Editor,
As one of the first generation Tongan living here in America, and witnessing this momentous day of celebration, of the inauguration of the first African American President of the United State of America, I never believed it in my wildest dream, that this day could ever happened in my life time.
It is truly a joyous time for some of us who have witness all these different changes that has occurred in America since the first time we
arrived here in this beautiful land called America. John F Kennedy was President when I first arrived here in America, President Barack Obama is the ninth President since then.
Tonga has always been a true loyal friend of America, I had personally witness of how the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon) from America had committed their hard earned money to come to Tonga since World War II, and help with the Educating our people, with the building of Liahona High School in Tonga and Saineha High School in Vava'u for it's members children and any Tongans who wanted to attend their school system.
I have personally witness the kindness and friendship of the American people as the first Tongan who graduated from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah in America, in 1969.
Thousands of Tongan Students have attended Liahona High School and benefited from the millions of dollars that the LDS church members in the USA has donated through paying their tithing to their church and sending millions of dollars to Tonga for educating Tongan children these past decades.
Reflecting back to some very interesting co incidence of how the new President of the United States, President Barrack Obama education
history and it's similarity to some of our Tongan students that attended the same school as our President Barack Obama did.
FYI: President Barack Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, and graduated from Punahou High School in Honolulu Hawaii. Tupou Pulu from Ha'apai was the first Tongan graduated from the same Punahou High School in Honolulu as President Barack Obama did. Upon graduating from Punahou High School in Honolulu, President Obama then attended Occidental College in Los Angeles California for two years then transfer to Columbia University NY, and graduated with a BA degree.
Next on his educational journey was Harvard University, Massachusetts USA, it is where President Obama attain his Law Degree. Again, the similarity is that at this same University, Harvard, it is where the Former Deputy Prime Minister, Honorable Dr. Langi Kavaliku graduated from Harvard also with a B.A. degree, both Dr. Kavaliku and Tupou Pulu also attended Tonga High School in Nuku'alofa before going to America.
In my view, there are lots of similarity with this momentous day, very similar to what had occurred in Tonga in these past three years time.
Prime Minister, Dr. Feleti Vakauta Sevele is the first commoner to ever attained the Prime Minister of Tonga Government, since King George I.
President Barack Obama is the first African American President ever elected in America.
In my humble opinion, Prime Minister Sevele should be commented for all the changes that he has initiated with his Govt., I know first hand of the task and difficulty in changing in any government system.
I have been privileged to have been working with both members of Congress delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senators from Hawaii and California.
President Barack Obama main agenda of changes and Yes we can, is to change the way Washington DC is doing business, Transparency is very important to this President, and a White House web site on line is his first order of business changes today. In my view, there are lot's of similarity in what is happening in Tonga and America. All different
Religion and Christianity, is the fiber that connected both people of Tonga and America.
May God Bless Tonga and America on this Historical Day.
Meteliko (Met) Tuaileva
