You may meet many native Hawaiians and Samoans when you go to Hawaii. It can sometimes be confusing to understand whether or not Hawaiians and Samoans are of the same nationality and culture.
Hawaiians and Samoans are not of the same nationality and culture; they are very different. Native Hawaiians are considered to be Americans. Most native Hawaiians do not speak the Hawaiian language. On the other hand, Samoans are from the archipelago of Samoa. Most Samoans speak Samoan and English. Culturally the two places are very different.
Table of Contents
- Hawaiians And Samoans Are Two Different Countries
- Culturally The Samoans And Hawaiian Are Different
- Virtually Travel Hawaii – The Conquer Virtual Challenge – Road To Hana
- Related Questions
Hawaiians And Samoans Are Two Different Countries
Both Hawaiians and Samoans are Polynesian, but they are very different. Hawaii and Samoa are, first of all, separate countries far apart.
Flying between Hawaii and Samoa would take you over 5 hours as they are over 2,500 miles or over 4,000 kilometers. They are both in Polynesia but are not very close neighbors.
Here are some of the main differences between Hawaiians and Samoans.
Hawaiians Are Americans
As Hawaii is considered part of the United States, Hawaiians are considered American Polynesians. Hawaiians have the language of Hawaiian, but most native Hawaiians grew up speaking English.
Hawaiians, also known as Native Hawaiians, are officially known as the indigenous Polynesian people of the islands of Hawaii. In the 2020 census of the United States, about 690.000 people identified themselves as Native Hawaiian.
But many Native Hawaiians no longer call Hawaii their home but live on the US Mainland of California, Nevada, and Utah.
Today very few Native Hawaiians speak the Hawaiian language fluently; most Native Hawaiian speak English as their native language.
American Samoa And The Independent State Of Samoa Are Different Countries
The Samoans live in the Samoan archipelago of islands. The Samoan island area covers 1170 mi.² in the central South Pacific; it covers most of the independent states of Samoa and American Samoa.
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the south Pacific Ocean. It is not a state of the United States but a territory. American Samoa is the number one recruiting station for the US military.
American Samoa is the only significant territory of the United States where US citizenship is not granted at birth, and people born in American Samoa are considered ”Non-citizen nationals.”
The population of American Samoa is just over 46,000. And the official language is English and Samoan.
The Independent State of Samoa is on the other part of the Samoan archipelago islands; until 1997, it was known as Western Samoa. The Independent State of Samoa is a unitary democracy.
The population of islands of Samoa is more populated than American Samoa, with over 200,000 residents; the official language is Samoan and English.
American Samoa and the Independent State of Samoa are more similar to each other than to Hawaii. First, the Samoans share the same language, culture, and archipelago of islands.
Most Samoans I know can speak Samoan. They grew up speaking both Samoan and English. Whereas most native Hawaiians I know cannot speak Hawaiian but only speak English.
Culturally The Samoans And Hawaiian Are Different
Culturally the Hawaiians and Samoans are not precisely the same. If you have ever visited the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie, Hawaii, you can see a Samoan and Hawaiian Village.
At the Polynesian Cultural Center, there are a few things you can learn about how different Samoans and Hawaiians are:
- Traditional Hawaiian and Samoan houses are not the same.
- The dances of Hawaii and Samoa are very different. The Hawaiians have a hula, but the Samoas do a dance that is slap kind of dance.
- Samoans have a dance that is rooted in their culture that is known as the fire knife dance. Watching this fascinating dance as they throw the fire and knives around is fantastic.
- The music between the two countries is very different. Hawaiian music was always softer, and Samoan music had more drums and a beat.
- The Samoans have a traditional dress known as puletasi, similar to what women wear in Tonga and Fuji. The traditional Hawaiian dress is a muumuu and crosses between a robe and a shirt.
When you look at both Hawaiians and Samoans, you can see that even though they are both Polynesian, they are culturally very different. The Hawaiians and Polynesians come from two different countries and even two different areas of the archipelago of Polynesia.
Virtually Travel Hawaii – The Conquer Virtual Challenge – Road To Hana
If you cannot travel to Hawaii but would like to have the spirit of the Hawaiian islands in your life, you can consider doing the Conquer Virtual Challenge Road to Hana. The Road to Hana will take you on a scenic road through Maui, Hawaii.
Each time you travel on this majestic highway and pass an essential landmark, the Conquer Virtual Challenge will send you a postcard; these postcards allow you to discover Hawaii virtually.
One of our favorite things to do is to get on The Conqueror Virtual Challenge Google map function and to see virtually where we are traveling.
Each time you run, walk, jog, swim, cycle, or do a host of other fitness activities, you can count that mileage towards your virtual challenge. This means that every single mile you do can count.
Find out more about the Conquer Virtual Challenge and get 10% off your first challenge by clicking on the link below.
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Related Questions
What Continent Is Hawaii A Part Of, And Why?
Politically, Hawaii is considered part of the North American continent as it is one of the United States of America states. But location-wise, many people believe it is part of the Oceania continent as it is located within the area known as Polynesia.
By clicking here, you can discover What Continent Is Hawaii A Part Of And Why?.
What’s The Difference Between Hawaiian And Polynesian?
Native Hawaiian on the Hawaiian island is considered to be part of Polynesia. It is part of what is known as the Polynesian triangle, which includes many islands in Polynesia. But even though Hawaiians are under the ethnic umbrella of Polynesia, there is still some difference between them and their Polynesian counterparts.
By clicking here, you can discover What’s The Difference Between Hawaiian And Polynesian?.
Is Hawaii In One Or Two Time Zones?
Hawaii has a one-time zone. It is in the Hawaii – Aleutian time zone, which means it shares a time zone with part of Alaska. Hawaii has never changed its time for daylight savings time because Hawaii is near the equator, so the sunrise and sunset do not fluctuate greatly throughout the year.
By clicking here, you can discover Is Hawaii In One Or Two Time Zones?
