Dakota Kai has gathered a lot of name and popularity after she joined hands with Bayley and Iyo Sky and became an integral part of the Damage CTRL. She had been an active performer in the yellow brand of WWE but after her contract expired, she went out of the major limelight. However, Dakota made a surprise return when she walked down the ring along with Bayley and Iyo Sky at SummerSlam 2022.
At WrestleMania 39, Dakota Kai shared a behind-the-scenes clip bringing out questions about her ethnicity. In the clip, WWE superstar Tamina is seen gracing her with Lei made of flowers. This has shed light on her ethnicity revealing that she is of Irish as well as Samoan descent. Dakota’s mother hails from Lepea, a Samoan village on Upolu Island.
🤍 Alofa atu, @TaminaSnuka https://t.co/GpTunLLAHP
— 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖑𝖎𝖊𝖌𝖎𝖗𝖑 🎮 (@ImKingKota) April 5, 2023
There have been a lot of WWE stars who hail from Samoan descent such as Roman Reigns, The Rock, Samoa Joe, and many more. While almost a majority of these stars belong to the legendary Anoa’i family, Dakota Kai has no relation to the Anoa’i family. However, the Damage CTRL member revealed herself to be an ardent The Rock fan and was hooked to “his ability to captivate an audience.”
What is Dakota Kai’s nationality?
Despite being half Samoan, Dakota Kai was born and brought up in Auckland, New Zealand. Growing up with two siblings – a brother and a sister, Dakota had an engaging childhood and spent a lot of time in sports. It was 2007 when she surrendered herself to the world of pro wrestling and did not look back since then.
Growing up in New Zealand, Dakota did not forget her Samoan heritage. “Mum would make sure us kids would grow up with a strong sense of who we are and where we came from,” she told WWE.com in an exclusive interview. She is also very proud of being an Afakasi (Afakasi are Samoans who have some traces of European ancestry).
Living in Auckland, Dakota Kai might not have got much exposure to their Samoan heritage. However, her mother ensured that she never lost touch with her ethnicity and blended various Samoan rituals and food into their daily lives. Carrying her rich ethnicity in her WWE run, Dakota attaches the word ‘Kai’ (meaning ‘sea’ in the Polynesian language) to her in-ring name.