'Inoke Hafoka is the son of Tongan immigrants and raised in Glendale of Soonkahni (Salt Lake Valley in Utah). Hafoka is currently an Assistant Professor and Program Lead of Pacific Studies at BYU–Hawaii. His research interests includes: diaspora, identity, migration, race, education, knowledge production, revitalization / re-imagination, sports, talanoa. Hafoka has published in AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples, Pacific Studies, Oceania, Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, Journal Committed to Social Change on Race and Ethnicity, and more.
EDUCATION
- Ph.D., Social Science & Comparative Education (specialization in Race and Ethnic Studies), University of California, Los Angeles
- M.Ed., Education, Culture & Society, University of Utah
- B.S., Sociology, Brigham Young University–Provo
COURSES TAUGHT
- PAIS 105 - Introduction to Pacific Studies
- PAIS 200 - Recognizing Place, Purpose, and Positionality on Native Land
- PAIS 201 - Indigenous Pacific Research Methodology
- PAIS 331 - Women in Oceania **
- PAIS 340 - Anti-Racism and Belonging: Pacific Dialogue
- PAIS 399R - Internship
- PAIS 497R - Mentored Research **
- HIST 250 - History of Eastern Oceania
- HIST 362 - History of the Pacific **
- SOCW 372 - Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
** - Courses currently being taught (Spring 2025)
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
ARTICLES
Kruse, L. & Hafoka, ‘I. (2024). Cultivating Pacific Studies in Ko‘olauloa. Journal Committed to Social Change on Race and Ethnicity, 10(1), 194-205. https://doi.org/10.15763/issn.2642-2387.2024.10.1.193-205
Hafoka, ‘I., Tecun, A., Ka‘ili, T. O., & Siulua, S. A. (2023). Performing Tongan Identity and Indigeneity in Global Sporting Events. Pacific Studies, 46(2), 160-186. https://www.academia.edu/attachments/113563139/download_file?s=portfolio
Alcantar, C. M., Kim, V., Hafoka, ‘I., & Teranishi, R. T. (2022). Space and place at Asian American and Pacific Islander–serving community colleges: The geography of campus student support for Asian American and Pacific Islander students. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 15(2), 178–193. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000281
Vaughn, K., Fitisemanu, J., Hafoka, ‘I. & Folau, K. (2020). Unmasking the essential realities of COVID-19 amongst the Pasifika community in the Salt Lake Valley. Oceania, 90(S1), 60-67. https://doi.org/10.1002/ocea.5267
Tecun, A., Hafoka, ‘I., ‘Ulu‘ave, L., & ‘Ulu‘ave-Hafoka, M. (2018). Talanoa: Tongan epistemology and Indigenous research method. AlterNative: An international journal of Indigenous Peoples, 14(2), 156–163. https://doi.org/10.1177/1177180118767436
BOOK CHAPTERS
Tecun, A., Fehoko, E., & Hafoka, ‘I. (2021). Faikava: A Philosophy of Diasporic Tongan Youth, Hip Hop, and Urban Kava Circles. In K. L. Camacho (Ed.), Reppin’: Pacific Islander Youth and Native Justice (pp. 219-239).Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press.
Hafoka, ‘I., Vaughn, K., Aina, I. & Alcantar, C. M. (2020). The ‘invisible’ minority: Finding a sense of belonging after imperialism, colonialism, and (im)migration for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders in the United States. In R. T Teranishi, B. M. D. Nguyen, C. M. Alcantar, & E. R. Curammeng (Eds.), in Measuring race: Why disaggregating data matters for addressing educational inequality (pp.67-83). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
REPORTS
Teranishi, R., Gutierrez, R. E., Gogue, D. T., Le, A., & Hafoka, ‘I. (2023). Native Hawaiians & Pacific Islanders in higher education: A collection of campus research to inform student success. Washington, DC: Asian Pacific Islander Association Scholars.