How I Got My Name - Queenitra

 I was born on the exact day my father’s youngest sister, Queenitra Popo, was born. When my father was young, he had a baby sister who he never really got the chance to know. My grandfather’s oldest brother did not have any kids, and so they asked if they could adopt her. A Samoan custom is if relatives in the family come up to you and ask if they could adopt your child, most Samoans decide to give their child up. Even though most Samoan families are big, some Samoan couples aren’t able to have a family of their own. As a mother, it’s hard to give up a child, but it’s also hard to see other couples without kids. My grandfather thought it would be a good idea to let his brother and his wife take care of her to give them an experience of parenthood.

So years later, after Auntie Queenitra was staying with her new parents, she finally had a sister of her own. Her stepparents finally had their own son. As soon as her stepparents had their own children, they forgot about her, and gave her to another family. When my grandparents gave my auntie up for adoption, they didn’t keep in contact with her. My grandparents really didn’t talk about her much until the day I was born. When my grandmother first took a look at me, she thought I look exactly like my auntie Queenitra. So when my grandmother found out that I was born on the exact day as my auntie, she suddenly busted out crying and begging my parents if they could please name me after my auntie Queenitra.