Lolofi Soakai M.A.L.O.

In this episode of the CDS Podcast, we spoke with Lolofi Soakai, Executive Director and Founder of M.A.L.O., Motivating Action Leadership Opportunity. Lolofi shared her journey and the mission behind MALO, a community-rooted organization uplifting Tongan and broader Native Hawai'ian Pacific Islander (NHPI) communities through culturally grounded leadership, wellness, and advocacy work. She spoke about the challenges NHPI youth face, from chronic absenteeism to lack of representation, and how MALO is creating space for cultural pride, community healing, and meaningful change.

https://malotongaie.org/

Transcript

SPEAKERS

Lolofi Soakai, Don English

Don  00:12

My name is Don English, Director of children deserve success, and executive director of the San Bernardino county wide gangs and drugs Task Force. And I want to welcome you to our children deserve success. Podcast, once a month, we will be sending out these recordings regarding all things related to child welfare and attendance, school attendance. Review Board, foster youth services, McKinney, Vento, homeless programs in our county, and the San Bernardino county wide gangs and drugs task force, this must focus will be an interview with the executive director and founder of motivating action leadership opportunity. And with that, I will give our guests an opportunity to introduce herself.

Lolofi Soakai  00:54

Malo Lele. Hello. My name is lolofi soakai. I'm the I am the founder and executive director of malo malo meaning. Thank you in the Pacific Islander TONGAN LANGUAGE and our acronyms are motivating, action, leadership, opportunity, and just really humbled and grateful to have this opportunity to share about our work.

Don  01:11

You know, I've been trying to get you here for so long. I'm so thankful to have you in this space, and thank you for the work that you do. So can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what led you to create malo, and what does this work mean to you personally?

Lolofi Soakai  01:27

What led us to, what led to malo being created, was basically the continued to continue to ask of like, how do we do more for community malo? Kind of came, came to be in my community service work, I was gifted a master's program. And in that master's program, the Capstone question was, what community, what, what, uh, positive change do you want to see in the world? And for me, the elders, like this, the answer just came, like, came to me. It was the elders, it was the children. It was just the future of malo, of of basically the Tongan community. And with that, I went back to the community to ask, like, what do you guys, what do you guys want people to know about us as Tongan? Is Tongan, Tongan American. And a lot of them just kind of shared they want people to know not just of us, but about us. And from there, it made me sit back and think about just all of the ways that there's so many things out there, but how come we're not, like, getting that access, and then a lot of times myself, I'm second oldest of 10. My siblings and I would sit around just talking about the ways that we would help our community, my household. I was born into this work. My household, since the 70s, was a safe space, before the word safe space was even a thing, my parents made the garage into a home for many, many folks that came from the island they lived in our basically, our garage was transformed into a home, and so we knew a lot of the families, and a lot of them became pastors, but until they felt comfort and felt ready to move on, our our household was was was there for them, and we basically taught where we were. We were learning how to make sure that like, you know, even though my parents had 10 kids and also serving the community, but just us. It was just embedded, like how to like, just care, care so deeply, just for one another. And from that it was like, it was like a reminder that, you know, money is money, but it was just the love and care that happened in this home. It kind of like stayed with myself and along with my siblings, and now kind of bringing it into the community with the model work that we do, 

Don  03:23

you use the term accessibility, which is, I think, for a lot of communities, one major hindrance for people to be able to have opportunities beyond where they exist, motivating action, leadership and opportunity. Those are powerful words. How do those values show up in your programs, and day to day, work with the Tongan and Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander or NHPI community. And what does it look like in action?

Lolofi Soakai  03:49

For us, we are a community that hasn't been like outreach for decades. And so for us, you know, especially with COVID, it was we are the only Tongan led Tongan serving organization of the whole Inland Empire. So we do serve Riverside and San Bernardino County in however way we can, and we're learning along the way. But with those words, it basically is how it's like our it's like, that's the that's the framework for us. If it doesn't motivate us to take action with the leaders before, past, present and for the future, to create these opportunities that become the blessings for us, then we don't move forward, because, again, for our community to not have resources for decades, and now we are the organizations that's that's trying to bring that access to them by educating, creating awareness of just what's out there, and then also bringing that access by hosting the things that we have, like events that We have, and bringing it to them. So that way, you know, it's more again, feeling the safe space and feeling like a space where they belong, and this is created for them. So, yeah, so just those words come into play, because also it makes you after you say it motivating, action, leadership, opportunity. It makes you want to stand up and rise up as a community. So as a Tongan. A American as a Tongan daughter, Tongan mother is just again. It gives me hope that when our young people say these words, that they feel that sense that like I belong here, and I'm going to continue to use this organization and these words to motivate me.

