13 Offensive And Annoying Stereotypes About Pacific Islanders I'm Tired Of Hearing

If I had a dollar for every time my body was likened to athletes or called masculine, I would be a very rich woman.

Hi, I'm Titilua! I'm a 26-year-old Samoan woman living in Australia.

Titilua Ikenasio / BuzzFeed

As a Pacific Islander, I've experienced a lot of stereotyping based on what people think we should act or look like. Here are 13 of the most annoying ones I've been subjected to:

1. "We can all fight."

STX Entertainment / Via youtube.com

This is such an exhausting stereotype to hear and can honestly be detrimental to our identity as a whole. Although it’s intended as a "compliment" of sorts, when Pacific Islanders find themselves in a troubling situation, the stereotype then turns us into "violent" and "aggressive."

The stereotype has also made it difficult for those outside of the Pacific Islander community to hold us accountable when we are in the wrong. They will say things like, "Who is going to tell the 6'5", 200-pound Samoan that?" 

Our community is not inherently violent, and we want the opportunity to grow and learn like anyone else, regardless of baseless stereotypes.

2. "Pacific Islander women are built like linebackers."

Ilbusca / Getty Images

If I had a dollar for every time a part of my body was pointed out and likened to athletes or called masculine, I would be a very rich woman. As a young girl, those remarks weighed heavily on my mind because I did not fit into conventional beauty standards. As I grew up and became more confident in myself, I started to really hate those comments.

Embracing my culture and community helped me overcome that insecurity. I saw women who looked like me and were shaped like me, and if they could love themselves, so could I. Our bodies are built the way they are because of where we come from, and we move with both grace and strength regardless. Above all that, though, no one should be commenting on anyone's body. 

3. "Islander women are not for the weak."

I think this is one of the top three stereotypes I hate. It assigns a certain view of "toughness" or masculinity to all of us. Many Pacific Islander women are able to be soft and nurturing, and this stereotype perpetuates the idea that we are difficult to love and please. This is simply not true and makes it hard for us to feel comfortable showing more vulnerable sides of ourselves. We’re lover girls, too!

4. "We're not the sharpest tools in the shed."

It was never said directly to me, but it was definitely obvious in the way people treated me: as if it were surprising — almost amazing — that I enjoyed school. I was a very book-smart child and excelled academically, but it felt strange to be made to feel like the "other" or the exception by non–Pacific Islanders. Even though they complimented me, it felt as though they were putting me on a pedestal because they thought I was a rarity in my community.

P.S.: Did you know Tonga holds the highest number of PhDs per capita?!

5. "All our islands are the same."

Grant Faint / Getty Images

Why is it that when people who've never seen islanders see me, they ask if I'm Hawaiian? This comment is usually made because of a lack of education about the many islands across the Pacific. Google is free!

Did you know the Pacific Islands are made up of three different regions —Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia — which are made up of individual islands with varying cultures, customs, and practices? We may share similar values, but we all have our own defining qualities as individual islands. 

Polynesia is not the representative region of the Pacific Islands. Our Micronesian and Melanesian brothers and sisters have such rich and interesting cultures. They don’t deserve the erasure that comes with these kinds of comments. We are our own people!  

6. "We are humble."

Humility is a big part of many Pacific Islander cultures, and it can be beautiful, especially when it comes to the ways we regard one another. However, I hate when this stereotype is reinforced as a way to keep us beneath others — in a way that doesn’t let us celebrate ourselves.

We deserve to speak highly of ourselves and be loud about our achievements and the things we excel at. Doing so inspires our younger generations and builds confidence in them and ourselves.

7. "Oh, you’re Samoan? Do you know (insert the one Samoan person they know who has zero relation to you)?"

World Wrestling Federation / Via media.giphy.com

Although we come from small islands, the chance that we know that one Pacific Islander you knew from high school from a whole different city on the other side of the country is slim. VERY slim. Often, non–Pacific Islanders don’t even get the right island, and they genuinely think that I would know a random Tongan or Fijian because we’re all from the general area of the South Pacific.

8. "We are better suited to labor-intensive jobs because of our size and strength."

Again, this comes back to the point that we are so multifaceted. We do not amount to only our size and our strength; we have so many great people doing big things in different industries from all our islands. From academics to humanitarians and everything in between. Our skills span so widely, we’re suited for whatever job we want to do! 

9. "We all know how to sing."

Maybe I’m just tired of it because I’m one of the ones who can’t sing, but we aren’t all musically gifted. I’ve even found myself in situations where I let people know that I can’t sing, and they’ve insisted that I can to the point where I was uncomfortable. Please believe us if we say we can’t! We do not want to sing a song just to prove it.  

10. "I could never date a Pacific Islander. Their brothers/sisters will beat me up."

Culture Factory / Via youtube.com

*Eye-roll* Although I have heard people (non–Pacific Islanders and Pacific Islanders alike) say this, it is not the truth for our whole community. Also, having overprotective siblings to the point of them harming anyone who has a genuine, well-intended interest in you is...weird. I hate hearing that stereotype, and I guess it ties in with my first point: We are not inherently violent.

11. "We are all good at sports."

This is probably another one that I’m tired of because I am not one of the many blessed Pacific Islanders who got the athletic gene. I am well aware that our small islands produce a large number of great athletes — but it’s not all of us! I wish I were one of the chosen ones, but alas, not this time around. 

I think what irks me the most is when I mention I’m Samoan, people will assume I play rugby or that I'm interested in sports. Honestly, I don't care about sports at all unless our islands are playing on a world stage or there are Pacific Islanders on the team.

12. "Pacific Islanders should look and act the same."

Disney / Via tenor.com

What exactly should a Pacific Islander look or act like? When I ask people this question, they either give me a racist answer or they backtrack, knowing that their answer was going to be racist.

We are multi-faceted! We are not responsible for the ways you believe we should act or appear. Our identities are not one-size-fits-all. The way we look and act is dependent on our personality and personal tastes, not on our cultures or ethnicities.   

13. And finally, "If we have an accent, we aren't educated."

MTV / Via media.giphy.com

I hate this stereotype. Not only when it comes to my community, but for all folks who have to experience this. An accent is not an indicator of intelligence, and thinking otherwise is rooted in racism. Why would you think that someone is stupid because they come from a country where English is not the first language?

There is so much to unpack when it comes to this stereotype, but I will keep it brief. Having an accent means we speak more than one language, which is an achievement many people work toward. People with accents are just as smart — if not more so — than the rest of us!

I know I can't be the only Pacific Islander who hears these kinds of stereotypes all the time. Any that I missed? Let me know in the comments below!