Fa: “Behind the Aloha Curtain” What really goes on inside the Polynesian Cultural Center

In this episode, we welcome Tyrone Brown as our first guest, where he shares his personal journey and experiences working at the Polynesian Cultural Center. Through his story, we explore how the Polynesian Cultural Center has impacted many lives, helping students grow in confidence, strengthen their identity, and carry their culture with pride. It is also a place where lasting legacies are built, where friendships, skills, and memories continue to shape people long after they leave.

This conversation highlights how working at PCC is more than just a job; for many, it becomes a life-changing experience that influences who they are and who they become.

This podcast is not an official statement by the Polynesian Cultural Center, but rather a collection of our personal experiences and reflections from working there.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:20

Hello family friends, ma'am. Hellofa! And welcome back to another episode of the third one. Yes, yes, it's another week. I don't know, we're still here, yeah. No one's uh reported us yet, but we're still here uh yet another week, guys.

SPEAKER_01 0:38

Exactly. We are excited to project what we're going to think about and focus on in the Polynesian cultural center, yeah. Yes. Without further ado, we have a beautiful special guest here.

SPEAKER_02 0:50

Yes, we have also here, Tyrone Brown. Um we he's from work, he is our our boss, our leader. So but we'll give us some time to introduce himself um before we move forward.

SPEAKER_00 1:01

There we go. Aloha everyone, my name is Tyrone Brown. Um I am, of course, I work at the Polynesian Cultural Center, but just I guess backtracking a little bit more. Yes. Um I was born and raised here in this area, Hawaii. Um Hawaii slash Kahuku, just down the road. Um so I consider those two my my hometowns. And the Polynesian Culture Center is is been basically my backyard, you know, growing up, uh, on and off, all through high school, before the mission prep, after the mission, uh I referred to LDS mission, sorry. Um and then now um as a full-time worker, I've on and off about 14 years. 14 years, that's a long time.

SPEAKER_02 1:41

That's a long time. Um, yeah, it's pretty cool. I think we wanted to sort of bring um Tamar as our first guest, man. You're our first guest ever. Let's go. But first guest, we wanted to, I think, to bring a little bit about Polynesian Cultural Center, uh, knowing that we're from Poland uh from Polynesia. So really, this is not about uh any statement directly from the Polynesian Cultural Centre. Uh today we'll be speaking mainly upon our and the impact of the Polynesian Cultural Center on us, as well as the uh the work that we've been able to sort of see and have been blessed on not only us but many, many students, many people that have visited uh the Polynesian Cultural Center. So that's why we wanted to sort of bring Tyrone in to share his experience before he ventures us to the rest of his uh ventures. Before he ditches us. Yes, exactly, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 2:37

But now that we've uh introduced our beautiful guest here, Tyrone, we want to jump right into it. Yeah. And many of you viewers, you might not know what the Polynesian Cultural Center even is or what it does. So the first question for us now for you, Tyrone, is what is the Polynesian Cultural Center and why was it established?

SPEAKER_00 2:54

The Polynesian Cultural Center is basically was created to, of course, to preserve and to share Polynesian culture, um, but also at the same time providing education opportunities for students at the Brigham Young University of Hawaii. And so those are the two, I think, core tent um the core aspects of the Polynesian culture's message. And we've been there since 1963. That's a long time. Yeah, more than 60 years. Crazy. Much longer than your podcast. My event.

SPEAKER_02 3:28

Let's see if we get to uh episode four. But yeah, man, we um I I when I came, when I came as a student, I didn't know I was I was gonna work at the Polynesian Cultural Center. I never knew about Polynesian Cultural Center. I think as a as a someone from you know Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, we don't really have this kind of opportunities that many of our students do have. I think when I came, I was like, man, what is this place? And learning more and being able to work there now has allowed me to be able to see Polynesia in a different sphere rather than me being proud of my culture. Now I get to be able to share that culture with a lot of people that come through as well. So for those that don't know, we we work as tour guides and Tyrone has been our uh supervisor the whole time we've been there, me and Neil being there. So it's cool, it's a a blessed uh opportunity to be able to be there and and be able to serve a lot of people that comes through, and I also be supported by many of our great leaders before us.

