How are you feeling towards the kid's mom at the moment?
The gift that keeps on giving - a drum set. Or possibly a tuba.
How about a nice set of rock glasses and whiskey decanter with "JESUS" engraved on it?
Night shirt?
Slippers are nice - I might get some of these for myself...
So what parts of pop culture do she relate to? Having a niece who just came out of that part of life (15 now) I learned that N'Sync can be just the coolest thing, or absolutely NOT the coolest thing. For example...
Is Dora cool for her? Sponge Bob too young? Does she like music or TV or movies? Does her mother allow her to participate in the pop culture she is so aware of. I liked rock and roll as a kid, but mom wasn't about to listen to it in the house. Even today, I enjoy Power Rangers, but the wife won't let me watch them. (We have to watch Law and Order 24/7)
You mention Pacific Island Heritage. DOes the kid have any direct experience there, any memories? I am of Scottish heritage on both sides, but other than occasional interest, it was never an item growing up. I would much rather have gotten a model car than a scarf in my tartan. (Now days I might really go for a car in my tartan. A plaid pickup. That would be something.) The kid might be more happy getting normal 10 year old girl stuff than some sort of ethnic imperative item. Then again if she is actually from there within her memory, it might work. (Later in life I became more interested in my forebears, and I must say we have an attractive tartan.)
Can she wear expressive things to school, or is her school one of the regimented ones? Kids are social beings after all. A cool backpack or sweater maybe.
What does she like intellectually? Does she read? Does she like science? At that age I liked youthful novels like the Tom Swift series. My ffriends like Nancy Drew or HArdy Boys. There are lots of book series, and if they like one, there are usually many more with the same characters in a series. I liked Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn too. I like to encourage reading. That's fiction, but I also liked science stuff a lot too. I loved a new atlas and could spend hours looking at the ocean floor or a cutaway of the earth's interior. WHat is inside a submarine. technology of most any sort. I was so fascinated by weather that I even studied meteorology in college. Considered being a TV weather man. Books are good gifts if the kid can relate to them. A field guide to birds is something that can be of ongoing use for example. Assuming she cares about them. Does she have any interest in science or the world around her? Obviously if she is into ballet, a book of warships of WW2 would be a poor choice. (send it to me)
I have found the most effective means of chosing a gift for a young girl is... ask my wife.