Samoan New Zealander

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Samoan New Zealanders are Samoan immigrants in New Zealand, their descendants, and New Zealanders of Samoan ethnic descent. They constitute one of New Zealand's most sizeable ethnic minorities. In the 2006 census, 131,103 New Zealanders identified themselves as being of Samoan ethnicity, 50,649 stated they were born in Samoa, and 489 stated they were born in American Samoa.[1]

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Overview

The country of Samoa (distinct from American Samoa) has a unique historical relationship with New Zealand, having been administered by New Zealand from 1914 to 1962.

Notable levels of Samoan migration to New Zealand began in the 1950s. In the 1970s, Samoan illegal immigrants were the targets of notorious "dawn raids" by the police, which led to accusations of ethnic bias in tackling illicit immigration. That same decade, some Samoan New Zealanders joined the newborn Polynesian Panthers, an organisation dedicated to supporting Pacific Islander New Zealanders, for example by providing information on their legal rights.[2] The number of Samoan-born residents in New Zealand doubled to over 24,000 during the 1970s.[2]

In 1982, a number of Samoan-born residents were granted citizenship with the Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act. Samoan immigration in New Zealand has subsequently been regulated by quotas. Since 2002, 1,100 Samoans are granted entry each year.[2]

[edit] Demographics

The 1874 census recorded 6 Samoans in New Zealand. Numbers have increased steadily ever since, to 279 in 1936, 1,336 in 1951, 19,711 in 1976, 24,141 in 1981, and 47,118 in 2001.[1]

A majority of New Zealanders of Samoan ethnicity today are New-Zealand born.[2] Almost all Samoan New Zealanders live in urban areas, and two out of three live in the Auckland region.[3]

[edit] Socio-economic situation

In 2001, the median annual income for Samoan New Zealanders aged 15 or over was NZ$15,600, whereas the national average was NZ$18,600. Samoan New Zealanders faced a 15.7% unemployment rate, compared with a national average of 7.4%.[3]

[edit] Culture

In 2001, 64% of ethnic Samoan New Zealanders were able to speak the Samoan language.[3] Samoan is the third most-spoken language in New Zealand, behind English and Maori.[4]

Samoan cultural values, the "Samoan way of life" (fa‘asamoa), are reportedly retained particularly by elderly members of the community, and include respect and mutual help within the extended family (aiga), as well as fa‘alavelave (ceremonial and family obligations), and attendance at a Christian church.[3]

Traditional tattooing (tatau) is embraced by some Samoan New Zealanders, both men and women, as an expression of cultural identity.[5]

Samoans have contributed significantly to New Zealand culture in the fields of art, music, literature and sport (see below).[6]

[edit] Notable Samoan New Zealanders

Luamanuvao Winnie Laban, Member of Parliament
Luamanuvao Winnie Laban, Member of Parliament
Tana Umaga, of the All Blacks
Tana Umaga, of the All Blacks

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "Samoans: Facts and Figures". Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. 
  2. ^ a b c d "Samoans: History and migration". Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. 
  3. ^ a b c d "Samoans: Life in New Zealand". Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. 
  4. ^ "French: People and culture"". Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. 
  5. ^ Talagi, Susana. "Sacred marks identify Samoans", Fairfax New Zealand, 8 April 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-04-28. 
  6. ^ "Samoans: Contributions to New Zealand". Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. 
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