First Tongan US senator says diaspora can help build Tonga's future

For Doug Fiefia, making history in US politics is only part of the journey.

The Utah politician is set to become the first Tongan-born American state senator in United States history.

But he says his bigger goal is strengthening the connection between Tonga and its global diaspora

Fiefia, the youngest of five children, was raised in South Jordan, Utah, after his parents migrated from Tonga in the late 1970s.

His father, Tevita Tauteoli Fiefia, is from Ha’ateiho while his mother, Meloni Taufa Haungata’au Afu Fiefia, has roots in Pangai and Fahefa.

In an interview with Kalo Toetuu on Pacific Days, Fiefia said his Tongan heritage continues to shape how he sees leadership and service.

Watch Doug Fiefia's full interview on Pacific Days below.

He believes Tongans living overseas are of Tonga’s greatest strengths, with many gaining education, skills and experience that can be used to support the islands.

"I think the Tongan diaspora is really Tonga's greatest strength,” he said. “We have all had opportunities to see the world and to see the world from different lenses, to get an education, to serve in careers in different capacities, and I think now many are looking to give back.”

Fiefia said he wants to help create stronger pathways for Tongans overseas who want to invest back home, including through business partnerships, jobs and economic opportunities.

Doug Fiefia, right, with Tongan Deputy Prime Minister Dr Viliami Uasike Latu. Photo/Facebook/Doug Fiefia

Ahead of taking up his new role in the Utah State Senate, he has already begun discussions with Tongan leaders, including Deputy Prime Minister Dr Viliami Uasike Latu, about ways the diaspora can contribute.

“My message to the Deputy Prime Minister was that [we need] to make sure that it is easier for Tongans overseas who want to invest to do so, and that it's a very clear process,” Fiefia said.

“I think there's a real opportunity for Utah specifically with so many Tongans who live here, but also California and other places to do the same," he said.

For Fiefia, that work is personal. He recently returned to Tonga with his family to reconnect with his roots and share the culture with his children.

"When I visit family members, when I see the villages there, it becomes very clear that life is bigger than myself, that there are generations and generations who have come before and they have laid the path and have sacrificed so much."

Photo/Facebook/Doug Fiefia

Fiefia says his new role is about serving both the people who elected him in Utah and the wider Tongan community that helped shape him.

"Having the experience of serving in Utah's legislature and finding ways that I can then actually give back to the motherland, to Tonga in a meaningful way and connecting them with resources and opportunities and people here in the States, and specifically in the state of Utah, that can benefit the country," he said.

Fiefia currently serves as a Republican member for Utah’s 48th district in the House of Representatives and will take his place in the State Senate in November.