Don  05:15

Lot of verbs, right, right? A lot of verbs. Excellent. We know Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students are often left out of conversations. Are lumped into a broader group where their needs get overlooked. What are some of the real challenges that these students have and families? What are they facing today, and especially here in this county,

Lolofi Soakai  05:36

a lot of times, what's being faced is basically the basic needs are not there. The basic needs are not being met. You know, food security it comes you know, a lot of the kids they eat at the school. And then, you know, as organization, we try our best to bridge whatever ways that we can, a lot of the ways that the system has not served our community, it's hitting us now more because, not only that, now there's more issues, and there's more issues that are rising up now, especially now, and we're still trying to catch up. So as we're trying to still catch up, the issues come of basically, like, do we have a backpack? Do we want? Do we even have the supplies we need to enter that that school on the first day, fee feeling confident and ready to learn, as is advertised by the school districts and school system. And then on top of that, when you enter the school, how come we are less than 1% but we're always in trouble. And it's like, it's like the and again, culturally, we are people who want to, like, make we're protectors of our friends, protectors of our of people. And so we do see a lot of times that our our kids are being like, you know, they're, they're, they're stepping up for their friends, but then they are basically blamed for everything. And then, I don't know, for me, I just, I see that as if there's three Pacific Islanders in the school, and two of them are now being expelled, and then one doesn't even feel comfortable being on on the school campus. Like, what is that? What is that? And then, especially during COVID, we there was a lot of absences during COVID, and then to catch up was really hard, because the heart was still hurting, like we were still hurting, trying to still serve the community. And so the kids were because we were losing people, three, three funerals a week was happening during COVID, and even till this day, like it's still, we're still not okay, you know what I mean? So it's still trying to catch, catch our breath, you know, calm, our calm, our hearts. And then still trying to figure out, how do we continue to serve with power, but with care, and then also coming with power to, like the school board, the school district, to let them know we're still not included in so many conversations, and the grouping continues to hurt us because, you know, organization like malo, we're, we're trying to catch funding to be able to serve the community. But we are, we are still considered invisible, and then again, right now, we're, they're working, you know, the new administration is working hard to invisal, to, you know, to take our identities away. So how do we as an organization try to stay strong with our community, to make sure they understand like your identity matters, the way that you serve and care for this world. You need to keep strong with that, because, again, it's different. We do things different. And people who know people that come from the model organization, or come from the Tongan community, the Pacific Islander community, you do understand like the values are very different. And so when you meet them, you almost become family, because that is the way that that that our cultures have been taught to just love and care for community in that way,

Don  08:30

something you said that's important that a lot of student groups deal with chronic absenteeism, which can be spurred by exclusionary disciplinary practices. And so we have, when we look at our criteria for schools, that's a huge piece chronic absenteeism, but it's also culture and climate and what you create on these campuses. So what you said is very important, because that, you know, when we talk about gaps in learning, those are the gaps students aren't there. And not only are they not there, they don't want to be there. So we know that chronic absenteeism is a serious issue affecting many Pacific Islander students. And when we look closer foster youth, those Pacific Islanders who are foster youth are experiencing lower graduation rates, school instability and limited access to consistent support. So I have a couple questions for you as it relates to that, how do you see these issues intersecting in your work with youth and families, and what do you think schools, educators and community partners need to understand in order to better support these students and shift these outcomes? I mean,

