19 Sep 2019

Damon Salesa - embrace Pacific innovators and leaders

From Nine To Noon, 10:10 am on 19 September 2019
Pacific Historian Damon Salesa

Photo: Supplied

Damon Salesa calls for greater recognition of Pacific innovators and leaders. The University of Auckland Pro Vice-Chancellor Pacific, says New Zealand is becoming more Pacific by the hour and Pacific talent should be acknowledged and embraced, or potential will be squandered.

Of  Samoan-Pālagi descent, Dr Salesa is a leading author and historian of Pacific studies and race relations. He says we are heading towards a population of old white people and young brown people : the fastest growing group of babies are Māori and Pasifika, and the caregivers for elderly Pākehā will be Pasifika, Māori, and Asian.

So is the nation as diverse in action and thought as it needs to be for future decades?