Samoan Americans

Samoan Americans are American citizens who are from Western Samoa (Independent State of Samoa) or American Samoa, or who have Samoan ancestry. Samoan Americans are the second-largest Pacific Islander group in the United States, second only to native Hawai‘ians. The Samoan archipelago of 15 inhabited islands is divided into two countries. American Samoa comprises the eastern islands, including Tutuila, home to Pago Pago, the capital. Native-born residents of American Samoa are U.S. nationals; they cannot vote in presidential elections and do not pay income tax, although immigration to the rest of the United States is much easier for American nationals than for people of other countries. Western Samoa or the Independent State of Samoa comprises the western islands in the archipelago, four of which are inhabited. Western Samoa is an independent country and is a member of the British Commonwealth. Its population is about 182,000—a little less than the number of Samoans living off the archipelago.

Like other Pacific Islanders—notably, Native Hawai‘ians—Samoan Americans arrived in the United States to be agricultural and factory workers in the mid-20th century. Honolulu, Hawai‘i, and Long Beach, California, have the largest Samoan communities outside Samoa; Samoan Americans make up about one-third of the population of Long Beach. The Seattle-Tacoma area also has a generous Samoan American community and is home to the First Samoan Christian Congregational Church. There are approximately 184,400 Samoan Americans; this figure comes from the 2010 census and includes those of partial Samoan ancestry. Large numbers of Samoans also live in New Zealand, from which Samoans gained independence. Despite emigration from the Samoan archipelago, Samoan Americans and others of Samoan descent continue to share a unique culture that is strong inside and outside the homeland.