It is NOT OK for Casual Racism
PRESS RELEASE [AMENDMENT] – For immediate
release
Tuilagi Saipele Esera Candidate
for Manukau East
Māori
Party
28 August
2017
It is NOT OK for Casual Racism
Tuilagi Saipele Esera, Māori Party Candidate for Manukau East says “…it is NOT OK for Matty Johns to demonstrate ignorance and casual racism towards Pacific league players with Pacific names. Their names encapsulate meaning unique to their indigenous heritage. It is not a laughing matte”.
‘Indigenous names carry identity, mamalu
(dignity) and pride. It is not a source of casual racist
jokes for you Matty Johns’, says Tuilagi.
Tuilagi a
well-respected Sports Administrator in the Pacific region
and former CEO of Manu Samoa says that…’I hope Matty
Johns is big enough to know that It is OK to apologise. It
is also OK to ask for help to properly pronounce Pacific
indigenous names of
players’.
END