Maikali Caudre
5.16.22
“Bula! My name is Maikali Cruz Baleinavetau Caudre. I was born in Sydney Australia in the year 1989. My favorite island food is chopsui and rice, I’m currently studying online at the Western Sydney University for a bachelor of social science mastering in child and community services.
My parents migrated from the islands of Fiji in the Late 1970s and early 1980s to Australia. They met in Australia, got married, and I was born in 1989.”
“Even though I am born in Australia, my roots in Fiji come from the chiefly Island Of Bau, and the history of where my parents come from, has helped me to embrace and learn more about my heritage.
Therefore the reason being for making the fijihistory page on Instagram and Facebook was to showcase not only the history of fiji but to further educate from a simpler understanding of the Fijian way of life.”
How has my identity of a Fijian shaped me today is to never forget where I come from. As much as I was born and raised in Australia I always hold to the significance of the history of being a Fijian and to never forget where I come from. My advice to those that are listening is to embrace your identity, embrace your heritage, embrace it in a way that you are not ashamed of it, embrace it in the way of knowing that hey we come from a place where maybe there’s not much technology but we are rich in history. We are rich in our identity. We’re rich in our values and we are rich of course in our culture and our way of living.
"Embrace your heritage and identity."