The main purpose of a lengthy hearing of the Senate Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday was to find out how a large population of Asians, Vietnamese in particular, have entered the territory and taking up jobs and businesses that were once the domain of locals.
Senate President Tuaolo Manaia Fruean said when he was a young man he used to get a haircut from Soli’s or Lagafua’s barbershop. Now, he gets it from a salon next to the theater whose employees are all Vietnamese.
He questioned if the salons have been approved by the Cosmetology Board.
Looking to the future, he said, there will come a day that a child born here of Vietnamese parents can run for Governor or member of the House of Representatives, because of their US national status.
Tuaolo said it was his understanding that only people with special skills that are not found in the territory are allowed entry to come and work. But, now, Asians have taken over jobs that Samoans can perform. And they are also operating businesses that Samoan used to own.
Senator Muagututia Tauoa sounded an alarm bell saying there will come a time when the children of American Samoa would be relegated to the hills, while foreigners take over their lands and economic opportunities. He suggested outright that the Immigration Office stop issuing permits to all foreigners.
Senator Magalei Logovii said a store in his village started off with Samoans as cashiers and shelf stockers, but, now, has only Asian employees. He’s also looked into roadside stalls selling produce operated by Asians, and found out that they have formed a cooperative. Not only do they sell by the roadside, they also supply the School Lunch Program. He told of an Asian woman selling bananas, at the Fagatogo marketplace, which she buys from others.
Tuanaitau Malaki Togiola, a commercial farmer, says he knows the people operating roadside stalls do not have business licenses. He believes thieves, whom he suspects are drug users, are stealing from his banana plantation and selling to the roadside stalls operated by Asians. He said this practice is affecting local farmers like himself and asked that the authorities put a stop to it.
Attorney General Gwen Tauiliili Langkilde, along with Acting Chief Immigration Officer Sam Fuimaono and Director of Agriculture Daniel Helsham provided testimony at the lengthy hearing.
According to Fuimaono, the foreigners are being brought in by businesses under a special provision in the immigration law.
The Attorney General explained that the law provides a numerical limit or quota of 5 people from different nationalities each year, with the exception of Samoa which has a higher quota. But the law also provides an execption to the numerical limit that allows aliens into the territory under extenuating circumstances. She said the Immigration Board decides who can be allowed into the territory under “extenuating circumstances.”
The practice has been that a job vacancy ad is run a few times by the sponsor, and this is attached to the application to the Immigration Board.
The AG briefed senators about the purpose of the immigration law enacted in 1984 which reads in part, “The Legislature finds there are limited land resources, water, sewage facilities and educational and economic opportunities in American Samoa, therefore, with the increasing mobility of today’s population, the only way to preserve the American Samoa culture and way of life and allow the people of American Samoa to determine their political and economic future is to restrict the entry of non-American Samoans into American Samoa.
Senator Togiola Tulafono asked the AG if she would support a moratorium on the entry of certain classes of immigrants, while authorities address the loophole that’s resulted in the influx of foreigners.
Here’s the AG’s reply…
Play Audio
