Fa'afafine: Difference between revisions
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A prominent Western theory, among the many anthropological theories about Samoans, was that if a family had more boys than girls or not enough girls to help with women's duties about the house, male children would be chosen to be raised as ''fa'afafine'';<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/ra/pacific/people/hazy.htm|title=Charting the Pacific – Fa'afafine – Samoan boys brought up as girls|website=www.abc.net.au|access-date=2016-06-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230514145047/https://www.abc.net.au/ra/pacific/people/hazy.htm|archive-date=17 July 2023}}</ref> although this theory has been refuted by studies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://researcharchive.vuw.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10063/3179/thesis.pdf?sequence=7|title=Ia e Ola Malamalama i lou Faasinomaga, A comparative Study of the Faafafine of Samoa and the Whakawahine of Aotearoa-New Zealand|date=2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920170435/http://researcharchive.vuw.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10063/3179/thesis.pdf?sequence=7|archive-date=17 July 2023}}</ref> | A prominent Western theory, among the many anthropological theories about Samoans, was that if a family had more boys than girls or not enough girls to help with women's duties about the house, male children would be chosen to be raised as ''fa'afafine'';<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/ra/pacific/people/hazy.htm|title=Charting the Pacific – Fa'afafine – Samoan boys brought up as girls|website=www.abc.net.au|access-date=2016-06-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230514145047/https://www.abc.net.au/ra/pacific/people/hazy.htm|archive-date=17 July 2023}}</ref> although this theory has been refuted by studies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://researcharchive.vuw.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10063/3179/thesis.pdf?sequence=7|title=Ia e Ola Malamalama i lou Faasinomaga, A comparative Study of the Faafafine of Samoa and the Whakawahine of Aotearoa-New Zealand|date=2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920170435/http://researcharchive.vuw.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10063/3179/thesis.pdf?sequence=7|archive-date=17 July 2023}}</ref> | ||
It has been estimated that 1–5% of Samoans identify as ''fa'afafine''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37227803|title=Samoa's 'third gender' beauty pageant|first=Yvette|last=Tan|date=September 1, 2016|via=www.bbc.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323203928/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37227803|archive-date=17 July 2023}}</ref> Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand estimates that there are 500 ''fa’afafine'' in Samoa, and the same number in the Samoan diaspora in New Zealand;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/160363|title=3. – Gender diversity – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand|first=New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu|last=Taonga|website=teara.govt.nz|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310081109/https://teara.govt.nz/en/160363|archive-date=17 July 2023}}</ref> while according to SBS news, there are up to 3000 ''fa'afafine'' currently living in Samoa.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2013/07/16/faafafine-boys-raised-be-girls| title=Fa'afafine: Boys Raised to be Girls ten minute news video about faafafine in Australia|date=26 August 2013 | It has been estimated that 1–5% of Samoans identify as ''fa'afafine''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37227803|title=Samoa's 'third gender' beauty pageant|first=Yvette|last=Tan|date=September 1, 2016|via=www.bbc.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323203928/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37227803|archive-date=17 July 2023}}</ref> Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand estimates that there are 500 ''fa’afafine'' in Samoa, and the same number in the Samoan diaspora in New Zealand;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/160363|title=3. – Gender diversity – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand|first=New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu|last=Taonga|website=teara.govt.nz|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310081109/https://teara.govt.nz/en/160363|archive-date=17 July 2023}}</ref> while according to SBS news, there are up to 3000 ''fa'afafine'' currently living in Samoa.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2013/07/16/faafafine-boys-raised-be-girls| title=Fa'afafine: Boys Raised to be Girls ten minute news video about faafafine in Australia|date=26 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323202418/http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2013/07/16/faafafine-boys-raised-be-girls|archive-date=17 July 2023}}</ref> | ||
