They knew where the country was and that it had its own language. And being Samoan was something that everyone who had that background was acclaimed for. I know that when a teacher found out my ethnicity, they would automatically pay more attention to me. Not because I needed more help (as described above), but because my ethnicity has always been held on a pedestal. I was constantly told that Samoans were at the top of the social food chain and below them were everyone else. This also contributed greatly to my participation within my school. People listened to me or asked my opinion and I was seen as someone who could answer questions people might have. This gave me the special opportunity to work closely with my school's administration and especially with other well-known people in my