32. American Samoa

Join Jon and Jackie as they travel below the equator to the great islands of American Samoa!  They will celebrate John Martin Poyer, figure out what a “coral atoll” is, and rail against the concept of non-citizen nationals.

Jackie Reilly: Host
Jon Schaller: Host
Charles: Producer

Instagram: @cozynookexplorers
Email: cozynookexplorers@gmail.com

Music:
What A Wonderful Day by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com
Outdoors In Summer by Shane Ivers- https://www.silvermansound.com

Community Shoutout:
National Park Foundation

Mentioned In This Episode:
ACLU - Non Citizen Nationals 
National Park Of American Samoa 

** 1 Disneyland = 500 acres ** 

Transcript

JACKIE: I’m Jackie 

JON: And I’m Jon 

JACKIE: And we are the Cozy Nook Explorers!

JON: Welcome to our show where we explore the world from our cozy nook here in a guest room in Southern CALIFORNIA using the power of the internet!  And where every time we make a knowable mistake we put a coin in the adventure jar! 

Jackie: Yes- we’ve got the adventure jar right here, our producer Charles is in the house, and it’s Wednesday which means it’s time for our next exploration!  Today we are exploring American Samoa! And yes, that’s how you pronounce it. SAmoa.

Jon: American SAmoa. 

Jackie: Yes, I’m pretty sure that’s correct, but let’s each put a coin in the adventure jar in the case that we are wrong. 

Jon: Sounds good.  And apologies in advance for any potential mispronunciations.  We are going to try our best on this episode.  Now Jackie, you chose this episode. Why did you want to explore American Samoa?

Jackie: Well, as I mentioned during our Guam episode, I did not know that Puerto Rico was a part of the United States until my mid 20’s and the only reason I found out was because I was going to be traveling there. I’m embarrassed to admit this because I received an above average education, but it also makes me think that I am not the only person who had this happen.  Visiting Puerto Rico was such a wonderful experience and ever since then I’ve been passionate about learning more about the United States territories. American Samoa didn’t disappoint. I cannot wait to dig into this episode because it’s fascinating and I’m absolutely in love with this territory. 

Jon: America is so much bigger and more diverse than the 48 states that are the usual visual representation we see on a map. There’s so much to explore in American Samoa. But, before we head south of the equator- what’s keeping you cozy this week, Jackie?

JACKIE: California In The Winter- This is my first west coast winter. The first winter that I’ve been somewhere really warm actually. And I’ve got to say- I could get used to this. I’ve only put my winter coat on once this year and it really makes a difference in my mood! When the weather is a little gloomy here I really feel it and then I remember that this used to be a regular thing in my life all the time and I’m so grateful to be here.

• What is your favorite part of winter in california?
  • Being able to go outside for walks! Especially walks with Lambchop! For those wondering the Lammie Pajammie Walking Compani is still going strong!  She receives 3 walks a day right now!
• Do you miss the snow?
  • No. Not yet at least. I’ve seen plenty of snow and I know I will see snow again, so I’m totally fine with skipping a season. Also, far, far away there is snow on the top of the mountains that I can see, so that’s my snow fix for this year. 

JON: Oatmeal- I’ve been starting my day with oatmeal for the last couple of months and it’s become something I look forward to daily.

• What do you like to put in your oatmeal?
• Do you prefer rolled oats, quick oats, or steel cut oats?

LET’S GET INTO IT 1

Jackie: It’s 1918 and the Governor of American Samoa, John Martin Poyer is listening to the radio.  He learns that there has been a flu outbreak that is spreading rapidly all over the world. With zero hesitation and without any orders from the government, Governor Poyer requested quarantine ships from the mainland of the United States. American Samoa surrounded itself with ships and established a quarantine policy. No people or things were allowed into the territory, not even a bag of mail from the neighboring country of Samoa.  Of course, we all know now that I am talking about the Spanish Flu.  In 1918, American Samoa was one of 3 places in the entire WORLD to have zero deaths from the virus. Governor Poyer was awarded the Navy Cross from the U.S. Navy for his quick action and he is considered a hero among American Samoans. 

Jon: And just to give you some context for how devastating the spanish flu was to the surrounding areas, just 100 miles away in Samoa, which I should note again is a separate country, 90% of their population was infected with the virus and 22% of their population DIED. 

Jackie: In these more modern pandemic times, American Samoa also has a great report card in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic. As of January 26, 2021 there have been 3 known cases in American Samoa and everyone has recovered. 

