Celebrating 20 years of Pacific Islander culture and community at Portland State University
On May 13, The Pacific Islanders Club turned up the heat inside the Viking Pavilion! Performers twirling fire-lit knives bookended a night of cultural dances, music, and food celebrating the vibrancy of the Pacific Islands.
The annual lū’au, the club's premier event of the year now in its 20th year, has grown to become one of the largest student-run events at PSU and, for the growing number of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students on campus — about 0.5% of PSU’s student population — a reminder of home.
"I know a lot of first-year students struggle being away from home and establishing that community, so being able to be in that atmosphere and see everything that reminds you of home, it makes you want to be a part of something bigger," says Nicole Tagalicud, the club's vice president.
It took a lot to get to that first lū’au, but nothing was going to stop me from making it happen
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
A sense of cultural pride and belonging for members of the Pacific Islander community — whether they were born and raised on the U.S. mainland or one of the hundreds of islands in the Pacific — is what founding president Havea Fuapau hoped to create when he started the club more than two decades ago. Fuapau '05 was inspired after attending lū’aus at other campuses in Oregon and wondered why PSU didn't have one.
He started the club — first the Polynesian Club then renamed to the Pacific Islanders Club (PIC for short) to be more inclusive of Micronesians and Melanesians — in 2002 with $60. He immediately started hustling, fundraising and reaching out to his contacts in the local Tongan and Samoan communities with a singular focus: putting on a lū’au.
"It took a lot to get to that first lū’au, but nothing was going to stop me from making it happen," he says. "It was stressful and unorganized but at the end of the lū’au, everyone was happy."
About 300 people were in attendance at that first lū’au and it has only grown from there: regularly drawing 700 to 1,000 people from PSU and the greater Portland community! Though the stage, decorations and technology have gotten an upgrade from those early years, Fuapau says the essential aspects of a lū’au — the emcees, the dances and the spiritual and cultural authenticity — have remained.
"It's the spirit of the kids seeking out who they are as Pacific Islanders," Fuapau says. "It's a celebration of everything they've done throughout the year."
From shopping excursions to Target and Ikea for island students at move-in day to a new 'Ohana mentorship program that pairs upperclassmen with new students, the PIC seeks to provide a safe space that fosters a sense of belonging and friendship. Not all Pacific Islander students join the club — some prefer to branch out into other activities during their college experience — but the lū’au becomes a unifying event for them to tap into their roots and feel seen on campus.
"Whether or not they're directly involved with the Pacific Islanders Club, they know they have this lū’au where they can come at least once a year and be in community and celebrate who they are," said Kanani Porotesano, associate director of new student programs and the club's co-advisor. "They can see themselves on campus, they can help others at PSU and in Portland learn about who Pacific Islanders are and what it means to be Pacific Islander. Coming to the lū’au allows them to share that with the community and to be in community as well."
A LABOR OF LOVE
The spring lū’au is a labor of love with preparations starting in late fall. After an hours-long brainstorming session, the executive board landed on the theme, "Ring of Fire," a fitting choice for a number of reasons.
It teaches people the difference between appropriation and appreciation
Many of the islands in the Pacific sit in the "Ring of Fire," an arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where much of the world's earthquake and volcanic activity occurs. Fire, a theme that carried into several of the dances, is also a significant symbol in Pacific Islander culture to remember, celebrate and honor ancestors. This year, the executive board wanted to celebrate the 20 years of hard work, perseverance and community that has gone into making the annual lū’au tradition such a success. Recruitment has taken a hit since the pandemic when many island students returned and stayed home, but the board pushed on.
"Year after year, we have students who are willing to pour their heart and soul into creating this experience for the Portland community," says Porotesano '04 MA '08, who also served on the board when she was a student. "No matter how much stress it is, they're there for it. No matter how much they don't want to do it some days, they do it, and at the end of the day when they've completed this massive event, it's all worth it … and I'm usually in tears."
Just before spring break, weekly dance rehearsals began for the four student dances: a hip-shaking Tahitian number, a traditional dance from Saipan, a graceful Samoan Siva and a hula 'auana choreographed for the graduating seniors. Community members added electric Fijian, Tongan and Hawaiian dances to the show. A handful of the student performers were not native Pacific Islanders but came to appreciate the nuances of the dances and cultures.
"It teaches people the difference between appropriation and appreciation," Tagalicud said. "We can show them the right way of doing it and seeing them appreciate the beauty in dancing and the culture itself, that's what you want to see. We're making a difference in what they see as our culture."
Some weeks, practices ran two to four hours, twice a week, but the hard work paid off. Throughout the performances, shouts of "chee-hoo" — traditional cheers of excitement — pierced the pavilion and guests rushed the stage to throw money onto the floor or into the air above the performers as a sign of praise.
The executive board said they were intentional in including dances that represented a spectrum of Pacific Islander cultures.
CULTURE OF INCLUSION
"The hardest part about being a Pacific Islander club is making sure that we can represent our 200-plus cultures," said Jayden Kepo'o-Caspino, the club's marketing director. "We can't do all 200 within a year or in a single event, but … there's a lot more Pacific Islander cultures out there than just Hawaiian, Samoan or Tongan, and we want to show that representation over time."
Sammy Romolor, the club's secretary, introduced a Refaluwasch Maas from her home of Saipan, a war dance that tells the story of the voyage of the Refaluwasch people to the Northern Mariana Islands — one of the first Micronesian dances to be performed at PSU's lū’au.
"I thought if I want to see my culture being represented, the best way to do that is by bringing it myself," she said.
Past and present board members say PSU's emphasis on inclusivity sets it apart from lū’aus elsewhere.
"The diversity of Pacific Islanders that are here on campus is so much more and that's what makes our lū’au unique," Porotesano said. "It's not just one group of people coming together; it's several. And through the years, the PIC has really evolved to make sure that they're including all of the Pacific."