SPEAKER_01 4:29

So Yeah, exactly. I the polynomial cultural center, I thought I knew my tongue and culture enough. No, you didn't. All I know is that we've never been colonized, unlike yes. There's so much you can learn more about your own. I think sometimes we think just because you come from the islands, you already know everything, right? But coming into you know Hawaii to the polynomial cultural center, it dives deep into uh roots, into legacies that we love and enjoy. I mean, are there some legacies? Are you first generation in the polynomial cultural center or legacy-wise?

SPEAKER_00 5:05

Um so my grandparents, my grandpa in particular, he worked at the Polynesian Cultural Center. Wow. Um, and then on to my my parents. Both my parents are proud um PCC alumni. Both worked there um at the Polynesian Cultur Center, and then that's extended, of course, to my generation. Yeah, um, my first cousins, plenty of first cousins, and my sisters, my you know, all of us have taken on that mantle, if you will.

SPEAKER_02 5:32

Yeah. One thing that I've seen here is that there's so many generations, and I think that's become the backbone of the Polynesia Cultural Center, is being able to see so many people return to carry on that legacy. Um what what's what kind of like a story or legacy, a story that you've heard that have kind of I guess touched and help you sort of stay grounded to Polynesia Cultural Center? Oh just any story. Any story, whether it be related to you or something that uh because we've we've exchanged a lot of these stories, and I guess what kind of like one story that you think that have helped you the most?

SPEAKER_00 6:09

I mean, if I can, it's we we speak of this often, the story of you know the origins of PCC really coming, you know, forth. I I think before we get into that story, I just want to I guess put it in historical perspective, you know, because back in the 60s when the Paul Nijik Kutshnai first opened, um, tourists weren't coming out to this side of the island. No, it was dark, it was even when my my dad was growing up, you know, the streetlights, there was no streetlights, the roads sucked, even worse than they are now. Um, you know, all the potholes and whatnot. And so to get or try to convince people to come all the way out to Laye was at that time was is crazy. You know, it was just and so when the Paul Legic Culture Center first opened, we have uh more than 100 service missionaries of the LDS Church. You know, they're called from the islands, straight from the islands to come and to help build all these traditional buildings and so forth. Um that already from the get-go, before we were even established, already puts the emphasis on service and love for culture, love for our religion, and so forth. Yeah. Yeah, even before we were established. I just want to put that out there. That's so cool. Um, and then now going into the actual, you know, we're established October October 12th, 1963. And for that first year, you know, from October 12th, 1963, um, we didn't do so well. You know, and you guys have heard this story before our listeners. Um the we didn't do so well. It came to the to the time where Uncle David Hanneman, he was the first um full-time employee of the Polynesian Culture Center. He was also the manager of operations at the time, um, where he came to and he gathered the six um founders, if you were, the six village chiefs um of each island that's represented the Polynesian culture, uh culture center, and gathered them into a meeting in Solomon. Like, look, we're not gonna be able to to pay you guys. And for what happened next, you know, starting off with Jubilee Logan, the Hawaiian village chief, you know, he stood up and he said, you know, I will be here tomorrow, my family and I, and we're gonna we will work, um, we're gonna continue to work, you know, without pain.

SPEAKER_03 8:34

Yeah. Wow.

SPEAKER_00 8:35

You know, um, the Lord opened this place, you know, and so we'll work here until he closes it. And for their commitment, you know, that after that Maunga Tapusoa and all these other these other five um chiefs, island chiefs, yeah, yeah, for them to step forward and to say the same thing, basically. They're committed to this even without pay. Again, going back to love of culture, you know, love of religion, um and just service, like, you know, genuine service.

SPEAKER_02 9:11

And it's so awesome to see like how many uh people that have still continue to come. And like stories like that really helps shift the way that I would look at um um the Polynesian Cultural Center that is not just a a place of of coming in and and and just you know take tours or work. It's more than that. I think there's stories that people have left behind and and it that kind of throws that responsibility on me to be able to take that legacy forward and and to sort of carry it on rather than just um you know worrying too much about anything. It's about taking those legacies and stories and being able to sort of take it and say, hey, they've came before us and they've done what they could, and now it's my turn to pass it on to the next generation.

