Jenna Rakuita
4.24.23
“My name is Jenna, I was born in Suva Fiji. My dad is from there and my mom’s from California. They met at BYU Hawaii. I was primarily raised by a single mother. When I was five my dad left my family due to his mental health struggles. We didn’t know about his struggles till later on in our lives when he ended up dying by suicide when I was in 8th grade. So for most of my life, I grew up disconnected from my Fijian culture although my mom did the best she could from what she knew after living in Fiji for 8 years. We went to Polynesian wards and that’s kinda where I started to learn about some of my Polynesian background and culture.
From a young age, I understood that people’s life experiences were different based on how they grew up, where they grew up, how much money they had, what their cultural background was, and what their racial background was. So I ended up majoring in sociology. I minored in international development and women’s studies. I worked as a social worker for three years after I graduated. Now I work at a company called Ethik. We work with handcrafts around the world. I interview the artisans and write their stories. I am going back to school in the fall for marriage and family therapy! It’s been a good little life!
My favorite Polynesian food I would say is Fijian curry. When I was in Hawaii last year I met some of my family and they taught me how to make it for the first time.”
“I ended up running for office in 2020. I ran for office, house of representatives in Utah. My friend called me like 8 hours before the deadline to file for candidacy. She said “You are gonna think I’m literally insane but I think you should run for office, house of representatives and I will be your campaign manager.” Something in me said YES let's do it. So I woke up early the next morning and I went to the county clerk's office and I filed for candidacy. Then we created a campaign team of 17 students and recent graduates. We went house to house and knocked doors. There's a lot of barriers when it comes to students being able to vote. There's a lot of registering students at their doorstep.
It was really easy to feel like an imposter. The people you see running for office are typically old white men. There's an imposter syndrome with being a woman and then there's the imposter syndrome with being Polynesian. I went into it asking myself a lot of questions. Is this something I am qualified for? Is this something I am capable of? I talked to a friend. She said, “Jenna there is not a single white man that is running for office that is asking themself those questions.” All of those identities that make me feel imposter syndrome are the identities that can relate and connect to other people in unique and beautiful ways. Those identities give me a lot of empathy that helped me talk to community members and talk about issues. I saw that in the conversations I was able to have and the topics I brought to the table. 71% of the population in that area is between the ages of 18 and 24 years old. We started a lot of conversations about mental health, housing, and other issues that really pertain to students and young people.
I think it helped me gain a lot of confidence and realize how much I am capable of. We are often the only ones standing in our way. We have a lot to contribute and a lot to offer.”
How has being Polynesian shaped who you are today?
“The ability to gather and create community and create spaces where people feel welcomed and loved is really special about Polynesian culture. I grew up in middle school and high school going to a Polynesian ward and now I still go to a Poly young single adult ward and I just feel that there’s so much unity and love and care there. The way that Polynesians rally around each other and support one another and support others is so beautiful. I think that bleeds into so many aspects of who I am. I really value community. I think a lot of my values are shaped by that cultural identity. I also think growing up biracial, white, and Polynesian, learning to exist in both of those places was a challenge for me. I do think that learning to do that has helped me in so many aspects of my life. I know how to exist in a lot of different spaces. I once felt like I didn’t belong in either of the places and now I feel more confident navigating both of them.”
What advice do you have for the upcoming Polynesian generations?
“Because of my family background, With my dad leaving my family and later dying by suicide, no one really talked about it. I think there’s a lot of pressure around image and I think it is okay to need help and it is okay to ask for help. It is also okay to not be okay. That sounds so cheesy but It is okay to feel negative emotions or to feel any or all emotions. When we ignore emotions, they come back louder. There is no shame in asking for help, in needing help, in recognizing there’s a need. That is a normal thing. You don’t need to just tough it out. It is okay to be talked about. There will always be a space for you to talk it out, whether that be in your family or somewhere else. Everyone has mental health they need to take care of.”
" There is no shame in asking for help, in needing help, in recognizing there’s a need. That is a normal thing. You don’t need to just tough it out. It is okay to be talked about."