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Learning Samoan for Yourself, Not to Impress Anyone
learning Samoan language reclaiming Samoan language Samoan diaspora language learning Samoan identity and language Samoan language for beginners
For many Samoans, learning the Samoan language feels emotionally loaded. It’s rarely just about grammar or vocabulary—it’s about fear. Fear of being corrected, laughed at, or told you should already know. Fear of confirming the belief that you somehow failed your culture.
Coming Home Without Moving Back: How Samoans Overseas Can Reconnect With Culture
fa‘a Samoa overseas reconnecting with Samoan culture Samoan cultural reconnection Samoan diaspora identity Samoans living overseas
This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Living away from Samoa can create a quiet ache. It’s not always loud or dramatic—it shows up in moments when you don’t know the right words, when your children ask questions you struggle to answer, or when culture feels just out of reach. For many Samoans living overseas, reconnecting with Samoan culture feels tied to one idea: moving back home. But reconnecting does not require relocation. It requires intention. Coming home is not only about land. It is...
Is Siva Afi a sport or cultural dance?
This post contains affiliate links. This means I may earn a commission should you chose to sign up for a program or make a purchase using my link. It’s okay – I love all of these companies anyways, and you will too! Recently we looked at applying for funding to help our students reduce the cost of attending Siva Afi Classes. I thought this would be the right category because Siva Afi is a sport like a Samoan martial art with competitions around the world. Then I was told we needed to have a registered head body and rules for...
The Journey Back to Samoa: Why Reconnection is a Lifelong Gift
When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. For many Samoans living in the diaspora—whether in Australia, New Zealand, or the United States—the idea of “going back” to Samoa isn’t only about booking a ticket and stepping off a plane. It’s a yearning. A tug at the heart that whispers during family gatherings, when you hear your parents’ accents, or when your children ask you questions about who they are. Reconnection isn’t a one-time event. It’s a lifelong journey that weaves past, present, and future together. And perhaps the most important thing to remember...
Not Samoan Enough? Reclaiming Your Samoan Cultural Identity Without Shame
When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Let’s be honest—trying to reconnect with your Samoan cultural identity can feel like you’ve been dropped into a fiafia night with zero choreography, no lava-lava, and only a vague idea of what you’re meant to do. For many diaspora Samoans, the journey is full of moments that are as humbling as they are hilarious. You mispronounce everyday words. You forget who’s related to who. You bring a pizza to lotu and get lovingly side-eyed by your aunties. But here’s the truth: culture isn’t a performance. It’s not...