SPEAKER_01 9:55

And I think it's a motivator too. I think a lot of times stud we're student employees, right? Almost 85% of us and we have pressures from exams, we are separate from our families, we come internationally. And then we come to the Polynesian cultural center and we work, and sometimes we get discouraged because life is hard, right? But when you hear these stories, they they motivate us. But they realize that there it's not a job, it's a spiritual place where we can show and deeply um cultivate our cultures. And and when people have that perspective, then it becomes a joy. And then we want to get up and we're excited to work, and then it becomes something for us. So as a follow-up question, you know, now that we've had a snippet of what it does for students, what else do you feel working at the PCC does for students as well as for, you know, the full-time staff?

SPEAKER_00 10:47

That is, I mean, oof. Off the forefront, of course, it uh pays the bills. I'll say that, you know, just to get the superficial answer out. Um but besides that, what I've a lot of people maybe they focus so much on the tourist part um and what it does for tourists, and we'll get into that, I'm sure, in a little bit. But um they don't focus on those who what it's done for us, those who actually work here, you know, done correctly, which I hope, you know, I hope that we're always 1%, we're we're aiming for 1% improvement in this area, is that students, you know, they come here and one the environment as you guys have probably experienced, you find a family away from home, you know. And that's that's a very Polynesian thing, is community. Yeah. Um, and so to build community with strangers from all over the world because of your working together, it's just unheard of, you know. Yeah. Like I think the Polynesian Culture Center, we're the only organization or business in the world that has reunions. You know, every the 50th reunion, we just hit the 60th reunion. You know, you don't hear Google doing that and people flying all over the world to come to Google's 75th anniversary. You know, but here at the Paul India Culture Center, we we have that, you know. And so besides community, I mean I could I've and this is one of my favorite joys is to hear students and their experiences in like you know, from the islands, you guys learning more about your culture. Yeah like you mentioned Neil uh earlier. Um we think we know our culture and whatnot, there's so much more aspects of our culture to, you know, the falifakatui, I'm sure you learned more about that and its significance, you know, in our royal family and in in um tongue and culture. Um and that helps. I mean, knowing who you are and being rooted when you know who you are, and there's a spiritual aspect to this, of course, but when you know who you are, um man, you're unshaken. Like the world cannot change your your mind, your heart, and whatnot, because you know who you are, yeah, and so being able to find that identity um in this aspect, you know, I think is huge. It you guys coming in, learning that and finding out who you are, and then going and out into the world confident in who you are.

SPEAKER_02 13:11

Yeah, that's so true. And I've seen so many students return and why we have a lot of anniversaries and reunions because a lot of people want to return and sort of feel that spirit of of the PCC as well as the spirit of Aloha. And it's so cool to see how many of them would come. Like I've seen people that have said, Oh, I'm you know, I'm struggling a little bit, but they will fly. They will get here. But I think they didn't just come, they don't worry about anything else, they they don't care about the money. Um, they care about what this place has made them into or helped turn them to them into. And it's so cool to see that change, especially from students that are not Polynesian as well. They've come with what they have and they've sort of taken the Polynesian Cultural Center and and the Polynesian culture on board and say, Hey, I love it. I want to take this on board and I want to run with it in terms of sharing that with the various students that do work in different capacity, whether it be tour guide, whatever, whatever it may be. And one thing that I've always heard Cap say in um in his um show, he always said it doesn't matter what you come with, is what you take with you. And I think that's very important when it comes to the Polynesian Cultural Center, is what you take with you. And and whatever that may be, it's the hope that helps you um I didn't you know with your identity, who you are, and who you're trying to become, not only religious perspective, but as well as culturally as well.

SPEAKER_01 14:37

Yeah, that that is I guess the main reason of why the Polynesia Cultural Center is so amazing, is because what actually offers for you to take. And I think a lot of people don't even know what what it has to offer in terms of we've talked about the students, right? Now, for a tourist, say I'm a tourist and I can afford a beautiful ticket here to the Polynesian Cultural Center. What would be your advice to me to to have the best experience in the islands and the the gateway buffet because that's my favorite place. I can tell and the high breath of life. Like I think what first of all, what have what do we do behind the scenes to make sure everything is amazing for us? And then what would you recommend us to be like in terms of attitude towards this place?

