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