Why I wrote We Rise by, Ti Tavai
Working on the Dear Mr. Warren Buffett video and being in the theater watching the Waters Rising dance performance by Tuvalu, Tokelau and Kiribati residents helped and inspired me to create a song for the people in the community with high air pollution and climate change, how they are impacted by that everyday. It showed me a lot about the different parts of our community and the struggles we have to face with our health. How it is important that we as a community should rise together. So, I felt that you know, that creating this song with the help of West Long Beach and East Wilmington and many other communities opened up my heart. It made me understand the true meaning of our voices and how we can put that together in just that one song. And, you know how happy, and glad, and blessed I am, just to be a part of that and to be able to share that with the world, you know that message we have as a community.
I thank Dr. Gisele Fong for believing in me and pushing me to write and sing my dreams. Thank you Angelo Logan for all your support. Thank you Rene Castro for your faith and encouragement. Thank you Building Healthy Communities Air Quality Work Group Long Beach for your time and sharing your beautiful faces. To my family and Long Beach community all my heart.
To my wife and moa, you are why I rise 80)
To the Creator I give all the glory.
Alofa atu,
Ti
Lyrics of We Rise
We Rise
1st verse
Oh pollution, when your passing by
and the children are smiling while they play outside
Oh railroad, if only you see
that the air we share hurts our families
when we
Drive down on PCH ( A main road in Long Beach to the Bay Area)
and we’re
walking by onto Sante Fe ( A street in West Long Beach in which all the trucks and community use)
there’s too
many trucks and too many trains
why can’t there be a change
why can’t we be the change
1st Chorus
West Long Beach we rise Hudson we all rise
( Hudson is a park, community garden and school in West Long Beach)
Cambodia town we rise Washington we rise ( Outside of Cambodia the largest population of Cambodians live in Long Beach)
Atlantic we all rise Houghton Park we rise ( Atlantic is a main artery and street in Long Beach. Houghton Park is a popular park for youth and families in North Long Beach.)
Villages we rise project play we rise ( Villages refers to the Villages of Cabrillo, home to working class families and Homeless veterans)
children we all rise
for our children we all rise 2xs
2nd Verse
Oh, beautiful city by the sea
I see you crying …..
behind the refineries
the 710 and the 405 ( Interstate I-710 and 405 where the trucks travel to Commerce and Los Angeles to deliver goods. )
are the freeways i live by
but it won’t stop me and my family
i’m rising up with my Long Beach community
too many ships and too many lanes
from the Port of Long Beach
to the port of l.a. ( Port of Los Angeles)
Break down
We are the change
We are the change
We, we ain’t waiting for change
Cuz, we are the change 2xs
Last part (chorus)
Tongva Tribe we rise (Indigenous Nation and First Peoples of Long Beach)
Poly we all rise ( Long Beach Polytechnic High School)
Jordan High we rise ( Jordan High School)
Cabrillo we all rise ( Cabrillo High School)
Springdale we all rise ( Springdale, Public Housing in West Long Beach)
Carmelitos rise (Carmelitos Housing Project in North Long Beach)
Queen Mary we rise ( A historic and Long Beach treasure, the transatlantic cruise ship)
Climate change we rise ( This shot shows the Pacific Voyagers. Oceanian/Pacific Islander navigators who left the Pacific on 7 double hulled canoes, using celestial navigation, solar energy and the physical power and ingenuity to land at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro, California. San Pedro is next to Long Beach.
North Long Beach we rise
( The North Side or the Village of North Long Beach as the locals say)
Eastside we all rise ( The Eastside of Long Beach)
Aiga we all rise
Kainga we all rise
Ohana rise
Aloha we all rise ( Love in Hawaiian)
(Aiga, Kaiga,Ohana represented in the Samoan, Tongan and Hawaiian languages expresses community, kin, family, the village, and our loved ones.)