SPEAKER_00 15:24

Yeah. Oh, that's a good question. Um, I I feel like you know, if you're a tourist and you're visiting from another country or another state of you know the United States, I I think just a little bit, I mean, it doesn't have to be too much work because you're coming for a vacation, you know, we don't want you to stress too much. But think on, I mean, your experiences with Polynesian culture, if you don't have any, that's fine. But what interests you, you know, have those questions kind of at the in your mind. Um, and so that when you visit, um, you're not just being entertained, you know, you're having questions answered. Um, and I guess on top of that, my my second response to that would be um, and this is I think a very um underrated tip, but is to interact with with you guys, with the student workers. You guys come from the islands, you know, and even if you don't, I'm glad that GP hit on that, like our non-Polynesian students, because they bring so much to to the cultural center. Right. You know, I learned from them um as well, a lot from them and their perspective on the island cultures, you know. Um, and so I would say to interact with the students, find out their journeys, ask questions about what their culture um has done for them and so forth. And you're never for a lot of guests, I think you're never it's very hard to find a place where you literally can come and get all your answers, yeah, you know, regarding Polynesia. And so in that sense, it's uh it's a living textbook, if you will, of a plethora um of knowledge. Wow, plethora. That's why he's the makes the big box.

SPEAKER_02 17:05

What about what for you, Neil? So I know you've had an experience earlier this week um with guests that you've taken on tour and and they've experienced that Polynesian spirit. Like, how has that sort of helped with not only your experience at the PCC, but as well as their experience?

SPEAKER_01 17:22

Yeah, I think well, I am a tour guide, just as a reminder, and we take, you know, families around the Polynesian Cultural Centre, which is an option for people if they're a bit timid about approaching such a big place. You can have a tour guide and have that package where we can help you and assist you in that way. But I I took a family or a couple, and they were, you know, they were had a great attitude, right? They had questions, like you said, and they weren't afraid to ask them. And they asked many. But what I noticed was that they connected so well to the spirit of Polynesia, more so than I thought even existed, right? Because oftentimes we have so many facts, you know, you have to make sure you hit this certain amount of islands, and you know, there's processes that we have to follow that sometimes in the thrill of it all, we kind of sometimes miss that spirit, right? How people feel emotionally as they connect to the Polynesian islands. And so this couple I think maybe even three or four times throughout the day were in tears by either things that I'd shared with them, my personal story, or the shows and performances that they watched. And um that was a a humble reminder to me of why I'm doing this is that yes, it's fun and then it is a job that we have to do to help pay for our tuition. But most importantly, we get to share this spirit of Polynesia, of love, of God with everyone, and they can recognize it more vividly within this center. And so I feel as a tourist when you come in, don't be afraid to be raw towards the spirit and and to move it, move you towards tears. It's it's a normal thing for us. Right. And so that's yeah, that's kind of my experience with it.

SPEAKER_02 19:10

Yeah, don't expect to come and cry every every time. Okay, when you come, have fun, but you know, just expect that there will be stories that will be changing uh not only you, but it have changed us as well. Going into um we've had all these successful stories and and how it has helped us as students. I think going from uh I guess an outside perspective into the Polynesian Culture Center, we've we've heard of different opinions that the PCC ex is exploiting the students, is uh exploiting culture. I guess what would you say, um Tyrone, and to that like not as a reply or retaliation, but in more of like how would you respond to that from our perspective to someone who's an who's an outsider looking in to the Polynesian Cultural Center?

SPEAKER_00 19:57

Uh I mean firstly I'll say that that is a valid um concern. I I'll just say that off the bat, like anytime that you have culture um enter a space where where money is involved, especially, you know, tourism. Um I I think for sure we need to be careful because culture is not something to be played with, you know. Very um very personal, I should say, for a lot of people. Um with that said, I think I I don't be careful why I word this. I don't I don't see it as as exploitation in that sense. I s um mainly because this is this is people from the islands sharing culture. You know, and so in that sense it's it's it belongs to you. It belongs to you, it belongs to me, you know. There is no gatekeeping when it comes to our culture, like we are legacies of Polynesian culture, and so I see it. I mean, no one told you Neil to come and represent your culture the way you do. Yeah, um no one told GP to you know come here and do it like this, you know, and so forth. You know, you your experiences are yours. And so I see it as as it's sharing Polynesian culture from the people who own it. Yeah, and that's that's all I'll say to that. You know, of course we're not perfect. Yeah. Um and I don't think there's any organization that deals with culture, religion, and business all in one. Yeah. Um, I don't think anyone is is perfect. But I like from my experience at the Polynesian Culture Center, um, especially in this leadership role now, and being able to see how the various department leaders and um even and especially President Grace, Alfred Grace, who's retiring um you know, after more than 40 years, the Polynesian Culture Center, um, to see the love and the respect that they have for our cultures of the islands of Polynesia. Um I think we're always looking for those one percent improvements in that direction.

