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Pacific Islander American
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (February 2007) |
| Pacific Islander American |
|---|
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| Total population |
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793,162 |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Hawaii, California and Alaska; parts of Oregon and Washington |
| Language(s) |
| American English, Carolinian, Chamorro, Fijian, Hawaiian, Marshallese, Samoan, Polynesian languages, others |
| Religion(s) |
| Christianity, others |
| Related ethnic groups |
| Pacific Islanders |
Pacific Islander Americans are residents of the United States with original ancestry from the Pacific Islands. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population. They are most concentrated in Hawaii, Alaska and to a lesser extent the West Coast, specifically California.
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American
In the 2000–2010 U.S. Census the term "'Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander' refers to people having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa or other Pacific Islands. ... They are of Polynesian, Micronesian and Melanesian cultural backgrounds." The US Census counts Indigenous Australians as part of the Pacific Islander race.[2][3]
The U.S. Census Bureau counts Filipino Americans, Indonesian Americans, Taiwanese Americans and Japanese Americans as Asian Americans even though they have ethnic origins from islands bordering the Pacific Ocean.
Mufi Hannemann is the current mayor of Honolulu. Mufi Hanneman is a German and Samoan American who was originally a history teacher. He became mayor of Honolulu in January 2, 2005 and is still serving his term.
Pacific Islander Americans have media portrayal mostly as professional wrestlers, but are also portrayed as regular people too. The Rock, with a Samoan mother and a Black Canadian father, has been the most notable Pacific Islander American professional wrestler, branching out into movies like the The Scorpion King. Other Pacific Islander American professional wrestlers include Samoa Joe and Solofa Fatu. Lilo Pelekai and Nani Pelekai are Native Hawaiian Americans in the Disney show called "Lilo & Stitch". Pacific Islander Americans portrayed two major supporting characters on the CBS television series Hawaii Five-O—Native Hawaiian Zulu as Kono Kalakaua and Samoan American Al Harrington as Det. Ben Kokua. Also, Hawaiian-American Jason Momoa plays Ronon Dex on the popular science-fiction TV show Stargate Atlantis.
Vili Fualaau is a Samoan-American boy who made headlines with his controversial relationship with Mary Kay Letourneau.
The most famous stage character is Bloody Mary (South Pacific) of the South Pacific musical and movie. She is a souvenir trader to US Sailors stationed in the Pacific Theater of WWII. Though originally cast as Juanita Hall, an African American, she is often also cast as an Asian or Pacific Islander American in newer local productions.
Pacific Islander Americans are well represented in American football: Peter Tuipulotu, Reno Mahe, Vai Sikahema, Nuu Faaola, Jesse Sapolu, Troy Polamalu, Maake Kemoeatu, Mosi Tatupu and his son Lofa, Manu Tuiasosopo and his sons Marques and Zach, and Junior Seau are current or former professional football players. Ken Niumatalolo, a Samoan American who was named after the 2007 regular season as the new head coach of Navy, is believed to be the first Pacific Islander American to head a major college program.
Many Pacific Islander Americans also play the most popular sport of their homeland, rugby, and have a strong influence in US rugby, with many going on to represent the USA, including Salesi Sika, David Niu, Vahafolau Esikia, Fifita Mounga, Olo Fifita, Thretton Palamo (the youngest player ever in the Rugby World Cup), Albert Tuipolotu, and Vaea Anitoni (the all-time leader in tries for the USA national team).
Pacific Islanders are also represented in sumo wrestling. Akebono Taro is a famous sumo-wrestling Yokozuna of Native Hawaiian ancestry.
Diving great Greg Louganis, although often identified with his adoptive Greek-American heritage, is of Samoan and Swedish ancestry.
| Ancestry | 1990 | 1990% of US population | 2000 | 2000% of US population | Percent change from 1990 to 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  Chamorro |
negligible (no data) | negligible (no data) | 177,000 | 0.06% | negligible (no data) |
| Polynesian | negligible (no data) | negligible (no data) | 616,162 | 0.2% | negligible (no data) |
| TOTAL | negligible (no data) | negligible (no data) | 793,162 | 0.3% | negligible (no data) |
Polynesian Americans are Americans of Polynesian descent.
Large subcategories of Polynesian Americans include Native Hawaiians and Samoan Americans. In addition there are smaller communities of Tongan Americans.
| Ancestry | 1990 | 1990% of US population | 2000 | 2000% of US population | Percent change from 1990 to 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Native Hawaiian |
negligible (no data) | negligible (no data) | 401,162 | 0.13% | negligible (no data) |
  Samoan |
negligible (no data) | negligible (no data) | 215,000 | 0.07% | negligible (no data) |
| TOTAL | negligible (no data) | negligible (no data) | 616,162 | 0.2% | negligible (no data) |
A Samoan American is an American who is of ethnic Samoan descent and may be from either the independent nation Samoa or the American territory of American Samoa. Many Samoans live in Los Angeles, Carson, Long Beach, San Jose, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Independence (Missouri), Houston, Seattle and in the state of Hawaii. Since the end of World War II, persons born in American Samoa are United States nationals, but not United States citizens. (This is the only circumstance under which an individual would be one and not the other.) For this reason, Samoans can move to Hawaii or the mainland United States and obtain citizenship comparatively easily.
Samoan American is a subcategory of Polynesian American.
- ^ US Census Bureau, racial breakdown of the United States in 2005. Retrieved on 2006-11-20.
- ^ University of Virginia. Geospatial and Statistical Data Center. "1990 PUMS Ancestry Codes." 2003. August 30, 2007.[1]
- ^ University of Michigan. Census 1990: Ancestry Codes. August 27, 2007. [2]
- ^ Brittingham, Angela. Ancestry 2000:Census Brief. 2004. October 30, 2006. [3]
- ^ Brittingham, Angela. Ancestry 2000:Census Brief. 2004. October 30, 2006. [4]
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Demography of the United States · Demographic history Economic · Social Race · Ethnicity · Ancestry Alaska Natives · Asian Americans · African Americans · Africans in the United States · Hispanics in the United States · Native Americans · Pacific Islander Americans · White Americans · |
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| Micronesian | Chamorros |
| Polynesian | Native Hawaiians · Samoan |
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Race in the 2000 United States Census |
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| "American Indian and Alaskan Native" · "Asian" · "Black or African American" · "Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander" · "White" |  |