Elders use power to extract cash

Young Samoan factory workers 'Faati' and 'Lera' say they are bullied into handing over their pay to family members. Picture/ Kenny Rodger

Financial exploitation of Pacific Island youth by older relatives comes as no surprise to Ettie Pasene-Mizziebo, a former social worker and counsellor with over 20 years' experience in the community.

Mrs Pasene-Mizziebo said in her experience it was common for Pacific Island families to pressure their young people, including school-aged children, for money.

"I hear these stories over and over ... it's been the practice since the 70s.

"I used to see at the factory where I worked the money handed to uncles and aunties as they did their standover tactics."

Other Samoans the Herald has talked to relayed their shock at the alleged treatment of Faati and Lera (see adjoining story), believing such exploitation was now rare.

Some would not talk on the record as they were worried about "cultural issues" and getting "flak" from their communities.

Mrs Pasene-Mizziebo was adamant the abuse of power, which had been going on a "long, long time", remained an issue. She said she now worked with Pacific youth to help them realise their rights.

Mrs Pasene-Mizziebo said the word "respect" had been misused by elders to overly pressure the young to do as they were told. There was risk of serious psychological damage in such controlling and abusive environments.

"That's why young women get depressed and have thoughts about harming themselves."

Others sought escape routes like taking off with a boyfriend or deliberately getting pregnant.

Boys were under similar pressures, she said.

"The question is what is to be done about it. The trick is how to help these young people without putting their safety at risk."

The days had passed when such issues could be swept under the carpet.

"We are not going to help our young people if we continue to do these things ...

"People need to stand up and say 'Enough is enough' ... It needs to come from the leaders in our community to say this is unacceptable."

The Rev Fei Taulealea, of St Andrews Presbyterian Church in Henderson, said the treatment described by the teenagers sounded archaic and was more typical of recent Samoan immigrants.

"I am surprised it is still happening."

Ms Taulealea said Samoan elders in the Auckland community would frown upon such practices.

While she "definitely" came across young people who were stressed about having to give money to their families to meet obligations like weddings and funerals, there was also an understanding the culture was reciprocal and cyclical.

"What goes round comes round."

Samoan academic Pa'u Tafa Mulitalo said in Samoa the traditional village life saw parents control children's incomes.

Pa'u said old ideologies were not altogether applicable to New Zealand society but habits persisted.

Not all Pacific families operated along such authoritarian lines, he said.

The worst cases usually involved poorly educated parents from depressed backgrounds who tended to isolate themselves from their new culture.

Pa'u said young people sent over from Samoa were told by relatives they had to earn money to help their families back home.

"But then some aunties and uncles come to exploit them for their own financial gain."

Samoan community leader Fa'amatuainu Tino Pereira said problems might arise when young people were expected to repay favours to host families who had put them through school and furthered their education.

But Fa'amatuainu said such cultural norms could not be used as an excuse for exploitation.

"Taking control of someone else's wages seems like theft to me."

Youth became trapped in such situations because of the pressure of the significance of the extended family.

"To complain can be seen as disparaging the family who supported them ... they are aware this could work against them in the long run."

Taito Phillip Field, the Associate Minister of Pacific Island Affairs, did not believe such cases were widespread.

While there were parents who pressured kids to pool their money for the family, such cases were isolated, he said.

Mr Field said there were now 140,000 Samoans living in New Zealand and they had "moved on".

Children born here knew their rights, he said.

* Pacific youth can seek help from social workers, lawyers, doctors, respected community elders, church ministers and a range of social organisations listed at Citizens Advice Bureaus.