Obituary: Agnes Tuisamoa

Social worker of Grey Lynn. Died aged 71.

Agnes Rosa Tuisamoa, QSM, was an advocate for many in the community who would otherwise remain voiceless, the Grey Lynn Neighbourhood Law Office said this week.

Mrs Tuisamoa had served the community law centre since its humble beginnings in the 1970s.

But that was just one part of her. She was a social worker, a vital connection for Pacific Island families living in Grey Lynn - well before it became fashionable.

Mrs Tuisamoa, who was part Chinese and part Samoan, was born in Fiji and arrived in New Zealand in 1953.

At that time, poverty and unemployment often caused problems for Samoans settling in New Zealand.

Mrs Tuisamoa recounted a story involving one of her daughters to the Herald in 1990.

The family of 10 had just moved into Grey Lynn in the late 1960s. At the gate of the old villa her daughter would lie in wait for pedestrians with a smile and a "hello lady", "hello man".

In response she got startled looks, silence and eyes front. This scene went on for several days until the passersby started to return the girl's greetings.

The story illustrated how the racial distance could be bridged when individuals related to one another.

In those days, Mrs Tuisamoa said, Samoans in NZ were new and different. Neighbours would pull down the blinds when they saw a family outside.

"The thing I have learned in my years is a human thing - once you get to know somebody it is all right."

In her years of social work for the likes of Anglican/Methodist services and others Mrs Tuisamoa worked extensively with Pacific families.

Friends say she was a direct woman with a sense of humour but she did not pull any punches when it came to dealing with problems in families.

Times are changing. Mrs Tuisamoa said four years ago that it filled her with pride to hear about Samoans or other Pacific Islanders appointed to high positions. "When I first came here it was unheard of."

But there were still double standards. "When we are playing football and Samoan players are doing well, Kiwis say these are our people. When we bash a window or do something bad we are Samoan," she said.

"But Palagi people can't do anything much about it. We are here to stay. This is our place."

Mrs Tuisamoa is survived by husband, Tuisamoa Keresipi Tuisamoa, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.