Hawaiian Airlines employee dismissed for traditional Samoan tattoo

ABC reports on how Tracy Sialega-Fili, a Samoan-American, was dismissed from Hawaiian Airlines after receiving a tualima, a traditional hand tattoo, to honour her ailing father. The tualima signifies lineage and cultural identity, particularly for the Samoan diaspora. Sialega-Fili said: “I do feel like I was wrongfully terminated . . . there should be some kind of accommodation within this sort of policy that allows us as Polynesians to express our beliefs and our culture.” The airline maintains that employees in guest-facing roles must not have visible tattoos. Sialega-Fili argues that if the airline can use Polynesian designs for branding, employees should be allowed to display their cultural tattoos. She warns that without policy changes, the airline risks losing dedicated workers who embody the spirit of the company.