PACIFIC ISLANDER COMMUNITIES
Samoans in the United States
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Have Samoans benefitted from their “enduring friendship” with the United States?
Chapter objectives
- Learn about the history of Sāmoa, the context for Samoan migration to the United States, and the experiences of Samoans in sports and activism.
- Understand the colonial and military connections between American Sāmoa and the United States that serve as the groundwork for Samoan labor and migration.
- Explore how people from US territories like American Sāmoa navigate their connection to culture, sovereignty, and indigeneity.
Sāmoa consists of an archipelago of islands that are divided into two jurisdictions: the Independent State of Sāmoa to the west, a sovereign nation, and American Sāmoa to the east, a territory of the United States. Since 1838, the US Navy has had a significant military presence in Sāmoa that has had lasting effects on the islands and its people. The language of friendship has often been used to describe the connection between Sāmoa and the United States. However, power dynamics and historical contexts can complicate the relationship between a country and its territory. To explore the complexity of Sāmoa’s “enduring friendship” with the US, this chapter looks at the history of Sāmoa in relation to militarism, migration, activism, sports, and identity.
Modules in this chapter
Overview: Samoans in the United States
Friends or Foes: Making American Sāmoa
Toloa or Eagle: Flights of Migration
Culture and Cheehoos: Samoan Diasporic Identities
The Samoan Dynasty: Samoans in Sports
Social Issues in the Diaspora and Youth Activism
Overview: Samoans in the United States
Friends or Foes: Making American Sāmoa
Toloa or Eagle: Flights of Migration
Culture and Cheehoos: Samoan Diasporic Identities
The Samoan Dynasty: Samoans in Sports
Social Issues in the Diaspora and Youth Activism
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