in 1950. She is 90 years old, having resided in New Zealand for 70 years. She has been a trailblazer in the Pacific community: a former Wellington City Councillor, and trustee of the Norman Kirk Trust she was one of the pioneers of PACIFICA, an organisation run by Pacific Island women which assists Pacific women. Tala's passion has always been helping Pacific people.

Tala was originally educated at a Nuns' school in Samoa, and worked as a shorthand typist and book-keeper at the only law firm in Samoa at that time…

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Aliota left Samoa in 1966 to help his family in Samoa. He was ambitious & arrived with a strong work ethic which led him to running his own business, work at a bank & the Wellington City Council.

Samoan

"Faapea lava a'u e lē ola se vao i Niu Sila"

Sa tu'ua Samoa e Aliota (Harry) Tauafiafi mo Niu Sila i le 1966. Sa malaga mai i le va'a o le MV Tofua ma sa mafai ona maua taumafa mai le umukuka ao malaga le va'a. O le fia fesoasoani i aiga i Samoa na mafua ai ona malaga mai i Niu Sila. O se tagata finafinau ma galue malosi ma sa avea'i lava faapea lona soifua galue ina ua taunu'u mai i Niu Sila ma na i'u ai lava ina faia lana lava pisinisi.

O le galuega muamua a Harry i lenei atunu'u na maua i le fale e faatau ai vaega sipea i Aukilani. O le totogi i nā vaitaimi, pe ā ma le 13 seleni (shillings) ae lē o ni Talā e pei ona tatou iai nei.

Mulimuli ane ona ia tu'ua lea o Aukilani ae malaga i Ueligitone i le nofoa-afi ma faigaluega ai i le kamupani e faga ai le vali ona sifi lea i leisi kamupani taavale ma galue ai faa-Panel Beater (e toe faalelei ai 'omo'omo o 'apa o taaavale). Ona 'uma lea faigaluega fo'i i le faletupe ma le Puleganuu a Ueligitone, mo le 20 tausaga.

O le naunau o Harry ina ia faamautū loa sona āiga na faaipoipo ai loa ma faatau lo la falemotu. Sa amata ai loa fo'i ona aumai tagata a o la āiga mai Samoa ina ia su'e fo'i so latou lumana'i i Niu Sila. E to'alua ona alo tama. E toa'tasi e fai lana ia lava pisinisi ae o le isi, e faigaluega i le ofisa o le Defence.

Ua 73 nei le matua o Harry ma o le 53 o ia tausaga o iai i Niu Sila. E tele suafa matai na faae'e iā Harry e aofia ai: Muāgututi'a, Seve, Poualae ma Tafililupetiamalie.

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English

"I thought grass did not grow in New Zealand"

Aliota Tauafiafi, known as "Harry", left Samoa for New Zealand in 1966. Harry made his way to New Zealand over the sea, onboard the MV Tofau, where he managed to secured work in the kitchen during the journey. He wanted to come to New Zealand to help his family back in Samoa. He was ambitious and a hard worker and came to New Zealand with a strong work ethic which led him to running his own business, work at a bank, and then the Wellington City Council.

Harry's first job in this country was in Auckland, at an automotive parts company. Back then his pay was about 13 seleni (shillings), this was before New Zealand adopted the dollar as its currency…

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Masunu Tuisila arrived in New Zealand as a youth, making the journey by air with his grandmother & sister via American Samoa & Fiji before arriving in Auckland during Christmas of 1972.

Samoan

"O taimi o Dawn Raids e lē o se vaega fiafia o lo'u soifuaga."​

Na taunu'u mai Masunu Tuisila i Niu Sila a o faato'ā 17 tausaga lona talavou. Ma malaga mai i luga o le ea ma le tinā o lona tinā ma lona tuafafine ma sa ui mai i Amerika Samoa, faato'ā taumnu'u ai lea i le aso Kerimasi i le 1972 Sa faatumulia Masunu i le fiafia ma na lē mafai ona faatali lona fia 'ai sukalati ma 'apu.

Sa a'oga Masunu i le Kolisi o Samoa ae le'i tu'ua Samoa, e faaauau ana a'oga i le Auckland Grammar i Aukilani. Sau lau ia o le "coconut" i le a'oga ma na te le'i iloaina o se 'upu faifai i lenā taimi. Ina ua ma'ea ana a'oga i le Kolisi, sa manana'o lona āiga e alu e a'oga i le Iunivestē mo se tusi pasi faa-loia ae peita'i sa talia o ia e galue faaleleo i le Matāgaluega o Leleo i Niu Sila ma sa galue ai i le taimi o Dawn Raids. O se vaega lea o lona soifuaga e le'i fiafia i ai.

Na toe fo'i i Samoa i le 1981 ma faaipoipo ai. Ona malaga lea ma lona to'alua i Amerika ma nonofo ai mo le 10 tausaga ae le'i toe fo'i i Samoa.

Sa galue Masunu mo le Iuni Lakapi a Samoa. Sa avea fo'i ma pule (team manager) o le 'au lakapi a Samoa mo se vaitaimi ma sa filifilia fo'i e lafalī mo lakapi faavāomālō.

Na toe fo'i mai Masunu i Niu Sila i le 2005 ma o lo o galue i se kamupanī vaa. O lo o ia fiafia e mafuta ma lona aiga i Ueligitone, le fanau ma fanau a lana fanau o loo nonofo latalata ane.

Na faae'e suafa matai o Vaafusu'aga ma Tupuola iā Masunu.

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English

"The Dawn Raids was not an enjoyable part of my life."

Masunu Tuisila arrived in New Zealand as a youth, only 17 years of age. He made the journey by air, flying with his grandmother and sister from Samoa to American Samoa, and then to Suva, Fiji, before arriving in Auckland, during Christmas of 1972. He said he was excited to come to New Zealand, and couldn't wait to eat chocolate, and also apples.

Masunu had studied at Samoa College before leaving the Islands and continued his studies at Auckland Grammar. He said he was called a coconut at college and didn't realise it was an insult at the time. His family wanted him to go to university after college to be lawyer but instead he was accepted into the New Zealand Police.

He served as an officer during the difficult Dawn Raid period, which he described as "not an enjoyable part of my life."…

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details