Lolofi Soakai  09:38

this is a hard question. Is I don't really work with foster but I mean, I can see how the young people, when they do enter the system in this way, how they continue to lose themselves in there. Like you don't know if you want to say who you are in these spaces, you might just want to just identify with whoever's in this house. And so basically that throws off numbers, but at the same time, like they're acting out. Because, again, the family, the family dynamic, is so close, and then to be taken from that, from there, the level of anger, I'm sure is like, hard to like come back to, and then we're a culture that, like needs to ground ourselves through culture. And so if you fully take that away, I don't even know how like their act, like, how they would be, you know, just trying to stay motivated again, the basic needs of just trying to stay keep their head above water, when literally everything just fell apart underneath them. You know what I mean? So I again, I don't really know how, but I could just see how in when you enter that system, you begin to lose yourself even more, because now, like your culture is now away, and I don't know how long you stay out of the out of your out of, like, trying to stay connected to yourself. So I just see, like, maybe malo could be, like, a bridge in that way, where you like, you know, we will let them know, like, hey, you know, come to us. Like, let's, let's, let's just talk. Let's just talk. And like, you know, just, let's just talk whatever that looks like. And again, on their time, how they want to be able to, like, talk about it like, you know, whatever that would look like. But also just just considering, like, the fact that there is an organization out here that's willing to, like, care and love on our youth, our young people and our community. And if that's just like coming out to an event and handing out things with us, or coming and catching a Zumba class, and like laughing with community and dancing with community and and addressing the fact that there is health issues in our community, and this is the way that we're trying to tackle that is, like, fun ways to, like, come together, and we open that up, like, where all ages can come so if it's a way to just, you know, take your mind off of some things and just like, you know, get, get, get healthy and just be in community. I mean, that's, that's basically what we're trying to do, is just create the space of of people feeling like they belong to something, because that's been the history for us, is like, we just kind of stay in the shadows, and we don't, we don't, like, you know, we don't kind of bring attention to us very much. But the problem is, is we've been left out too long. We're now. All of the issues are now coming up and like, now we're, you know, all the data is against us. You know, our life expectancy, our our health disparities, all of it like data. We're not even like the data. Nobody can even get our data correct. And again, if you are not even if your number doesn't even show up on data, how do you continue to stay included? Because every space that I'm at, it's always, oh, you're less than 1% so we don't really have anything for you. And for me, I sit in accountability meetings that that say those words, and I'm like, to me, when you say that, if you say that to a kid, it just says you don't matter, you know, so for me to hear, to hear that in an accountability meeting, I'm like, That's so not right. Like, that's so not right. Like, I Yeah. So there's just so many things out there, but, but again, it comes back to like, malo being created as a space for people to come and, you know, speak your language, listen to, you know, Island reggae vibes, or whatever that is, come and maybe pray together and even sing together culturally, dance together. Yeah, just the they tell us what they want, and our job is just to listen and make it happen for them.

Don  12:58

Wow, and provide that support what you're trying to do, and really that safe space, I have to say, you know, because I deal with that, oh, they're only 1% around this. No, but we're responsible for all kids in our system. All means all. So Milo's done incredible work around health and wellness, especially through a cultural lens. Can you share more about the holistic wellness? And you kind of talked a little bit about it just being a support that's so important. And then this piece, how do you help families heal and then thrive? 

Lolofi Soakai  13:30

You throw a lot of questions at me really quickly. So I'm like, my mind is always wondering, so take your time, right, right? So I'm like, I should have, I should have wrote these down. No, no,

Don  13:38

no, you don't have to write it down.

