Polynesian Americans

Polynesian Americans comprise Native Hawai'ians, Samoans, Tahitians, Tongans, Indigenous Australians, native New Zealanders, Wallisians, Futunans, Tokelauan, Niueans, Fijians, Tuvaluans, Cook Islanders, Rotuman, Rapa Nui, and Maori, from over 1,000 islands across more than 70 million square miles (181 million square kilometers) in the central and southern Pacific Ocean region. A wide variety of languages are spoken by Polynesian Americans, including English, Hawai'ian, Samoan, Fijian, Tongan, French, Tokelauan, Niuean, Rapa Nui, Spanish, and Rotuman. Anthropologists consider Polynesians to share genetic, linguistic, and cultural ancestry that dates back to the prehistoric Austronesian peoples who originated in Taiwan.

Many of the religious, navigational, agricultural, and weather-predicting customs are similar throughout Polynesia. The Polynesian American community is largely Christian, with most identifying as Mormons or Catholics. The most populous subcategories of Pacific Island Americans are Native Hawai'ians, Samoans, Tongans, and Maori. The terms Pacific Island American and Oceanian American include Americans of Polynesian, Micronesian, and Melanesian descent. Historically, Polynesian Americans have been overrepresented, relative to their population, in agricultural and military careers.

According to the 2010 census, there are 540,013 Pacific Islands Americans, who account for 0.2 percent of the population of the United States. If those with partial Polynesian ancestry are included, that number more than doubles to 1,225,195, or 0.4 percent of the population. Large Polynesian American communities exist in Hawai'i, California, Alaska, Utah, Oregon, and Washington. “Samoan American” refers both to individuals from the independent nation of Samoa and to those from the U.S. territory of American Samoa. American Samoa has been an unincorporated territory of the United States since 1899. As such, American Samoans are U.S. nationals; this status accords a direct and simple path to U.S. citizenship.

During the U.S. occupation of American Samoa in World War II, American military personnel outnumbered native Samoans. This exchange shaped the culture and encouraged emigration to the United States. As of the 2010 census, there were nearly four times as many people of Samoan descent living in the United States—primarily in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Seattle, and Anchorage—than in American Samoa.

By the 20th century, nearly all Polynesian Americans were Christians, mostly Mormons. Many Polynesian Americans celebrate international holidays and festivals, including Diwali, Chinese New Year, and Pasifika. Polynesian American cuisine closely mirrors that of the native islands, with crayfish, seaweed, breadfruit, and coconut factoring heavily in many dishes. Rugby, Australian-rules football, and cricket are traditionally the most fashionable sports among Polynesian Americans, although American football and wrestling have gained in popularity.

Some American representations of Polynesian culture have not been initiated by Polynesian Americans—or especially authentic portrayals. After World War II, Tiki culture, which is a kitschy interpretation of various Polynesian customs, became fashionable in the United States. Some of the more successful expressions of Tiki culture include the television show Gilligan's Island, the fusion jazz music of Martin Denny and Les Baxter, and tropical-themed attire, nightclubs, and restaurants. Tiki culture was especially popular in the 1950s and 1960s, and a resurgence in interest occurred in the 1990s.