D.C. District Court and the D.C. Circuit both refused to apply the Citizenship Clause of the 14^th Amendment to American Samoans. The plaintiffs petitioned to introduce the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court denied the petition.

Reasons for that are likely the fact that if the Supreme Court had accepted this case, they would have needed to revise the Insular Cases. Additionally, the majority of American Samoans are not keen on gaining citizenship because it could destroy their traditional lifestyle.

I believe federal laws that deny American Samoans citizenship should be challenged because I want my children to have the same world of opportunities available to them that are available to any other child born in any other part of the United States.“

Lele Tuaua

Ironically, the remains of Imperialism – the Insular Cases – partly protect American Samoans’ traditional way of life fa’a Samoa. Why this is the case, you can explore here:

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