Lolofi Soakai  13:41

So with the with, with, how does malo do this like for the community in this way? So for us, it's all about grounding through culture first. So usually, when you come to us, like, if, if, like, our events, usually will start with the prayer. And again, it's just, it's to ground us, and then it comes into like a song. And again, like, we don't sing for ourselves. We sing we're singing for the ancestors, you know. So it's like just connecting back to our ancestors and making sure that, like we we are just, you know, we don't know what tone you are, just sing to your ancestors. And I feel like that's like connecting us back to culture. And so for us, it's like, that's how we kind of, like, are able to share with people and for and for and for people to come and witness that, even if you're not Pacific Islander, do we always get back that like that felt so good. And again, like, without even knowing it, we're tackling mental health with that alone, and then also just to, like, remind like community. You know, we mental health is big, and people don't want to talk about it, but it's been interesting. Our work has also take us, taken us into that, that space. And how does it look for the elders? How does it look for our young people? And our young people are very aware. And our first youth retreat that we did, one of our youth said, when we asked them, you know anything about mental health, and they're like, Yeah, I know that my little helps me with it. And I'm like, wait, what? Yeah, and it was. Basically us taking time to give them space to speak. Because also culturally, a lot of times we're not supposed to speak. A kid is not really supposed to speak. So we open up that space to like, we're breaking that a little bit, but at the same time, like, we want to make sure that the kids are finding themselves, like, confident in society. They're finding themselves confident there, you know, now a little bit, it's kind of like shaky right now, but culturally, we want to make sure that they fully, fully have their confidence culturally, so that way they understand if you fully know yourself, like mind, body, all that then, then literally, like the sky's the limit for you, because you feel and know yourself so well that you know, like, how to, how to kind of navigate this, this, this crazy world that we're in, but, but, yeah, it just goes back to also we serve intergenerationally. So it's common for you to see their elders there. It's common for us to lean on our elders. Like to connect them with our youth and have them go have conversations with them and just ask questions that they maybe don't have a space to ask. And so that's been cool too, because our elders are also feeling empowered, because they also are excited of the fact that, like, oh my gosh, we live here in the mainland, here in the US, but yet our young people in the US still want to know about us in our stories from Tonga. And it becomes this full circle way of like just being together and like our youth, it makes it where, like we respect our elders so much. But when you have these sessions with them, it's different. It's become so much more different. So if they weren't helping them out of their cars, they will, they will. But now if they see you, even with the if they match up with an auntie and speak, now it's like anywhere you go, auntie, Hi, Auntie. So you'll always see that because you've made this deeper connection. So our goal is always, how do we how do we like make that deeper connection with each other? Because if the world is not even trying to like see us, how do we continue to make that with ourselves and then us? It's very important that we, we make sure that the the youth understand that this is their space, like malo is not mine. Malo is not mine. It is the communities. It is the elders, it is the children. It is theirs. This is their this is their Canvas, like, you know, so my, my, my role is just to basically figure out how to make, how to make it a little bit easier for them, to make sure that they understand that they belong in all of these spaces when so many decades have gone where a lot of people just don't feel connected to anything. And I do not know if I answered

Don  17:24

love, you're doing a great job. I already told you're in a safe space. You are answering these questions with fidelity, and I really appreciate that. All right, so I got to get to this topic immigration is a topic that affects so many of our families, but it's not often talked about in relation to the Pacific Islander community. How is the current immigration landscape affecting NHPI families? And what would you want schools and service providers to be more aware of?

Lolofi Soakai  17:53

I feel like there we're all dealing the same way with the immigration it is extremely scary, because we do open up space for even our youth to share how they're feeling. And so they, a lot of them, don't even know who is legal and who's not legal, because we really don't talk about it. And so we, we're making sure that, um, that those, those young people understand that there is an issue, there is a disgusting issue happening, and we're sharing with them just basically, like the Know Your Rights kind of stuff. If they ask for it, we bring it up, and we do our best to try to post it on our social media, because we know Facebook is for more of our elders, so they're watching on that end, and then our young people are on the other end, but also opening up space always for people to share with us how they're feeling. And as a nonprofit, it's very hard, and as the only Tongan, the only tongue in lit tongue and serving of the Inland Empire. It's even more hard because I don't know where we're allowed to, like, stand in solidarity in public, because I don't want to be targeted, as you know, because that's happening as well as we're being targeted as terrorists because we're helping our communities navigate this craziness. Um, so that space is really hard for me, like I'm literally in that right now. So it is hard. So I had to gather my gather myself for this question, because just coming in, it's like you're so full of anger because you don't realize you don't you can't believe the state that we're in right now. But also, like for our community, malo has has just been blessed with the with the opportunity to partner with trusted organizations. Pomona economics, Resource Center, has been our trusted organization that we've gone through. I think like 25 to 30 of our community members have gotten their citizenship through them, and have now like they have this like confidence, but that same confidence is also still scary, because now even folks who are citizens can be taken and so it's just again, that uneasiness that we need to make sure that we tell the community what's going on, but also trying to understand, like, how do we continue to, like, stand with all of the organizations fighting this, to get like, ice out of here, to make sure, like, right now it's hard to get our community. Is to go get their documents, because they're over here trying to, like, protect the injustice ways that ice is taking folks, you know, I'll just say it, I freaking think I witnessed a kidnapping yesterday. Like, I honestly, like, there's an unmarked cars masked up. They took the person, took the car and like, I'm like, but nobody was there to record and ask, like, Who are you that got taken? What you know? How do we know to tell anybody that you just got taken so that part, you're probably take that out, but, but I'm just saying, like, that's the realness. And the thing about it is, like, we can't even sugarcoat this anymore, because it could be our own folks. This is happening too, because this is, this happened literally up the street from my mom's house. And for me, it's like, it's, we already knew it's here. But for like, you know, mayors to say that it's not a real issue, that is some crazy nonsense. And so for me, I'm like thinking, Do we go and do we stand there as nonprofit organization to help make sure that everybody knows that we are all standing in solidarity together, and this is not okay, or that we play it safe, and just, I come and stand as just Lolofi, but the reality is we have to, like, kind of play it safe, but it makes it hard to make sure that the community knows that we are here with this fight, like we are fighting with everybody, but we just gotta, like, we also have, we also understand. We have to stay, we have to also protect the work that we're doing. Well, I don't even know, but that's,

