Pacific Islanders in Media

"Finding Ohana follows two siblings, played by Kea Peahu and Alex Aiono, whose trip to an Oahu town becomes a treasure-hunt adventure that connects them to their Hawaiian heritage. According to The Nerds of Color, the actors were excited by the opportunity when they read the script. Peahu, who plays Pili, said she connected with her character through similar life experiences. Actors Lindsay Watson (Hana) and Alex Aiono (E), who play Hana and E, were both quick to realize the significance of having Hawaiian culture portrayed in such an authentic light and at such a large scale, reports The Nerds of Color."

— This article about Finding 'Ohana

Works and media about the indigenous people of the Pacific Islands which encompass the islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia (which includes Rapa Nui/Easter Island and French Polynesia).

Please make sure that the work being added is about Pacific Islander people, as in they center around them and their lives and experiences.

See also Creators of Pacific Islands Descent. Native Hawaiians would be featured in this index, for works centering on indgenous people in North America, see Native American and First Nations Media.

See also African-American Media, Arab-Americans in Media, Asian-American Media, Judaism and Jewish Culture in Media, and Latino-American Media.

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Related:

• Creators of Pacific Islands Descent

Anime & Manga

• JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: The JOJOLands

Comic Strips

• Comic Zone: Lilo & Stitch

Film — Animation

• Lilo & Stitch franchise (original 2002–2006 continuity): The human protagonist and the Earth-born members of her family are Native Hawaiian.
  • Lilo & Stitch
  • Stitch! The Movie
  • Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch
  • Leroy & Stitch
• Moana

Film — Live-Action

• Aquaman (2018): Protagonist is half-Polynesian
  • Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
• Boy (2010)
• The Dead Lands
• Finding 'Ohana
• Gauguin: Voyage to Tahiti
• Hobbs & Shaw: Hobbs is Samoan and the third act takes place in Samoa.
• Hunt for the Wilderpeople
• Johnny Lingo
• The Legend of Johnny Lingo
• Once Were Warriors
• The Prince of the Pacific
• Rapa-Nui (1994): All the characters are Easter Islanders; none of the actors are.
• Tongan Ninja
• Two Cars, One Night
• Utu
• Whale Rider

Literature

• the bone people
• Nation is set on a South Pacific island in an Alternate History, with one of the two protagonists being a native of the island.

Live-Action TV

• Hawaii Five-0
• Two Sentence Horror Stories: "Erased" episode
• Young Rock

Music

• Alien Weaponry is a Thrash Metal band from Auckland that writes songs in te reo Māori.

Pro Wrestling

• Numerous wrestlers inside and outside of the WWE have Pacific ancestry/nationality. Some have even incorporated it into their personas.
  • The Bloodline (Roman Reigns and The Usos)
  • Dakota Kai
  • Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
  • Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa)
  • Haku
  • Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka
  • Nia Jax
  • Rikishi
  • Samoa Joe
  • Tamina Snuka
  • Umaga
  • The Wild Samoans
  • Yokozuna (although he played a Japanese character)

Theatre

• A Frigate Bird Sings, by David Fane, Oscar Kightley and Nathaniel Lees

Video Games

• Lilo & Stitch video games
  • Lilo & Stitch (Game Boy Advance)
  • Lilo & Stitch: Trouble in Paradise
  • Lilo & Stitch 2: Hämsterviel Havoc
• Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire takes place in a fictional archipelago based heavily off of Polynesia, and whose main story deals with its fantasy world's version of 19th century colonialism in the region.
• Pokémon Sun and Moon takes place in the Alola region that's based on Hawaii. Some characters in the game and its sequel can be identified as Pacific Islanders.
• Rise of the Kasai
• Sin With Me: Malakai's route (Samoan-American love interest).

Western Animation

• Bro Town: Set in New Zealand, the main characters are Pacific Islanders.
• Hailey's On It!
• Lilo & Stitch: The Series

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