Portland Tongans gather in red and white ahead of World Cup match
Roughly 2,000 residents in the metro area joined a street celebration on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to support their national rugby league team.
By Emmanuel Obasi ·
Red and white flags lined Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Portland on Friday afternoon. Residents gathered in the streets to show support for the Tongan national rugby league team before their semifinal match against New Zealand. The event took place on a school day, with families bringing children to the impromptu parade.
Mele Latai Talanoa brought her two young sons to the gathering. She took the day off work to ensure they could participate. Talanoa explained that the team represents their heritage, stating that they are celebrating their kingdom. She wants her sons, who were born and raised in Portland, to remain connected to their roots despite growing up in the United States.
Tonga is a small Polynesian archipelago with a population of just over 100,000. The team advanced to the semifinals without losing a game. This marked the first time since 2017 that Tonga reached this stage of the tournament. The Rugby League World Cup occurs every four years. The match against New Zealand was scheduled for Saturday.
Thousands of miles away in Australia, the match took place in the early morning hours. Oregon residents watched the game at 3 a.m. PT on Saturday. New Zealand defeated Tongan players by a score of 34-10. The semifinal between Samoa and Australia is scheduled for 1 a.m. PT on Sunday. That match will determine New Zealand’s opponent in the final.
The celebration continued despite the loss. Participants painted the number 676 on their cars and faces. This number is the international telephone country code for Tonga. Talanoa referenced the phrase Mate Ma’a Tonga, which translates to We Die for Tonga. She noted that the country is in their blood, even for those raised in the States.
Sulupepa Napa’a attended the event dressed as a fictional matriarch character. She noted that seeing hundreds of people together is a rare occurrence. Napa’a said that community members are spread out across the area. Events like this, along with weddings and funerals, provide the main opportunities for the group to gather.
Kolini Fusitua serves as a program coordinator at the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization. He estimated that about 2,000 Tongans live in the Portland metro area. Fusitua described rugby and NFL players as a top export for Pacific Islanders. He stated that this path offers a route to financial stability for the community.
Akanesi Aisea organized the event just three days prior. She saw other cities, including Salt Lake City, hold similar parades. Aisea described the atmosphere as infectious, with people dancing to Tongan pop music. She used the Tongan word mafana to describe the feeling of excitement and warmth among the attendees.