== History and terminology == | == History and terminology == | ||
The word ''fa'afafine'' includes the causative prefix ''fa'a–'', meaning "in the manner of", and the word ''fafine'', meaning "woman".<ref>Milner, G.B. 1966. Samoan-English Dictionary. "Fa'afafine" entry pg. 52 under "Fafine"</ref> It is cognate with linguistically related words or social categories in other Polynesian languages, such as the Tongan ''fakaleiti'' (also ''fakafefine''), the Cook Islands Māori ''akava'ine'', the Hawaiian and Tahitian ''[[māhū]]'' (literally ''in the middle''), the Māori ''whakawāhine'', the Niuean ''fiafifine'' (also ''fakafifine''), the Tokelauan ''fakafāfine'', the Tuvaluan ''pinapinaaine'', the Gilbertese ''binabinaaine'', and the Wallisian ''fakafafine''. | The word ''fa'afafine'' includes the causative prefix ''fa'a–'', meaning "in the manner of", and the word ''fafine'', meaning "woman".<ref>Milner, G.B. 1966. Samoan-English Dictionary. "Fa'afafine" entry pg. 52 under "Fafine"</ref> It is cognate with linguistically related words or social categories in other Polynesian languages, such as the Tongan ''fakaleiti'' (also ''fakafefine''), the Cook Islands Māori ''akava'ine'', the Hawaiian and Tahitian ''[[māhū]]'' (literally ''in the middle''), the Māori ''whakawāhine'', the Niuean ''fiafifine'' (also ''fakafifine''), the Tokelauan ''fakafāfine'', the Tuvaluan ''pinapinaaine'', the Gilbertese ''binabinaaine'', and the Wallisian ''fakafafine''. | ||
The FTM or female-to-male equivalent in Samoa are known variously as ''fa'atane'', ''fa'atama'', and ''fafatama''. Ultimately, Western terms like gay, transgender, FTM, etc., do not align exactly with Samoan terms like fa'afafine, fa'atane, etc., which have meaning within the fa'asamoa traditional cultural systems of Samoa. | The FTM or female-to-male equivalent in Samoa are known variously as ''fa'atane'', ''fa'atama'', and ''fafatama''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nhm.org/stories/beyond-gender-indigenous-perspectives-faafafine-and-faafatama|title=Beyond Gender: Indigenous Perspectives, Fa’afafine and Fa’afatama|date=2020-09-01|website=Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County|archive-url=https://archive.is/FVlWG|archive-date=2024-11-18|access-date=2025-05-25}}</ref> Ultimately, Western terms like gay, transgender, FTM, etc., do not align exactly with Samoan terms like fa'afafine, fa'atane, etc., which have meaning within the fa'asamoa traditional cultural systems of Samoa. | ||
The Samoan slang word ''mala'' (or "devastation" in the Samoan language) is in less frequent use for fa'afafine, as it arose from fundamentalist influenced homophobia and transphobia.<ref>{{Cite journal | title = Fa'afafine Notes: On Tagaloa, Jesus, and Nafanua| journal = Queer Indigenous Studies: Critical Interventions in Theory, Politics, and Literature. Tucson: University of Arizona Press| pages = 81–94| year = 2011| last1 = Taulapapa McMullin | first1 = Dan}}</ref> | The Samoan slang word ''mala'' (or "devastation" in the Samoan language) is in less frequent use for fa'afafine, as it arose from fundamentalist influenced homophobia and transphobia.<ref>{{Cite journal | title = Fa'afafine Notes: On Tagaloa, Jesus, and Nafanua| journal = Queer Indigenous Studies: Critical Interventions in Theory, Politics, and Literature. Tucson: University of Arizona Press| pages = 81–94| year = 2011| last1 = Taulapapa McMullin | first1 = Dan}}</ref> | ||
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==External links== | ==External links== | ||
* [https://www.facebook.com/sfainc/ Facebook page for S.F.A. Samoan Faafafine Association Incorporated, Apia, Samoa.] | * [https://www.facebook.com/sfainc/ Facebook page for S.F.A. Samoan Faafafine Association Incorporated, Apia, Samoa.] | ||
* [http://assofias.webs.com/visionmissioncharity.htm Official website of S.O.F.I.A.S. Society of Fa’afaafine in American Samoa, Pago Pago, American Samoa.] | * [https://web.archive.org/web/20150712172510/http://assofias.webs.com/visionmissioncharity.htm Official website of S.O.F.I.A.S. Society of Fa’afaafine in American Samoa, Pago Pago, American Samoa.] | ||
* [https://www.facebook.com/groups/97170793479/ Facebook page for UTOPIA San Francisco.] | * [https://www.facebook.com/groups/97170793479/ Facebook page for UTOPIA San Francisco.] | ||
* Montague, James. 2011. [https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/26/sports/soccer/jonny-saelua-transgender-player-helps-american-samoa-to-first-international-soccer-win.html "Transgender Player Helps American Samoa to First International Soccer Win"]. New York Times, November 25, 2011. | * Montague, James. 2011. [https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/26/sports/soccer/jonny-saelua-transgender-player-helps-american-samoa-to-first-international-soccer-win.html "Transgender Player Helps American Samoa to First International Soccer Win"]. New York Times, November 25, 2011. | ||