Jon: There are limited medical resources on the island, so when Covid began to spread, all flights to and from American Samoa were abruptly halted. They have had a couple of flights leave the island with people who needed medical attention, but they haven’t let anyone into the territory. 

Jackie: Due to the abrupt stop in flights, over 500 American Samoans are stranded in the United States.  Many of them have been stranded since March and American Samoa is just beginning flights to get everyone back home. The process is going to take a while because of the strict quarantine protocols.

Jon: It is understandable why they needed to make such drastic and difficult decisions, but imagine being stranded for almost a year?!

Jackie: I really can’t. I wish I could sit down with each and every person to hear their story to learn what this experience has been like for them. Most of the stranded American Samoans are in Hawaii, but others are scattered all over the United States.  I am so glad that they are on a path to returning to their beautiful home.  You know, I think that they did such a good job with protecting American Samoa with the 2020 pandemic that they may have done even better than 1918.

Jon: Even better? Jackie, they didn’t have the internet in 1918. Governor Poyer had no information AT ALL to work with and he saved all of those people. Yes, they had a quick and aggressive response this time, but I’m sure a lot of that was inspired by their history.

Jackie: Ok, ok. Both responses were aggressive and more than likely saved many lives.  Welcome everyone to American Samoa!  The whole of American Samoa is 49,171 acres which is about 98.3 Disneylands. 

Jon: American Samoa is made up of 5 main islands and two coral atolls.  Most American Samoans speak-

Jackie: You skipped over what a coral atoll is.

Jon: It’s a coral atoll. 

Jackie: Did you forget to look up what a coral atoll is?

Jon: No. It’s a… coral atoll.

Jackie: A coral atoll is a ring shaped coral reef that surrounds a lagoon. Most coral atolls are created from volcanoes that have gone extinct.  The reef and coral take the place of where the island originally was and the lagoon takes the place of where the volcano used to be. When you see an atoll from the sky you can see the circle of coral and the blue lagoon in the middle very clearly. It’s really cool.

Jon: If you like coral in general, American Samoa should definitely be high on your list of places to visit because they have a TON of it, but more on that later. 

Jackie: You were going to talk about the languages?

Jon: Oh yes, most American Samoan’s are bilingual. They speak Samoan and English fluently. English is used in school and business and Samoan is used at home. 

Jackie: In 2020 the population of American Samoa was approximately 55,212 people and it is the southernmost territory in the United States. It is the only United States territory south of the equator.

Jon: The only inhabited territory.  Don’t forget that Jarvis Island is below the equator too.

Jackie: Oh yes, how could I forget about the insanely popular and uninhabited US Territory of Jarvis Island? I’m sure everyone listening has heard of it.  There are even songs about it.

Jon: There are?

Jackie: No.

Jon: Moving on~ The biggest business on American Samoa is exporting Tuna products. They have a StarKist factory on the island of Tutuila (Tu-Tu-e-lah) which is the largest and most populated island.  

Jackie: Most of the tuna is exported to the United States. American Samoa has a tropical, humid climate with two seasons- the wet season is December through March and the dry season is from April through September.

Jon: I wonder what season October and November have?

Jackie: Apparently they are season-less.

Jon: The weather is almost always around 80 degrees fahrenheit give or take 15 degrees 

Jackie: Something that I thought was really special is that American Samoans have the highest rate of military enlistment of any U.S. State or Territory.  

Jon: That’s amazing. 

Jackie: Though, this is probably as good of a segway as any to talk about all of the rights and privileges that American Samoans are denied. Such as, that the US Army has a policy that denies American Samoan soldiers security clearances and won’t allow them to serve as officers. 

Jon: That makes no sense. 

Jackie: Well, if that didn’t make sense to you then this whole next section is going to be baffling. Hold on tight because this gets a bit confusing and very infuriating.

Jon: What should I hold onto?

Jackie: I don’t know- hold onto Charles.

Jon: He’s running away. 

Jackie: Charles come back here! Charles!

Jon: Well, I guess we’re on our own for now.

Jackie: I hope he comes back soon.  The only reason this show doesn’t go off the rails is because he’s here.

Jon: Well, we have to try. (pause). You know what- let’s take a quick break and see if we can find him.

Jackie: Good idea. See you soon.

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Music: Outdoors In Summer- Silverman Sound

Let’s Get Into It 2

Jon: And we are back. I couldn’t find Charles. Could you? 

Jackie: Nope. Alright- we have to try to keep going.

Jon: You were saying…

Jackie: Oh yes, so American Samoa has been an Unincorporated Territory of the United States since 1900. What that means is that the area is controlled by the United States government, but it is not incorporated for the purposes of constitutional law and it’s not part of the union. 

