As of late, I have been searching, finding and enjoy listening to some great music from Samoan Artists. Since putting such an emphasis in my search, I've discovered more and more how different we Samoans sound when speaking English depending on what part of the Pacific we come from.
Yes it is great to have ability to speak our native language, a very strong common constant that never should grow weak, or that we never should feel ashamed about. On the other hand, it can be unfortunate for us Samoans that doesn't know how to speak and understand our native Samoan tongue, because I submit that it maybe awkward, odd or difficult at times to understand ourselves as we speak English from one Samoan to another. A lot I believe has to do with Samoans that are found to have either been raised in different countries in various parts of the Pacific, such as Western Samoa, American Samoa, New Zealand, or the United States such as states like Hawaii and those up along the West Coast.
By experience alone I believe that Samoans enlisted in the military, or others that have attained a college education are trained to conduct themselves to fit the protocol of respect, duty and honor. To speak in a manner that is formal and orderly amongst peers and instructors due by virtue in learning how to survive in the art of war. Within an academic environment, Samoans are no less expected than any other ethnic race to have the ability to reason amongst academic scholars. An education causes us Samoans to conduct intensive thesis research, that allows us to present findings that may clarify objectives, or provide possible solutions to a certain cause for further understanding and learning to take place. All our reading material maybe indicative in the way we sound or speak in this case as military personnel, or as students taking college courses.
Our Samoan identity having being raised in varied locations in the Pacific Rim classifies us one or another, and it gives us our distinctions of why we sound the way we do when speaking the English language. I was raised in Hawaii after being born in American Samoa and do have a distinguishable difference in the way I sound than from my Samoan brothers and sisters from New Zealand or Western Samoa (Islands of Upolu and Savai'i) that all or most have the British or Kiwi accent possibly due to it being a British Territory. Samoans for the most part raised in American Samoa (Island of Tutuila and Manua'), speaks without the Kiwi accent and probably due to it not being a British territory, but instead an American Territory.
Artists such as Lole, Jamoan Jam, Adeaze, Aaradhna, Pacific Soul, Nesian Mystic and Brownzeville comes from Western Samoa (Upolu and Savai'i) or New Zealand (forgive me if I'm mistaken). There are a lot more I'm sure!
Artists like Zipso, Five Stars and the RSA Band comes from American Samoa (Island of Tutuila, Manu'a). Correct me if I'm wrong here, but there are a lot more I'm sure!
Most Samoans that I know of raised in Hawaii have this Pigeon accent, that sounds uniquely awful, probably painful for some English grammar or English Literature Instructors to have to listen to while trying to improve the syntax and increase English vocabulary in their students. The Pigeon accent is in itself of its own, a blended mix of so many different nationalities and/or cultural slang's all in one; we've all Co-existed for so long together on the same islands of Hawaii, that we've now evolved to just learn how to inter-relate in our own Pigeon way to more so understand each other, get along and continue living amongst ourselves in such a very diverse tropical island.
Artists such as David Katina, Mark Atuai, Kapena, Fiji and Pati comes from Hawaii (forgive me if I'm mistaken). There are more ofcourse!
The West Coast of the United States have Samoans that were born and raised in states such as California, Utah, Oregon, Washington and Arizona that may sound like any other Caucasian or black person around in their neighborhood. Than you may have other Samoans that may have been raised in Samoa or Hawaii and have decided to get a college education within the continental US; either from the School of Hard Knox (The Streets), or from a legitimate University, such as University of Washington or BYU. Courses are learned everyday either in the classroom, or on the streets that which distinguishes our Samoan selves in this case one from another. I learned this hard lesson while living in San Diego, CA for a couple years while in the US Navy back in the 80's, and while being stranded in Oakland, CA. for about a week in 2007. I was around Samoans that knew nothing but slang from their Hood; and if you know who the Booya Tribe is, than it should be clear to you as to what I mean by this.
The artists such as The Katinas, Booya Tribe and Marina Davis are Samoan artists that are residential Samoans within the continental US (forgive me if I'm mistaken). There are many more ofcourse!
I should admit that all Samoans found in various Pacific locations mentioned above, are not immune to the ghetto life, the middle class life nor Samoans that are well off, as with any other race or culture living the American Dream today.
I really do enjoy listening to those Samoans that have the Kiwi accent, and would like to learn how to speak with the Kiwi accent as well; just for experimental reasons I suppose. But I will never forget the first time I met this Samoan girl that asked me to take her picture along side her group of friends all spoke with a Kiwi accent. At that time she was the prettiest Samoan girl that I've ever seen in my life with an attractive new accent to go along with it. So I thought wow, an attractive looking Samoan female that sounded different than any other girl in my high school or in the state that I lived in (Hawaii). Those precious moments could only have happened on one of my first visits to PCC, or Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie, on the Island of Oahu, a likely place to find Samoans from Western Samoa or New Zealand.
With all that have just been said, I believe its worth reiterating that it is vitally important for us Samoans to cherishing the most important common constant in our culture; and that is the ability to speak, or having the passion to learn how to speak in our own Samoan native tongue. This is which gives an increased curiosity to understanding the meaning that underlies preserving a long lasting Samoan traditional cultural heritage. It starts in our own families home with the chance to strengthen mutual respectful relationships with our elders, parents and siblings, and than it continues on to other Samoan (Uso or Hamo) brother's and sister's located or scattered all across the Polynesian Pacific, and the continent of the US. Otherwise we Samoans will have to face the unfortunate differences in speaking english one to the other, the lack of this essential common constant of our Samoan language in place ironically may tend to distance ourselves, instead of the ability to unite us.
Most Sincere,
Mickey Tovio Scanlan
P. S. I do have the passion to be fluent in speaking Samoan someday, and I'm a bit ashamed of this being a grown man. Nevertheless I press onward to increase learning new words and phrases in Samoan. I do believe my immediate or extended family honors my sincere efforts to improve this area in my life. Because I am part of their lives too, regardless of how we were brought up or raised together in the islands of Samoa or Hawaii. That is with the use of our Samoan language as being a secondary form in communicating, to our Pigeon english, or a very trite way of speaking like a caucasian or black american from one to another.
