This article discusses issues facing the Samoan community in Washington State. It notes that many early Samoan settlers in the state were members of the military. However, American Samoans cannot vote despite high rates of military service and sacrifice from Samoan families. The article also highlights longstanding struggles for Pacific Islander students in education, including low academic performance, high suspension/expulsion rates, and a high dropout rate. It calls for education reform to incorporate Pacific Islander culture and for greater partnership between schools and Pacific Islander communities to improve outcomes for Pacific Islander students.

1. A Democratic State, In Which Some Feel Left
Out
By Patrick J. Woo-Ching, July 28, 2015
Washington State is known for its
social policies on human rights and
protecting its citizens from big corporations.
Another strength is our diversity.
The immigration of Samoans to
Washington State started in the early 1970.
Looking back, the relationship between the
U.S. and Eastern Samoa, now known as the
U.S. Territory of American Samoa was
established in 1900 when a treaty was
endorsed with the U.S. Department of the
Navy. This connection continues as many of
the early settlers in Washington State were
members of the military.
The Samoa warrior spirit, Toa o
Samoa, made Samoan soldiers a unique
group of men and women. During the Iraq-
Afghanistan conflict, Samoan and Pacific
Islander (PI) soldiers volunteered in numbers
exceeding their relative populations, and, as
a consequence, American Samoa had the
highest death rate per capita of any State of
the Union.1 The country became the
breeding ground for the U.S. Army
recruiting.
Opportunity to serve in the military
brings honor to families. Samoans in
Washington state are proud of the
patriotism and sacrifice made by those
young men and women in uniform.
However, it is a cruel irony that the citizens
of American Samoa are ineligible to vote in
our elections because they are not U.S.
citizens. It baffles the mind that the
Commander in Chief can commit the lives of
the sons and daughters of American Samoa
citizens, but the citizens have no voice in a
presidential election.
The cliché of Out of sight, out of
mind, best describes how the Samoans and
other Pacific Islander communities in the
U.S. are represented by the government.
Struggles within the educational system
have been long-standing, with few
sustained efforts devoted to solving the
problems. Pacific Islander students have the
lowest academic scores compared to other
ethnic groups. Samoans and other PI
students also have high suspension and
expulsion rates. Low academic performance
and low attainment perpetuates every year.
For example, PI students’ overall
percentage scores in math and science are
below twenty percentile.2 Many of us have
heard school officials quote the statistic:
“Every day of every school year there is a PI
student dropped out from school.”
Education Reform is the buzz word
from Pennsylvania Ave to Washington
State. Education reform should include a
holistic approach, including consideration of
culture and how that that influences the
way students learn. There are many reasons

2. Fetu Ta’iala Learning Center 2
for poor school performance among
students of color, some are more difficult to
remedy than others. But, when young
children do not see or feel a connection
with their learning environment, or respect
for their beliefs, it greatly reduces their
interest in learning--You can take a child out
of the village, but you cannot take the
village out from a child. Culture is part of PI
students’ lives and should be part of their
school experience.
The state and schools should
collaborate with genuine PI organizations to
strengthen relationships. It’s disheartening
when school officials know of the
longstanding low academic performance
issue of PI students but are puzzled by what
to do. A community and school officials
partnership increases engagement and
1
White House Initiative on Asian Americans and
Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI). www.APPI.GOV
reduces the disconnect between parents
and schools, assuring state representation
has the potential for school reform policies
to aid all students in our state who struggle
“fitting in.”
As a concerned PI parent, my wish is
the same as everyone else: that my family
has an opportunity to prosper. Our children
attend public schools and deserve
educational equality and equity.
Respectfully, I call upon our policymakers
and school officials to engage the PI
community regarding education reform
because the lives and the future of our
children matter.
2
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.