Gaylene Fale, Provo, UT: an interview by Savani Aupiu, 13 November 2008: Pacific Islanders Oral History Project, U-1955

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Title Gaylene Fale, Provo, UT: an interview by Savani Aupiu, 13 November 2008: Pacific Islanders Oral History Project, U-1955
Alternative Title No. 683 Gaylene Fale
Creator Fale, Gaylene, 1978-
Contributor Aupiu, Savani
Publisher Digitized by J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah
Date 2008-11-13
Access Rights I acknowledge and agree that all information I obtain as a result of accessing any oral history provided by the University of Utah's Marriott Library shall be used only for historical or scholarly or academic research purposes, and not for commercial purposes. I understand that any other use of the materials is not authorized by the University of Utah and may exceed the scope of permission granted to the University of Utah by the interviewer or interviewee. I may request permission for other uses, in writing to Special Collections at the Marriott Library, which the University of Utah may choose grant, in its sole discretion. I agree to defend, indemnify and hold the University of Utah and its Marriott Library harmless for and against any actions or claims that relate to my improper use of materials provided by the University of Utah.
Date Digital 2015-07-08
Spatial Coverage Fiji, http://sws.geonames.org/2205218/ ; Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah, United States, http://sws.geonames.org/5780993/ ; Hawaii, United States, http://sws.geonames.org/5855797/
Subject Fale, Gaylene, 1978- --Interviews; Pacific Islander Americans--Utah--Biography; Pacific Islanders--Utah--Social conditions; Latter Day Saints--Interviews
Description Transcript (44 pages) of an interview by Savani Aupiu with Gaylene Fale on 13 November 2008. Part of the Pacific Islanders Oral History Project, Everett Cooley Collection tape no. U-1955
Abstract Gaylene Fale (b. 1978) was born in Tamavua, Fiji. She was raised in Fiji but her ethnicity is Rotuman. She has a twin sister and two brothers. Gaylene and her sister moved to New Zealand to live with her uncle and attend high school. After high school they moved to Hawaii to attend university at BYU Hawaii. Gaylene and her sister wanted to go to universities in New Zealand but her mother insisted that they try BYU Hawaii. While there, Gaylene got a job as a Tahitian dancer at the Polynesian Culture Center. She was then recruited to dance with the promo team, a dance group that traveled the world dancing. With the promo team, Gaylene traveled to China, Japan, Korea, and other states in the US. Gaylene and her husband moved to Utah so he could attend law school at BYU.Gaylene discusses the differences between Fiji and Rotuma. Rotuma was placed under Fiji so that the British could more easily rule both. The cultures and languages are distinct though.She talks about going to school and growing up in Fiji. Gaylene and her sister weren´t very good at Rotuman dances and her mother made them take lessons. Her father committed suicide when she was four so her mother took care of the family. Gaylene´s mother told her children it was important to do well in school because if you didn´t do well in school, you wouldn´t do well later in life. There was no other option for Gaylene and her siblings but to go to college after high school. She talks about growing up as a twin, and the differences between her and her sister. Gaylene is more quiet and introverted, while her sister is very outgoing. At the end of the interview, Gaylene and her children sing a traditional Rotuman song. Rotumans sing this song at a Fara, which is always during Christmas and New Year´s. The youth and single adults in the community sneak into their neighbors´ yards at night and dance and sing this song, and the neighbors come out and throw powder and perfume on the singers. Project: Pacific Islanders. Interviewer: Savani Aupiu.
Type Text
Genre oral histories (literary works)
Format application/pdf
Language eng
Rights Digital Image © 2015 Utah State Historical Society. All Rights Reserved.
Is Part of Pacific Islanders Oral History Project
Scanning Technician Niko Amaya; Halima Noor
Conversion Specifications Original scanned with Kirtas 2400 and saved as 400 ppi uncompressed TIFF. PDF generated by Adobe Acrobat Pro X for CONTENTdm display.
ARK ark:/87278/s6fx95h2
Topic Pacific Islander Americans; Pacific Islanders--Social conditions; Mormons--Biography
Setname uum_elc
ID 837467
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6fx95h2
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