Why are American Samoans not considered US citizens at birth?
American Samoa became a US territory in the early twentieth century, and the question of citizenship for residents of the islands has long been a contentious issue.
Unlike other US territories, those born in American Samoa are US nationals, not citizens. With this status, they are able to reside in the US legally but are not able to vote in federal elections and are not required to pay federal taxes.
Congress has taken up the issue of extending citizenship to those from the islands. In the 1930s, there was a strong movement from American Samoans who advocated for greater control over the island’s governance structures and citizenship. Records from the 1930s, when Congress was debating the question of citizenship, justified the decision against the extension of the associated rights through racism and discriminatory caricatures of the people. Reports from the time also show a pattern of paternalization on the side of American Navy officials who argued that the indigenous people would not respond well to citizenship - a white supremacist invention that allowed the denial of rights to thousands of people for decades, not only in American Samoa but across US territories.
The issue resurfaced in Congress in the 1960s and 1970s, and each time the proposal of extending citizenship failed, even when it was supported by American Samoans.
Do American Samoans have a US passport?
While they have US passports, people from American Samoa do not have any rights to claim citizenship. However, they can live and work in the United States. If those from the territory chose to live in the US, they will have to pay federal income taxes, but they are still unable to vote.
The constitutionality of this situation has been called into question in recent years. However, on 17 October, the Supreme Court rejected to review a case on the subject that could have ended with a decision to grant citizenship to American Samoans.