Jon: So, basically American Samoa is like Guam and Puerto Rico.  The United States owns them, but they don’t have representation in Washington DC and their votes don’t count in our elections.

Jackie: Yes, in this way American Samoa is like Guam and Puerto Rico, BUT there is a major difference. American Samoans are NOT considered United States citizens when they are born.

Jon: What?

Jackie: Yes. So, if you’re born in Guam or Puerto Rico, it is noted that you were born on United States soil, so you are a United States citizen and you can move freely throughout the United States like any other citizen, but American Samoans are considered non-citizen nationals when they are born.

Jon: But they are born on U.S. soil!

Jackie: I KNOW. I already think that territories are nonsense and that any inhabited land in the United States should be given statehood or their freedom, but this is a whole next level of ridiculous. The only way that they can gain US citizenship at birth is if one of the parents is a US citizen. If this is not the case and they want to be a US citizen then they need to become one. In order to become a US Citizen, American Samoans need to live in one of the 50 states for 3 months and then go through a naturalization process which includes a test to show that they can read and write in english which- might I add- is the language taught in school, so just about everyone is bilingual which is a lot more than we can say for us. They also need to pass a US and civics history test. JON- I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW THAT AMERICAN SAMOA WAS PART OF THE UNITED STATES WHEN I GRADUATED COLLEGE AND THEY ARE EXPECTED TO TAKE A TEST ABOUT ME.

Jon: This makes no sense.

Jackie: I told you to hold on. And I’m not even done. The current cost of this process appears to be over $700, but I would imagine most people hire a lawyer as well, so I’m sure it’s insanely expensive. 

Jon: Oh wow.

Jackie: Yeah, I’m so fired up about this. Some American Samoans want to be citizens and some do not, but I think it’s crazy that they are denied what is considered a basic human right in America. If you’re born here~ you are a citizen- the 14th amendment says so! Especially because of how much they contribute to our safety through the military. I could go on and on, but I’ll include a link in the show notes to an article from the ACLU website that goes into more detail about this… Ok, I’m done.  Did Charles come back yet?

Jon: No. 

Jackie: Oh no.

Jon: I know.  Well, we have to keep the show going don’t we. 

Jackie: Yes we do. Why don’t you pick a topic. Something cozier than non-citizen nationals please.

Jon: How about transportation on American Samoa?

Jackie: Transportation? You could talk about the beautiful beaches, amazing local produce, or their jaw dropping national park and you chose transportation?

Jon: Yes. 

Jackie: Ok, explain yourself then. 

Jon: If you visit American Samoa you may want to rent a car, but if you are a fan of public transportation they have a great option.  The agia (ie-ing-ah) bus system has been around since 1922.  These buses travel all over Tutuila (Tu-Tu-e-lah) which is, again, the main island where most people live. The buses are painted in beautiful bright colors and are known for pumping upbeat loud music during the trip. There are multiple bus companies that are run by different families, but they all abide by the same schedule and bus fares, so you can take whatever bus is convenient for you.  The bus fares are usually between $1 and $2.50, so it’s a very reasonable way to get around the island. Agia (ie-ing-ah) means family in Samoan, so they are family buses. Family is the most important thing to Samoans, so when you ride the bus you are extended family. Jackie, I thought you’d enjoy taking rides on the buses and the meaning behind them which is why I chose this topic.

Jackie: Ok, now I feel bad. That does sound really nice. I thought you were going to tell everyone the speed limit doesn’t go above 30 miles per hour and that they have 3 airports. 

Jon: That was not my intention at all, but now you said it. 

Jackie: Ok, ok… that was a good topic. Speaking of good topics- I want to talk about all the yummy produce that is grown in American Samoa.

Jon: An important thing to know when traveling to American Samoa is that a lot of traditional produce is very expensive because it needs to be imported, but local crops are very reasonably priced, so it may be best to eat local foods when you can!  Local produce includes bananas, breadfruit, taro, papayas, pineapples, sweet potatoes, cocoa, yams and so much more.

Jackie: Do you know what taro is?

Jon: Jackie we went over that in our Kawai episode. 

Jackie: We did? Oh no, I’m forgetting things. What is it again?

Jon: It’s a root vegetable that tastes similar to a sweet potato. Babies can eat it, remember?

Jackie: Oh yeah, that sounds really yummy. I bet you would find lots of taro in restaurants in Pago Pago! (Pah-go Pah-go)

Jon: Pago Pago! (Pah-go Pah-go) So, if you travel to American Samoa you will most definitely end up in Pago Pago because it is the capitol. Of course, it’s on Tutuila (Tu-Tu-e-lah) island. Pago Pago is actually a string of villages.  

