I’m convinced that the gang war in a Utah-Pacific Island context is really a battle fought in the arena of public perception and how it is sold to the public hinges on the rewards that will come to the party who is peddling the goods.
Consider the recent Pacific Islander Summit on Criminal Justice, sponsored by the Utah Department of Community and Culture's Office of Ethnic Affairs, held on Thursday, October 22 at the State Capitol Rotunda.
I wasn’t there (I wasn’t invited), but reliable sources who were there cited a figure thrown out to attendees - out of the 26,000 Pacific Islanders living in Utah (2000 census) - 400 belong to a gang.
Had I been there, this would be about the time I would choke on my Lanikai garlic chicken, compose my self quickly and yell out:
“You mean to tell me that all this pageantry and BS in this beautiful historic building with marble walls and murals of people pulling handcarts, is due to the actions of 1.5% of our Pacific Island population? ONE. POINT. EFFING. FIVE?!!!!”
Then I would run to the food table, refill my plate and make a mad dash for the door before the Gang Task Force Unit arrest me for wearing RED (not because I'm a 'Blood' but because I love my Utes), and flashing the shaka sign (which conveys Aloha spirit but often gets misinterpreted as “Hey, drive by at noon!”).
As ridiculous as it sounds, it’s even more ridiculous that we as a Utah-Pacific Island population don’t rise up to challenge such a screwy, skewed interpretation of a statistic.
The saying goes “Perception is reality.”
This rings true in Utah, especially in examining how perceptions and realities about Polynesian gangs have been defined from a law enforcement perspective - and how that translates to public perception.
Unfortunately, the majority of Utahns are already sold on the manufactured hype centered around this number 1.5%, because the media, instead of fact checking and serving in their roles as watch dogs, peddle talking points dictated to them by law enforcement agencies. This only reinforces existing stereotypes and misconceptions that we as a people are inherently violent and culturally have nothing to offer. (Don’t believe me? Check the comments section of our local media)
If 1.5% of our population is affiliated with gangs, then what the hell are the other 98.5% doing? Co-conspiring? Recruiting? Using Google Maps to plan out the next drive by? Looking for the best gun bargains on Craigslist? Ironing the color coordinated gang attire for our gangster kids? Firing up the camcorder so we can capture our adorable kids kill each other and then upload it to YouTube?
The disproportionate hype manufactured around this measly 1.5% figure make it look like we are all gangbangers.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that we don’t have gangs in our population. That cannot be denied.
But to invite to the summit renown tohunga and motivational speaker Herewini Jones, who brings a new and fresh approach the gang discussion - that is, rehabilitating inmates by using a cultural and holistic approach - only to have his message negated by the typical talk-down, one sided, cultural deficit dialogue of law enforcement, is not only inexcusable, but proves why law enforcement haven’t had much success in building a consensus with the Pacific island community.
Personally, I’m never one to pass up a good conspiracy theory - you should see my impressive collection of tin foil hats. Come closer and I’ll whisper this to you…..(Methinks that all hype about gangs is just sexy, titillating pillow talk used in the political and law enforcement arena to secure money from Uncle Sam. Economies are built around this, people. Hello.)
Law enforcement and politicians don't have a genuine interest in solving this problem and they aren't shy about this either. I recall at the Kearns high meeting after the Esteban Saidi shooting, Sheriff Winder specifically stated that they are not the solution to the gang problem.
Funny thing is, law enforcement agencies will happily bend over for federal grant money earmarked for gang prevention while politicians work the other end for votes.
But nothing is worse than our own Pacific Islanders in positions of leadership or in law enforcement who adopt this cultural deficit model and brow beat us into submission about our cultural inferiority at many of these gang conferences.
From this day forward, I call on Pacific Islanders everywhere to REJECT THE CULTURAL DEFICIT MODEL. (Bumper stickers and t-shirts coming soon!)
Next time they plan a summit, we should assert that there must be a cultural/holistic component as part of rehabilitation or we don't support it at all. We've been to so many of these conferences, summits, whatever you call it, and what do we have to show for it?
*crickets chirping*
We should also demand for measurable data to gauge the effectiveness of such conferences.
And to the 98.5% of Pacific Islanders in Utah who are not in gangs, who silently navigate through life as productive, law abiding citizens - go on with your lives. Don’t believe the manufactured hype. Continue to be good parents. Continue to raise your children - those beautiful, academic achievers, the eagle scouts - you know, the good kids that we never hear about in the media because it doesn’t sell.
And if they fall to the wayside, we know what to do. We reconnect them to the cultural values that make us Polynesian - respect for life, sharing/cooperation and fulfillment of our responsibilities to one another and our aiga/kainga, reciprocate and building/maintain relationships, humility, mutual love and caring for one another.
As for that 1.5% figure? Meh. Unless your bank refinanced your mortgage and gave you a 1.5% fixed rate for 20 years, there’s really no reason to get exited over such a small number.
-- Richard
