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Story: Ethnic inequalities

Samoan graduate

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Samoan graduate

Fanaafi Aiono-Le Tagaloa prepares to graduate in December 2009, as the first Samoan-born person to gain a doctorate in law from Otago University. Compared with Asian and European New Zealanders, a far lower proportion of Pacific people have earned university degrees. Aiono-Le Tagaloa's success was hard-won. She faced financial challenges and took a break to earn money back in Samoa, so she could continue studying. She also received support from her family and from a university scholarship.

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Otago Daily Times

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How to cite this page

David Pearson, Ethnic inequalities – Occupation and education, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/29606/samoan-graduate (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by David Pearson, published 24 February 2011.