Articles by Jean Melesaine

Xavier España is 19 years old, and though young, says he has already learned important life lessons that have focused him for his future. He is an Evergreen College student, a parishioner of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and works at his uncle’s auto body repair shop. Xavier is currently entangled in the court system.

When the Oakland Black Panther Party recruited Emory Douglas as their Minister of Culture, one thing that no one knew, is how his image of the Black Panther would start movements across the world in the city of Auckland with a group of Polynesians.

Samoan dances hold history of the islands, passed down for centuries and centuries. Amongst heavy violence in the Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood, Nise is still passing those stories down through Samoan "siva"(dance) in front of her home, the same place she's witnessed her community/family members killed.

While in Aotearoa(New Zealand) for a month and a half, I was grateful to be in a place of what I call the Pasifika Arts mecca. As a Samoan artist born and raised in America, reshaping the way I think about art and navigating our culture through America makes you think.

There are moments in life that remind me of things I've forgotten, like my parents immigration journey in intricate detail. "The Factory", the first Samoan musical was like finding the secret I knew best, my parents story.

"Island time" is a concept in the islands that things get done whenever they get done, aka this posting about my second week in Auckland is getting posted late but all with the greatness of the Pasifika artists that have been inspiring me this last week.

There are some things I don't question especially when it comes to my life, even with all the heavyness I have no complaints, good and bad it has led me to "Aotearoa", The Land of The Long White Cloud, the place where my grandfather has rest his life, people call it New Zealand.

De-Bug went to the Fresno Fairgrounds where we chronicled the stories of some of the over 8,000 people who were in attendance to learn how they can sign on for health insurance.

I was blessed to be in Oahu for a week, there is only 18% of native hawaiians left on island and 40% of the homeless population are kanaka maoli. Kanaka Maoli, the natives of the land still exist

Photos from last nights celebration in Downtown San Francisco after Giants sweep the Detroit Tigers and win the World Series