BETWEEN TOLERANCE AND TALK: IDIOMATIC KINSHIP AND ETHNOGRAPHY IN THE MULTIETHNIC PACIFIC

Authors

Ping-Ann Addo, University of Massachusetts, Boston

Abstract

This paper examines the interplay between identity politics and ethnographic practice among indigenous and mixed-race transnational scholars. Using a genealogical framework, the author explores how kinship—formed through fieldwork—shapes solidarity, tension, and the politics of racial categorization within Pacific research communities. The work reflects on personal experiences navigating complex ethnic identities in Tongan society, revealing how cultural perceptions and adopted kinship challenge dominant race frameworks. Ultimately, the study advocates for a more reflexive and dialogic anthropology that centers mutual racialization, layered identity, and political economy as key to understanding and improving ethnographic engagement.

Recommended Citation

Addo, Ping-Ann (2010) "BETWEEN TOLERANCE AND TALK: IDIOMATIC KINSHIP AND ETHNOGRAPHY IN THE MULTIETHNIC PACIFIC," Pacific Studies Journal: Vol. 33: No. 2, Article 6.
Available at: https://digitalcollections.byuh.edu/pacific-studies-journal/vol33/iss2/6