Kelly Peniata

My number one message to my kids was always to respect others and I hope this message was instilled in their brains and hearts. I also always tried to instill in them a love for their family. My children were constantly encouraged to develop relationships with each other and this has paid off because my family is very tight-knit and close. I also wish to pass along the Samoan culture of love, respect and support that has carried me throughout my life. As a result, I believe my children have learned to be giving of their time and things to their fellow man.

Kelly Peniata

My name is Kelly Peniata. I was born in Western Samoa around 1950. I was the second youngest of 16 children. When I was two years old my aunt lost a child. It is a Samoan custom that if sisters have children that are around the same age and one of the children passes away, the other sister will give her child to her sister to help ease her pain. Around the same time my father passed away—killed while gathering
coconuts for the family. Because of the custom and the stressful circumstances in both families, I was sent to live with my aunt’s family.

My family decided to immigrate to America. Knowing no English, I had to quickly
learn the language and American culture. As a teenager, the 60s was an exciting era for American youth. The music scene was exploding, and we lived in California, which was at the heart of the explosion. My older brother, Oscar, was in a band and was very involved in the music scene. So I grew up listening to the Beach Boys, the Beatles and Motown soul music. There was an infectious excitement during the 60s that had a lot to do with the youth.

My life back in Samoa was a lot different from the life that kids in America have. We had to do a lot of chores that took a long time. We would have to collect bananas, haul firewood from the forests and help make fires to cook food. We didn’t have ovens or microwaves, so instead, we would cook our food on kettles over open pit fires. When I did have free time, I liked playing games with my friends, especially tag. A special treat for us was when it would rain, we would take large coconut leaves and slide down the mountainside; it was like a gigantic slip-and-slide.

As a teenager, I faked my date of birth and left Los Angeles to volunteer for the war in Vietnam. I spent many years there and worked as a clerk in the army. It was kind of scary and confusing. Even though we were soldiers, in reality we were just young kids. We didn’t really know why we were there. We just did what they told us to do. It was hard seeing so many young men my own age die, not knowing for what or why. I have been affected by the war ever since.