Don  21:21

wow, that's just a real Thank you. Thank you for that. Because, you know, again, this is not a political platform, and so you're talking about what you experienced now talking about politics on a broader level. How is Malo create an opportunity for youth to lead and be a part of those important conversations? And then I'm gonna have you answer that first.

Lolofi Soakai  21:43

Okay, thank you. Yeah. So, so malo, we have this. We have a youth group now, or we've been doing youth development for quite a long time. We have a three day retreat that we take the youth away for three three days they're there. And the ask is, if you commit to this three days with us, you have to speak. And so, because our culture is like, kids don't really speak. The ask is, when you come we're going to be asking some critical questions. We're going to be thinking about things, and we're trying to develop leadership skills here, and public speak all of those things. So we just want to make sure that that's what it is, so that we bring them together and we we deep dive into like, where, where's your Where are you located on this map? If you see yourself this little, how do you feel? And they say, I feel little, okay. When you expand that, then you see the bigger picture of where your actual islands, of where your ancestors are buried, where they live now, all of that, and then moving even past, you know, like, again, cultural confidence is what we're trying to get these, these young people, to, like, understand, like, identity wise, like, this is where I come from. I'm so proud of it, so beautiful. And then in, you know, being strategic and intentional, we also see the what's happening in the world. And so it's telling us, like, we have to develop the future leaders. And so what with what we're doing now, is we have a group the youth is called Kahau. Kahau means the future. And so that's basically led by our young people. And what we've done recently is we bring them to the table. We have we have them research some of our officials. Wherever you, they've researched you, you've been picked on the list. They'll be reaching out to you, to meeting. So they've picked, they've reached out to try to like they research who they think they align with. And so they do a little homework, and then we bring them to the table, and we talk about it. And then we practice like the handshake, looking in the eyes, and then also practicing like, what, what? What issues would you want to address with them? And like, you know, so we practice this, and then we, we, the hope is, we, we get connected, and then they get to actually sit in these but the the amazing thing is we, like, I'm this agent, didn't know how to find my Congress representatives. And so it's been very important for the young people to know where do you even find where your representatives are, and then to even understand that they work for you. And so you will be a voting member at some point. So you need to make sure, like, you understand how these systems work, and then the bigger goal is maybe one of them will want to take on a role like that and run run at some point. Yeah, but we recently had a meeting with Jose Medina from Riverside County. They picked they picked him. And in the meeting, it got really emotional, because the youth were were addressing issues that that were drivers of what started him in his role. So they were still talking about, you know, police, health, just the all the things that he was, what drove him to run. The young people were still addressing the same issues and so, and then also, like trying to make sure that you keep stay true to your identity. And so it was the first time that he met, met Tongan youth, the Tongan, he was the first time he met a Tongan. And in this meeting, it got emotional a few times in there. And it was pretty beautiful to witness the level of confidence that these young people had to speak to the representative, and then the way that the representative respected and received them. It was just, it was amazing. And it was like a, you know, comp. Affirming that this is the right direction that we're moving with the youth, so still continue to stay grounded in culture, but also understanding that there are real issues happening, and how do we continue to help our young people and our community be prepared to like, step up to what that even looks like?

Don  25:16

Man, when we talk about effect and change, there's no better place. And so that is phenomenal. I'm so excited to work with those kids. And then lastly, what, what progress have you seen? And what are the areas that still need to be addressed and worked on?  

