Source: www.asamnews.com --- Monday, January 25, 2016
The Boomfield brothers are featured in the film that took four years to complete. By Ed Diokno For the next two weeks, with the champions of their respective conferences decided, Football fans start zeroing in the ultimate sporting event, the Superbowl. No doubt, there will be more than a few Pacific Islanders playing in that event, one of the most watched games in the world. For many Polynesians, playing in the National Football League has become their ticket to the American Dream. Even though Polynesians (Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders) make up only 0.5 percent of the U.S. population, more than 200 Polynesians have played professionally in the National Football League (and in the Canadian Football League) — 28 times more likely than any other ethnic group. A documentary, In Football We Trust, will explore this phenomenon which some refer to as a calling or a gift from God; others credit genetics, socio-cultural influences, or the push and pull of global sports capitalism. The reality is, though, only a few of them make it into the pros. For those who don’t make it into the pro ranks, many face economic hardship. The lure of gangs become the only way out of poverty and disappointment. “I am first generation Tongan; born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah,” says director Tony Vainuku. “My parents are both of Tongan descent, and followed their parents to Utah in the early 1970s, where their families practiced M ...
from Football http://ift.tt/1Umbj05
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