Mata i Pusi – School Journal Level 4 May 2015

Si’aula, a young girl of mixed Samoan and Pālagi heritage, struggles with her identity and the teasing she receives for her striking green eyes. While her mother embraces their Samoan culture, Si’aula feels “mixed up” and embarrassed by her family’s traditions, such as her grandmother’s insistence on covering mirrors at night to hide from spirits. When she finally asks to uncover the glass to fit in with a friend, she undergoes a mystical nighttime experience that forces her to confront her true self and find a new, fearless sense of pride in her unique features.