Lolofi Soakai  25:31

 The progress is, is basically creating a space where the community can just walk around and be like, I have a whole organization behind me. And when issues come up, like we're we're being like, we're being asked to, to be a reference. We're being asked, you know, can you come and speak on the character of my child? You know, can you, can you write me a letter of recommendation? And I'm just thinking, oh my gosh, back in the day when I couldn't even figure out who to go to, we are now that for people, and so that's been, like, a beautiful thing to be a part of. And then also, it's been amazing when data is always being asked of us, like people come from the school system, from the, you know, the institutions, and ask, Can you do a data? Data, whatever basic needs for us, whatever, whatever, things like that. Then we never see the data. And so for us, we again being intentional about how we do this, like, why do we keep giving this away? And we don't even know what's happening with it. So now we do two times a year, we do a basic needs assessment, and that basically tells us what resources the community needs. And so when we host our we have about four resource fairs a year. When you see the resources there, they were intentionally picked by the community. So when people just randomly come and call them, like, Hey, can I show up this day? If it doesn't align it, then it doesn't, then you don't show up, like, it's basically like, I'm so sorry, but it doesn't really that's not what the people are asking for. So because we've had people with solar panels come and they like force, try to force themselves to our space, and I'll have to tell them the truth, our people are not homeowners, so that doesn't even benefit us. So I don't even you're just doing this for I don't know why. Yeah, it doesn't really benefit us. And again, my our people are not there to be exploited. So really, when I when we're able to get them to one of our events, we usually pair it with a backpack drive, you know, like something, backpack drive, a Christmas giveaway, something. So basically, we also understand like, hey, getting to the our events is hard for some people. So when we have you there, we want to make sure there's enough resource there. If you want to get a glucose check, if you want to get, you know, things like that. It is all there for them to be able to sign up for the resources again, that for too long, has not come, or even if they don't feel comfortable yet, like we keep bringing them so they can have these conversations, ask the questions, and hopefully eventually they will sign up for some of the things that are out there. I don't know what the other part was.

Don  27:40

Well, no, you answered it. And I'll say this, the goal is to one stop shop, because once you get them, you gotta keep them, or you gotta

Lolofi Soakai  27:47

resource. Yeah, our future goal is hopefully that we can find, like, a rich person that'll come and be like, can we put our name on this building and you guys can run all your things through it. So the future goal for malo is hopefully we become the first Pacific Islander resource center of the Inland Empire, so that, you know that will come when it comes. But the goal is, if we have something like that, eventually we will be able to fully fulfill and also its workforce for us, because we really we'd be bringing in, you know, not only our community members to work, but but it would just be the goal of like, again, creating that safe space, and then also, like the kids get to see what their hard work has built. And that basically will be bringing this major thing to the Inland Empire

Don  28:29

Lolofi. For anyone listening, whether they're an educator, parent, community partner, what's one thing they can do to support the Tongan and NHPI community if they want to get involved with Malo or support your mission. How can they connect?

Lolofi Soakai  28:42

They can always go to our website, malotongaie.org and they can donate to our work. We're always happy to have people come through and just check out what we're doing. But that's, that's, that's, that's one part, but just really paying attention to the students in the classrooms and asking a little bit more and caring a little bit more. I know it's a lot to ask. Lot to ask. It's literally so much, so hard, such hard times. But like every other student, there's more to their story. And so really, it's important to, like, take the time to, like, just talk, talk with them a little bit more, and understand even ask, culturally, like, what's going on? Like, do you have a church commitment? Like, do you have a family obligation that takes place at this time. How, you know, how does it work? And even the higher ups is just taking that time to to ask, ask the even those of us that work in the district, like ask us some questions, because there's been ways that the the school system really hasn't helped us to I mean, I work in the school system as well, and there's ways that there's been opportunities, but I don't know why I attempted a bunch of the opportunities, and it didn't work out for me, but my law got developed in the process, so it was all good

Don  29:46

 I really appreciate your time, but more importantly, your passion for community. So thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for being here. I want to thank you for listening. We hope you find this information valuable. If you have any topics or questions you would like address, please email them directly to cwa@sbcss.net as always, we hope you stay well and continue to transform lives through education.