Tres Generaciones/Three Voices: From Invisibility to Visibility: The Rise of the Vasa in SF
This episode of the RAMA Blueprints Podcast features the 4th community discussion of the Tres Generaciones / Three Voices live podcast series. This powerful conversation explores the history and recent rise of the Pacific Islander—also known as the VASA—community in San Francisco, as shared by three pivotal community leaders: Gaynor Siataga from SALT, Anna Mahina from San Francisco Tongans Rise Up (SF TRU), and Tino Felise from the Samoan Community Development Center (SCDC).
Together, they reflect on cultural responsibility, deep community engagement, and the ongoing fight for self-determination—working to extinguish invisibility, decolonize education, and uplift narratives that honor lived experience. This discussion reminds us that success goes far beyond academics, centering character, family, culture, and collective community strength.
Don’t miss this and the rest of the RAMA Blueprints Podcast series! Keep listening to the RAMA Blueprints Podcast and explore all episodes.
And Remember, TO LISTEN IS TO HEAL.
eXtra Commentary: Dr. Sai Leatutufu Burch
In this “eXtra Commentary: Dr. Sai Leatutufu Burch, From Invisibility to Visibility,” we sit down with Dr. Sai Leatutufu Burch, founder of SLB Strategies, for a powerful reflection on identity, culture, and collective strength. From navigating life as Black and Samoan, to reclaiming culture, challenging anti-Blackness, and uplifting Pacific Islander stories in San Francisco, Dr. Burch shares what it means to turn invisibility into visibility, and pain into purpose.
This episode dives into underrepresentation, systemic disparities, and the urgent need for Black and Pacific Islander solidarity, all grounded in radical love, dignity, and self-determination.