Hiram Ali’ioaiga-Reno Anoa’i, warmly embraced as “Reno” by family and friends is a proud Daly City native and second-generation Samoan-American. While at the University of Hawaii, he realized that Pacific Islander students were lacking the support that they needed from the school and community. With others, they founded Fale Manoa, a PI Learning Community focused on improving retention rates, offering financial aid and scholarship writing workshops, housing support, and connections to local food banks.
Reno is a professional touring musician under Mana Entertainment, a non-profit that aims to develop and support upcoming artists from marginalized communities. He was the coordinator for Pacific Islander Community Partnership, a non-profit that serves as a conduit for Pacific Islanders in advocacy, education, and empowerment.
In 2015, Reno was a finalist on the nationally televised show, American Idol. Through this experience, he realized the importance of having access to programs that intentionally teach and prepare youth for the stage. He was told by the producers and fellow contestants that they were unaware of who Samoans were and was also strongly encouraged to share his culture. He was eager to learn the cultures of others in hopes that they could find commonalities in who they are and what they come from.
Although Reno is known as a singer/songwriter, his artwork is rooted in social justice advocacy. Reno likes to say it was from this moment that he knew his culture and his passion for arts was his breath of life, keeping him grounded and pushing him forward. His main goal is to “inspire others to pursue and fight for their dreams while reminding and encouraging one another to lift as we climb. For in life, our greatest honor is to serve our community.”
