Between Fa'a Sāmoa and School: Socialization, Identity, and Well- Being Among Sāmoan Students in Bay Area Public Schools

This study examines how school socialization within Bay Area public schools shaped the identity development and emotional well-being of Sāmoan students. Existing scholarship on Pacific Islander education frequently focuses on aggregated "Asian American and Pacific Islander" (AAPI) populations or centers research conducted in New Zealand and Australia, leaving the experiences of Sāmoan students in the United States comparatively underexamined. Drawing on theories of school socialization, cultural mismatch, labeling, and belonging, this study explores how institutional expectations interact with culturally grounded values associated with fa'a Sāmoa, including relationality, respect (fa'aaloalo), and collective responsibility within the aiga (extended family). Using a qualitative research design, this study draws on semi-structured interviews with seven adult participants who self-identify as Sāmoan and attended public schools in the Bay Area. Through retrospective reflections on their educational experiences, participants described how they learned to navigate implicit school norms surrounding participation, behavior, discipline, and success. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns related to cultural mismatch, identity negotiation, labeling, emotional well-being, and cultural grounding. Findings suggest that participants frequently experienced tension between the collectivist values emphasized at home and the individualistic expectations embedded within school environments. Behaviors rooted in respect, humility, and observation were at times interpreted as disengagement or lack of participation. Participants also described experiences of identity negotiation, feeling "in-between" cultural contexts as they adapted to competing expectations across home and school environments. At the same time, family, community, and cultural values emerged as important sources of resilience and belonging. This study contributes to existing scholarship by centering the lived experiences of Sāmoan individuals within a U.S. educational context and by demonstrating how school socialization, identity formation, and emotional well-being operate as interconnected processes shaped by broader institutional and cultural dynamics.