Gabrielle T. Langkilde

On Writing Pasefika Presence: The Pressures of Representation

I continue to write in the hopes that one day, Pasefika presence will not have to be continuously and forcefully asserted in order to remain visible.

Pasefika Graduates, We See and Celebrate You

We see you, and we will continue to celebrate you, because your graduation means so much more than just a culmination of the tests that you have passed and the assignments you’ve completed.

Using Social Media To Uplift, Not Tear Down

During these unprecedented times, we need to be using social media to support and uplift each other, especially those most vulnerable, not to re-trigger and tear each other down.

Holding Each Other from a Distance

Now more than ever we must hold and take care of each other, but the best way to do that is from a distance.

Football Island: The Hunting Ground for Our Samoan Brothers

While football has undoubtedly provided a pathway towards success and upward mobility for many in our community, we must reevaluate the effects of this dominant narrative of American Samoa as “Football Island."

Dissent: We Shouldn’t Stop Listening — The Case for Prison Divestment

Arguing that the conditions in prison prisons do not reach the standard of degrading human life or harming the systematically disadvantaged is illogical and facetious.

A Love Letter to My Pasefika Sisters

My Pasefika sisters, all I can say is thank you, fa’afetai tele lava. Thank you for creating a vision of beauty and true love that includes all of us.

Education or Indigenous Erasure?

The American school system, curriculum, and methodologies for measuring intelligence do not capture the genius of my community.

Transforming a Community into a Family: What Harvard Could Learn From Home

As far as community building goes, I think that Harvard could learn a lot from Pasefika communities and their dedication to the value of family.

When Discipline Becomes Silence

It is our place to speak, whether it’s about what we are struggling with or what we don’t agree with. Having respect, discipline, and appreciation in everything we do is not mutually exclusive with speaking up.

Pasefika Presence