In the article, “Crossing Genders, Mixing Languages: The Linguistic Construction of Transgenderism in Tonga,” Niko Besnier explores the role of language use in constructing the characterization of gender in the context of the social and cultural societies that define the term. As we discussed in class on Friday, the role of gender in the West is very “traditional”. What is considered man and woman is strictly determined by their biological compositions. In contrast, Tongan society does not use the Y chromosome to differentiate between male and female. Tongan gender is largely determined by their language behavior. To further this discussion of the role that language plays in shaping gender, Besnier provides an ethnographic examination of the lives of transgendered males in Tongan society.
Like most large societies in Polynesia, Tonga has a high number of transgendered males. Fakaleiti and fakafefine can both be used interchangeably to describe them. However, fakaleiti seems to hold a higher status in Tongan society than fakafefine. Fakaleiti, in its context of use, is symbolically associated with modernity and cosmopolitanism, while fakafefine is more old-fashioned. Click here to learn more about the differences between fakaleiti and fakafefine.
English is considered a prestige language in Tonga. English is present everywhere – in education, government, employment, transnationalism, modernity, etc. Everyone in Tonga knows English to some extent. The degree of English fluency in both speaking and writing is closely linked to the structure of social inequality. Tongans who are higher in rank and wealth are more likely to be fluent in English than those who are lower ranking and live in poverty. Most of the lesser-privileged Tongans are often reluctant to speak English because they don't have the social self-confidence to assert themselves “credibly as a privileged, modern, and cosmopolitan person without fearing shame and exposing themselves to ridicule” (Besnier, 283).
Fakaleitis are stereotypically feminine. They talk emotionally, walk with attitude, and have animated faces. They are concerned most with beauty, creativity, and femininity. Tongans also identify fakaleiti by the way they speak and their speech mannerism. Fakaleiti speak with a high-pitched voice and at a fast tempo. And no matter how fluent their English is, fakaleitis are not inhibited from using it in conversations with each other or other English speakers. Even more interesting is that fakaleitis speak English more than non-transgendered Tongan men. This leads to Tongan perception of English as having feminine undertones. As a result, men who speak too much English are risking their masculinity.
Visit planet-tonga.com, the largest online community for the Tongan people for more information. Here's an article that I found interesting about how English, not the Tongan language, is becoming a marker for Tongan society.
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English is highly looked upon as a language of strength when it comes to Tongans and their way of living. The lower class do not usually try to use English because they are afraid of making mistakes on account of not learning the language properly. In Tonga, there are several fakaleiti whom are generally characterized as, “wearing women’s clothes and make-up, although in practice most leiti wear either men’s or gender-neutral clothes” (Besnier 285). Many fakaleiti are also described as, “speaking with a high-pitched voice and at a fast tempo, and engage in dramatic emotional displays” (Besnier 285). Fakaleiti involved in the Miss Galaxy pageant mostly live in poverty and do not speak English in a proper manner so they receive harsh scrutiny from the audience if they make any mistakes. I believe that the fakaleiti are similar to groups in our American society but are more open to that lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteHearing the word fakaleiti for the first time, I automatically referred to it as a feminine word. The fakaleiti are generally suggested as speaking in a “high-pitched voice and at a fast tempo, and engage in dramatic emotional displays” (Besnier, 285). It’s interesting how they consider English to be their prestige language. During the Miss Galaxy pageant, fakaleitis sometimes make mistakes in speaking English which causes ridicule. It was also fascinating seeing the differences between how the fakaleiti from Tonga and the Western concept of transgender are treated. Fakaleitis are looked up upon in the Tongan Society whereas in America, some transgendered males are teased or bullied by others. The American society should work on becoming more like the Tongan society where fakaleitis are welcomed and accepted.
ReplyDeleteThe concept of the third gender was strange for me when I moved to Hawaii. I had never been exposed to transgendered people. It was interesting to learn about how fakaleitis are just a part of Pacific culture. I found the Besnier paper interesting in the sense that the non-binary system of gender has always been a major part of society in the Pacific. This is a very strange concept for most Americans. I wonder if the role of the fakaleiti is going to deminish because of western influence on Tongan society.
ReplyDeleteI have same feeling as Bryce B. I felt strange about the concept of the third gender. I felt they were going kuku. But in the class, Akiemi showed us video about fakaleiti in Tonga. I got the sense of the origin of fakaleiti. In one family, if there were all boys, parents would like to raise up one as girl, because they needed girls to take care of them and stayed at home when they were old. As times going, fakaleiti leave their parents and try to find their own happiness. So there emerged fakaleiti in Tonga. Now they are wildly accpeted by the society. For example, they are allowed to compete with truly females in Miss Galaxy Pagean. I think this is a big recognition for them.
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