SPEAKER_02 22:05

Yeah, I and and I think for that it's just sort of my perspective of of being, you know, having that same or being exploited. I think it goes back to the mission of why be um the PCC is there. First of all, it's frustrated, right? It's for us to be able to have an a quality education um that would not only help us return back to our home countries and develop our own communities, but it's uh the opportunity to share culture as well. So you know, you different people may feel differently to us, but I think the having the privilege, like I mentioned, we don't have this in Australia, we don't have this in New Zealand, we don't have this in the islands of Polynesian. But having this kind of platform to share culture and tradition in a way that it really would help us students in return, man, I I'm all for it. And man, if you look at other attractions around, we could be charging a lot more people than I would say we're exploiting. But we're nowhere near. I mean, the cost that we offer versus the things that a guest would get is a lot more than for a buck.

SPEAKER_01 23:13

Yeah, it's just and they don't realize we're a non-profit organization, right? Um almost all of our funds are towards education. Right. And you know, our financial information are available for everyone to see. That's right. And we, yes, it is a business that we have to continue to run as per normal, but like you say, the mission is just to support its workers. And I think that's why we love it, and that's why we want to develop a cultural show that is pleasing for tourists. It's not like we're, oh, we're trying to make something that's entertaining for tourists so we can get their money. It's more so how can we share our culture in an entertaining way that also shows our values that tourists can enjoy. And so when you see it in that perspective, I think it's not more exploiting, it's more sharing.

SPEAKER_02 23:57

Yeah, I mean, come check it out for yourself. We can share all of our experiences, but until you experience it yourself, yeah, you will know what we're talking about. And if you feel different, that's on you. That's not on us, that's on you. Have him as your talk about that. Perfect, perfect. So I think um we'll we're going to some fun questions, yeah. Um, before we end. Um, so boss, uh, which is the best department in the PCC?

SPEAKER_00 24:28

Now you're nearly finished. That's a hard one. I've been in a few of the different departments. Just one, just one more. Well, of course, you know, I'm gonna go where my where my old story, I should say, you know, began my love for Polynesian Culture Center and it's guest services.

SPEAKER_01 24:47

So that just that involves canoe guides and people that push your canoes, ticket takers, and obviously the best, the tour guys. Well, now that you've been in Polynesian culture city a long time, you would have seen, you know, a lot of the villages and explored and been a tour guide yourself. So, what is your favorite?

SPEAKER_02 25:09

Major Maudi.

SPEAKER_00 25:13

Hawaiian Howard.

SPEAKER_02 25:14

Hawaiian is oh, so yeah, which one's your favorite island over the six islands?

SPEAKER_00 25:18

Oh man, that's uh we're gonna have to go with rapper Nui.

SPEAKER_02 25:24

That is an exhibit. That is an exhibit. That is a smart who is your favorite soaker? That's gonna be too much fun.

SPEAKER_00 25:41

My wife is my favorite soaker. I should say, I should say that. I mean, that's one reason why I love apology culture. It's it gave me my greatest gift in my life, which is my wife.

SPEAKER_01 25:56

Shout out to your wife and your two kids.

SPEAKER_02 25:59

Of course, your dad is famous. Well, um, yeah, to wrap it up, um what is like your final message to any future students that would come into the PCC? What would you be, I guess, your outgoing message to them, um, knowing that there's the legacy behind and the thing legacy that you're leaving. What's what's your kind of final message to them?