Jackie: Pago Pago is also a GREAT location to be in if you want to visit the only American National Park south of the equator!  It is really close by. I’m sure you could take an agia (ie-ing-ah) bus there!

Jon: The National Park of American Samoa is unlike any other national park because of its location.  The park consists of 7,970 acres of rainforest and 2,550 acres of coral reefs. It is distributed on 4 volcanic islands in the south pacific ocean. Samoan culture is also a huge part of the national park as well.  

Jackie: I had no clue that America had a national park with so much beautiful coral! They have about 250 coral species in the park.  Make sure to bring your swimsuit because there are beaches and there is snorkeling. 

Jon: Yes, it’s the perfect national park for-  Charles! You’re back. Jackie’s done yelling about non-citizen nationals. 

Jackie: Charles come back. We need you! I’m sorry I was so loud. 

Jon: Oh, you just needed a snack? Why didn’t you say something. We thought you were mad at us. Oh, Charles.

Jackie: Oh my gosh, Charles! Moving on I guess- Jon you were saying that this is a great national park for a group of people who-

Jon:  For a group where some people love exploring and some people love lounging on the beach. You can do both.

Jackie: The best of both worlds. Ok, well, I feel like we hardly cracked the surface, but that's all I think we have time for today. Did you have anything else, Jon?

Jon: Oh yes- this is really wild. Samoa and American Samoa are only about 100 miles apart from each other, but they have a 25 hour time difference.

Jackie: What?!

Jon: Yeah, I know. American Samoa primarily trades with the United States and Samoa primarily trades with Australia and New Zealand. In 2011, Samoa jumped a whole entire day ahead so that they would be on a better timeline with their trading partners. So, if you are interested in time travel- just take a plane from American Samoa to Samoa and back and you literally will lose and gain DAYS during that short flight. Anything else?

Jackie: American Samoa is so small that they only need one zip code! It’s 96799.  Anything else?

Jon:  American Samoa has developed the nickname Football Islands because Samoans are the most represented ethnic group in the NFL.  

Jackie: Is that American football? 

Jon: Yes- the one where they throw the ball.

Jackie: Oh, ok cool. (pause)

Jon: Ok, Charles is saying we need to take a break. 

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Music: What A Wonderful Day by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

Community Shoutout: 

Jon: Every episode we like to research and highlight something special in the community that we are exploring.

Jackie: Today’s community shoutout is the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa.

Jon: According to their website, the sanctuary “protects extensive coral reefs, including some of the oldest and largest Porites (pour-its) coral heads in the world, along with deep water reefs, hydrothermal vent communities, and rare marine archeological resources.”

Jackie: I had to look up what hydrothermal vent communities are and it’s basically a place where two tectonic plates come together in the ocean and geothermally heated water can discharge through the seafloor. 

Jon: And Porites (pour-its) coral is a stony coral with finger-like shapes that stick out.

Jackie: National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa is made up of six protected areas that cover 13,581 square miles of the Samoan Archipelago. Arch-a-pell-ih-go

Jon: Global warming is having a negative impact on the entire world, but coral bleaching in nearshore waters has been one of the devastating consequences. 

Jackie: By working with the local community and in tandem with the cultural values of Samonas, the sanctuary is teaching the next generation ways to take care of their beautiful home. 

Jon: We all need to do everything that we can to stop the progression of climate change, so it is great that American Samoa is doing it’s part. We will include a link in the show notes so that you can check out their website and support their cause.

Jackie: Yes well will. Alrighty- well, that’s our show. Thank you so much to our snacky producer Charles.  

Jon: Thank you so much Charles. We couldn’t make this show without you, but we really need to have a chat about making sure to snack before we record. 

Jackie: And thank you so much to YOU for listening to our show! We hope you enjoyed today’s episode!

Jon: If you’ve been enjoying this podcast please take the time to subscribe, rate us, and write a review on apple podcasts. It helps the show, so we’d really appreciate it!

Jackie: Also, make sure to tell your friends! If there is anyone you know who you think would enjoy this podcast please make sure to share! 

Jon: You can also follow us on Instagram @cozynookexplorers or send us an email at cozynookexplorers@gmail.com. 

Jackie: We love getting to hear from you and we are always looking for travel suggestions! 

Jon:  We will be back on a Wednesday with our next exploration.  

Jackie: Yes, on Wednesdays we explore!

Jon: Stay cozy, and we’ll see you soon.