Alliance statement on Oppression, Racism and Violence

​The American Samoa Alliance against Domestic & Sexual Violence expresses our outrage over continued violence against the Black community.  We have observed heinous crimes against George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, David McAtee, Ahmaud Arbery and Tony McDade, murdered and added to generations of Blacks, and other people of colored communities who have been senselessly killed.  These acts of violence impact our Samoan communities.
February 1989, the Dole Family (Samoan) bridal shower, Cerritos, California.  100 Los Angeles sheriff’s deputies wearing riot gear stormed their residence.  Samoan’s were beaten with batons, as police officers stood over our Samoan men to harass them.   
 February 1991 in Compton, Ca, Pouvi Tualaulelei, thirty-four (34) years old and his brother Itali, twenty-two (22) were shot nineteen (19) times by responding Police Officer Skiles who was tried for his actions.  The jury ruled a mistrial, and local elder Papaliitele Alailima used the matai system to encourage our youth to protest peacefully.  Three peaceful protests were held by the Samoan Community.
On January 22, 2019 36-year-old Iosia Faletogo in Washington State made an improper lane change, and the license plate showed the registered owner had a suspended license.   During the videotape of the event, you can hear the police yell, “You’re going to get shot!”.    You can see Faletogo’s gun on the ground beside him, with several cops surrounding him.  A cop shouts, “He’s reaching”, and Faletogo says in a muffled voice, “I’m not reaching.” Seconds later gunshot is heard, as SPD officer Jared Keller shoots Faletogo in the head.
 We bear witness to these murders and are pained by these events.  It is time for all communities to gather to dismantle racism and forms of oppression that heinous acts.  When individuals or groups believe they have power over you, they believe they have the right to do anything to you. 
To combat these actions, the Alliance will continue to push our vision to see “Individuals live free of violence with equality, dignity and respect.”  We invite you to join us by creating and strengthening partnerships with leaders of government, community, public safety to commit.  We need to stop being complicit.    
Reach out and support friends and colleagues of color.  Talk to friends and family about racism, including implicit bias.  Let us begin to share what we know.  Engage our officials.  Call out racism and oppression when you see it.  It starts with us.