SPEAKER_00 26:29

I think if my final message I think it would be that the the Polynesian Cultural Center it is more than a workplace. You know, you can view it as a workplace and that's that's totally fine, but you're missing out on so much more. Um if you do it right, you know, you come and you work at the Polynicia Cultural Center, you have an open heart to the things around you, the people around you, the experiences that you can have when you connect um genuinely through the spirit of aloha and the spirit of God, I should say. Um you're gonna live with much more than than experiences. Um you're gonna live with life lessons, you're gonna live with you're gonna live with um life skills, you know, talking to random strangers, um and connecting pretty quickly, you know, um, in that sense, you're gonna leave um, you know, with it a renewed or stronger testimony um of the good in humanity, you know, and I'll say that um because this I mean this is a religious podcast as well, you're gonna leave feeling the spirit of of God that is present through Aloha Um here. And so um that's been in my that's been my experience, you know, in all the years that I've worked here. Um that's been I can have I I can name countless experiences that I've had. And if I can just end with this one that I've had regarding that, um, that really shaped my my view on how sp spiritual this place is. Um before I was even a Tor guard as a student at Piuayu Hawaii, um I was a security guard. And this is in 2016. As a security guard, I worked the night shift at a lot of times at the PCC. And then one time on my rounds, it's probably 2 a.m. around there, um, I'm in a Tongan village, and I noticed that the back door of the Fale Fakatui, the Queen's uh summer palace, is is open. And so I I enter that that door and I'm just looking, you know, this is the first time really that I'm actually looking in that hut. Um and I'm looking around and all the you know, they have the portraits of the the uh the house of Tupot, I should say, the royal family of Tupot from King George Tupot I onwards. And I'm looking at that, and then I I start to look at the the royal bed that they have there made of the mats. Um I I crossed the the I cross the little barrier there and I go on the I go on the mat and I fall asleep. Um and I feel bad for saying I'm sorry that I trespass a little bit. Um but I fall asleep on that bed. And at this time in my life as a student, you know, I'm having that that internal conflict of who am I, my identity as a Polynesian, you know. I I Samuel and Tsongen, you know, um proud Sammon and Tsongyin but raised here in Hawaii. So I would say I have a Hawaiian heart, you know, just trying to figure out who I am and you know, am I good enough and and so forth. And anyways, I fell asleep on this bed, um, and I had this dream. And I don't recognize I don't recognize the the lady in that dream, but she feels I feel I know I'm related to her. Um spirit is familiar. Um and she in that little dream I have, she she comes to me and she just says, you know, you're you're doing so well, I'm proud of you. You know? Um and then I wake up and and and go on with my life, you know. And of course at that time it was powerful. Um anyhow, fast forward two years or two or three years, I'm now a tour guide. I now understand what the falifakatoui is, I know I understand a lot more about my culture and so forth. And I my mom posts on on Facebook and about her mom. And she posted this one photo, I've never seen that photo in my life, but that's the lady in my my dream. Um that's my grandma. That was my grandma Popua Tuyono from Kolomotua Tonga. Wow. Um and she died when my mom was sick, so I never my mom was you know barely raised with her. I was raised up by her stepmom, who still came into the picture later. I of course never have met her. But what that, you know, the fact that that could happen at the Polynesian Culture Center in such a personal and cultural way was a testimony to me that this place is special, you know. And I I s I invite I guess our student employees to seek out these special experiences. Because I know they're there. I know they're there because they have a loving heavy father who created the Polynesian Cultural Center as part of his love for everyone.

SPEAKER_02 31:41

That's cool, man. Thank you for sharing. I've never heard of such a story like that, and being able to sort of through, like you said, cultural and a spir spiritual way as well. It's so cool to see. And that kind of testifies into how important this place is and how spiritual it can be for anyone that kind of experienced this. So but man, thank you for joining us today. Uh appreciate your time and the stories and the talanours. And um, like I mentioned, this is not an official statement by the Polynesia Cultural Center. This is all our own personal experiences and um and our own stories that we hope to sort of lead with everyone.

SPEAKER_01 32:18

So exactly, and I think the Polynesia Cultural Center is the perfect example of the reason of this podcast where culture and belief and religion mix and meld together. So we hope you've felt the connection between the two. You feel the spirit of aloha because we are one ohana sharing what? Aloha. Play yourself, brother.