Mika Tufuga-Valai, who now lives in Kahuku, recently published an autobiographical book — "The Bittersweet Journey of This Samoan Boy" — about his early life in Samoa and some of the experiences he had after moving to Hawaii in 1972 where he became a "Laie Boy."

Valai, a youth counselor with the Marimed Foundation in Kaneohe and also at the Aloha Care Center in Kahuku, was raised in Asau, Savaii, and Pesega, Upolu; but moved to Hawaii with his parents and five siblings in 1972. After a long series of experiences described in the book, he earned an associate's degree from BYU-Hawaii and a BFA degree in theatrical education from the University of Utah. He also attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in California. In fact, he still acts in Shakespeare plays at BYU-Hawaii "every two years. I did the father, Egeon, in "Comedy of Errors" a year ago."

Valai credits BYUH English Professor Michael Marler and a professor in Utah for motivating him to write the book. "I've kept a journal since I was 14. One of the primary reasons I wrote the book is because every generation gets farther and farther away from Samoa."

In his book, Valai describes Samoa as a "true paradise," but the "bittersweet" part of the title is a give-away: For example, his father's Samoan discipline in those days was far from heavenly. "When my sister said, 'Dad wants you,' I knew already we were going to get beat up." He also tells of the time he and his brother Tioane Valai, who now lives in Pocatello, Idaho, tried to sneak peeks at a boxing match — that ended up with him falling out of a tree,  losing his lavalava, getting badly cut, and then getting punished.

After moving into a one-bedroom home in Laie at age 11, Valai quickly learned he and Tioane no longer had to spend all day working in the plantation, or making the umu [outdoor Samoan oven]; but other realities of life in Hawaii proved much more challenging: "Money became the center of attention in our family's new life," he wrote of financial struggles.

Being accepted by local youth also took some effort. "We got teased a lot," he said, recalling how boys sitting in front of the old Goo's Store would call him and his brother FOBs — "fresh off the boat. One day my brother got fed up and answered them back… He beat them up, and after that we were accepted."

Speaking of Goo's Store, Valai wrote that kids Charley Goo caught trying to steal candy or soda would be dragged "straight to his jail — a closet where he kept his jukebox locked up at night… The closet was scary. Getting tossed into that closet was like being dropped into a dungeon… Some kids got lucky and spent maybe five minutes in there. Others were left in for two or more hours, depending on how busy the store had been. The funniest part of all this was when we saw each other later. We laughed ourselves sore just talking about it."

Sports were a huge part of growing up in Laie. Valai wrote that Pop Warner football "was a great avenue for making friends. A lot of us on the team were also classmates at Laie Elementary School. Some of us had been in the same Scout troop. We couldn't help but become friends… It got to the point where we were almost inseparable. We met at Goo's Store in the mornings before school, walked to school together, took turns going to each other's houses to help with chores. Mostly, we played football." In fact, Valai devotes a number of pages to football-related stories — including going through the "bull ring" and "meat grinder," wrestling and other misadventures at Kahuku High.

He also tells of fights breaking out at Kahuku High, often drawn along ethnic lines and sometimes starting over "something as minor as a stare while passing each other," or a much bigger "riot" between Samoans and Hawaiians triggered by "a friend cutting in the lunch line." Police were called in to restore peace. Fighting flared up the next morning. "Again, Hawaiians and Samoans were beating on each other." He also wrote that palagi or Caucasians came in for discrimination.

"What a sad thing it is to think back and realize that part of the knowledge I had acquired while attending Kahuku High was having unkind feelings for people because they were a certain race," Valai wrote. "I am grateful for parents who fought tirelessly to inspire within us values and morals. It had been those kinds of teachings that reminded me that hate, discrimination is wrong."

He details the "leap" some of his friends made to alcohol during his senior year (1978-79). "Although I didn't drink alcohol, I was a big part of each plan. After football games we met at a chosen location and made beer runs to Masa Store in the next town because alcohol was not sold in Laie. We met at Laie Point, the graveyard, Hukilau Beach, and other spots. Before and after school dances, friends got together to get a good buzz. Senior outings were usually ended with a case of Bud on the hood of the car and music blasting up at Laie Point. Being raised as Mormon youths we knew that breaking the Word of Wisdom was a serious sin. But we thought we had deserved the right to make choices on our own, no matter how bad it appeared to others."

Among many other memories found in the book are a chapter of Laie Boys stories — including the murder of an older friend, the death of another, and problems with BYU-Hawaii; Boy Scout days, serving an LDS mission in Los Angeles, going to school on the mainland, a false-start engagement and failed romance, problems with alcohol and drugs, the death of a close school friend, troubles with a younger brother, attending acting school in California and trying to break into the business, being arrested, getting in fights, and returning to Laie and turning his life around.

"When my parents moved from Samoa to Hawaii, dad was 41 years old and mom had just turned 40. I am now well past that age, yet I am single, never been married with no children that I know of. However, I feel like I have lived a lifetime with all the experiences I put myself through in the past 30-plus years," he wrote.

Valai said he hopes young Samoans "will learn something about choices and pride in the culture" after reading the experiences he shares his book. "My advice to them would be, just remember to try your best to remember where you're rooted. In order for this generation today to understand their present and future, they really need to reach back to where they come from."

He added he's also considering the idea of developing the chapter on "Laie Boys" into another book, "as far back as I can go. I know there were Laie Boys back in the 1930s and 40s."

The 196-page book is available for $12.95 through all major online bookstores, or at http://www.outskirtspress.com/mikatufugavalai.

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