Puberty: if you’re parenting a teen or pre-teen, it’s inescapable. Mum-of-three Emmaline Matagi gives the lowdown on how puberty has rocked her household. HELP! I have an almost 13 year old son and I do not know what the fuck I am doing! There comes a point in your mummy life when you have to … Read more
Emmaline Matagi talks to Akashi Fisi’inaua (aka Queen Kapussi), Vogue Ballroom chanter and member of FAFSWAG, whose Xhrome Xhrysalis project is part of this year’s Pride Festival. Auckland Pride Festival is on now until 18 February and as part of the celebration, the talented and majestic Akashi Fisi’inaua is curating a one-off project at Basement Theatre on 10 February. … Read more
Finding a safe, secure rental is hard for anyone of limited means in 2017. But the ugly truth is that it is often that much harder for Pasifika and Māori. Emmaline Matagi tells the stories of three such whānau, whose names have been changed to protect them against further discrimination. The Auckland housing crisis has so many … Read more
What do you do when your child is being graded poorly in a system that doesn’t feel set up for kids like them? Emmaline Matagi writes of her hopes and dreams for a child who is smart, gentle, and ‘below standard’ in literacy. Albert Einstein once said: “Everybody is a genius, but if you judge … Read more
Disney’s Moana has been a smash hit in New Zealand. Children everywhere want to dress up as characters from the movie. So how do you let your child dress up as Maui without appropriating Pasifika culture? It’s easy – Emmaline Matagi, an indigenous Fijian born in Fiji, tells you how. These holidays, Disney’s Moana graced the big screens … Read more
Disney’s Moana has had sold-out screenings across New Zealand since its Boxing Day release. Emmaline Matagi writes about what it was like to watch the film as the mother of a child of the Pacific. I am a woman born in the Pacific Islands, raised in the Pacific Islands, a migrant to Aotearoa and a … Read more
More than 13,000 abortions were performed in New Zealand last year, yet the reasons why women have one remain largely shrouded in secrecy. If we’re to have a more open discussion on the subject, we could start with the fact that most women who have an abortion already have children. Here, Auckland woman Emmaline Matagi … Read more