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What do you call a white Fijian?

Published in Fijian Terminology 2 mins read

What Do You Call a White Fijian?

A white person in Fiji is commonly referred to as a kaivalagi.

Understanding Kaivalagi

The term kaivalagi is widely used in Fiji to denote a person of white or European descent. This descriptor is broad, encompassing not only individuals from Europe but also white people originating from America and Australasian countries like Australia and New Zealand.

Who is a Kaivalagi?

  • Racial and Ethnic Identification: Primarily used to identify someone as white, irrespective of their nationality.
  • Geographic Origin: While "European" is part of its traditional definition, in the Fijian context, it extends to white individuals from the Americas and Australasia.
  • Common Usage: It's the practical term used in everyday language to refer to a white person residing in or visiting Fiji.

Kaivalagi vs. Vulagi: A Key Distinction

It's important to differentiate kaivalagi from vulagi, another term often encountered in Fiji. While a kaivalagi is a specific type of non-Fijian based on race, vulagi is a much broader category.

Here's a comparison:

Term Meaning Scope
Kaivalagi White person / European Specifically white people (including those from America and Australasia)
Vulagi Stranger / Guest Any non-Fijian person, regardless of ethnicity

This distinction is crucial for understanding the nuances of how people are identified in Fiji, especially concerning their ethnicity and origin. The use of kaivalagi is a direct reflection of a person's racial appearance in the Fijian social context, while vulagi simply denotes someone who is not an indigenous Fijian.