A family reunion shared

Mike Sciacca

When one approaches the home of Taifau and Simamao Fuga, you are

greeted with a friendly, “talofa.”

The “hello” in their native tongue is just one way they welcome

visitors to their home. Once inside, the Fuga’s Samoan heritage is quite

apparent.

Gathered throughout the house were various members of the family, from

aunts and uncles, to nieces and nephews and grandchildren. Some were

preparing food, others, working on various projects.

The dining room table on this sunny afternoon proved to be the

centerpiece of the house, as several members shared in a family meal.

Family, food and music are celebrated with pride and passion in the

Samoan culture, and on July 6, the Fuga Family and their “extended”

family will bring that heritage to Huntington Beach when they will stage

the Tufaga Family Reunion and Luau at Edison Park.

As is their custom, and without hesitation, the Fugas are extending

their family beyond relations by inviting the public to the luau.

All that is required of those who plan to attend is to bring their own

beach chair.

“It’s a way for our family to celebrate being together, and for our

community to experience this luau,” said Tai Sagiao, one of Taifau and

Simamao Fuga’s 12 children, all of whom graduated from either Edison or

Huntington Beach High School.

“Tufaga” is the maiden name of Simamao Fuga.

It is the fourth such reunion and luau -- an event held every three

years, but it is the first one in Huntington Beach put on by the Fuga

family.

The last reunion and luau, held in Hawaii, was a huge success.

Tai Sagiao said that family members will begin converging on Surf City

on July 3. They will be coming from as far away as Hawaii, Samoa, Alaska

and Australia.

She estimates that 125 family members will take part in the

festivities.

Getting them to Huntington Beach took careful planning, though.

“We held a few cooking fund-raisers locally and we also put away money

to help get other family members to Huntington Beach,” she said. “We’ve

booked about 20 local hotel rooms and some of the travelers will be put

up in our homes here.”

Sagiao said that nearly $3,000 was raised from the cooking

fund-raisers. Members of her immediate family, she said, socked away $100

per month for the past three years to get everybody here. They each

recently contributed another $300 to the fund.

“It’s all set,” she said. “All we’re waiting for now is for family

members to begin arriving in Huntington Beach.”

The Samoan way of life is called “Fa’a Samoa” and is based on

respecting one’s elders and preserving the well-being of one’s immediate

family. This belief, Samoans say, is what keeps their culture and their

language alive today.

The Fugas, who have resided in Huntington Beach for more than 30

years, also have opened their doors to those outside their immediate

family, treating visitors as though they belonged.

Jeff Foss said he is one of those lucky few: abandoned by his father

at age 11, he first became acquainted with the family in 1963.

With his mother working up to three jobs at a time, Foss said that his

lack of parental supervision was alleviated by the Fuga family.

“They were the most open, accepting and loving family,” he recalled

from his home in Northern California. “I don’t believe it ever became

apparent to them just how instrumental they were in influencing my life

for good.”

Their culture helped shape who Foss became, he said, and undoubtedly

did the same for others.

The July 6 luau, Tai Sagiao said, will feature cultural villages and

traditional “fales,” or huts, music, dancing and, of course, plenty of

food.

The menu, she says, will consist of a pig cooked on the premise,

pineapple and teriyaki chicken, chop suey, plenty of salads, a few beef

dishes and desserts.

“We’d make poi, but nobody would eat it,” she laughed.

A key component to any successful luau is the music and dancing. The

ambience will be provided by the Polynesian Cultural Center dancers of

Hawaii, which Tai Sagiao says is made up and run by several family

members.

Among those performing is her cousin, Soo Tufaga, a world champion in

knife dancing.

A $20 ticket will get those attending the event a full course meal, a

tour of the various villages and plenty of entertainment.

While the Fuga’s extended family is in town, she added, the funds they

raised through the luau will help ease the cost of family trips to

Disneyland, Six Flags Magic Mountain and Universal Studios. There’s even

a visit to the game show, “The Price is Right,” planned.

“We’re really looking forward to bringing the family together once

again,” Tai Sagiao said. “Really, this is a celebration of family and

friends, and we consider friends our family.”

* MIKE SCIACCA covers sports and features. He can be reached at (714)

965-7171 or by e-mail at michael.sciacca@latimes.com.