Pelenise Faataui: Dancing Against San Francisco Bullets

While stories about the wealth and influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have been widely publicized, many AAPIs aren’t rich and struggle in dangerous surroundings.  This video tells the story of Pelenise Faataui, who teaches Samoan dancing in front of her home despite living in the violent San Francisco area of Bayview/Hunter’s point.  She is the daughter of Kirisimasi Faataui, who was one of the first Samoans to migrate to the area through the US Navy.  The fact that she grew up in that neighborhood gains her street credibility.  I also like how she attracts students of different ethnicities, not just Samoans.

This video by Jean Melesaine is another feature from Silicon Valley De-bug, a Silicon Valley community organization.