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Abstract
Since the 1970s, Samoan participation in American gridiron football has grown exponentially. In American Samoa (and other transpacific Samoan communi- ties), football has come to represent both a real and imagined "way out" of what appears to many as a strangled field of possibility. The visibility and vibrancy of football in American Samoa is rooted in Samoan histories of migration to the United States, Samoan cultural sensibilities, the changing market of the Ameri- can football industry, and narrowing economic opportunities. The transnational nature of football migration is key to understanding the appeal of playing foot- ball, the rewards that accrue to successful players, and how these resources have continued to transform conditions of possibility (materially and ideologically) for young people in the islands. This article explores the layered and complex motivations for football participation as shaped by prospective forms of capital, transnational sporting institutions, and historical contingency, hocused on his- tory, economy, and a transformed vision of the future, it offers a critical genealogy of football in (American) Samoa and Samoans in football.
keywords: American Samoa, football, migration, mobility, capital
The "Legend"
In October 2009, I attended a large banquet dinner in honor of the Uni- versity of Montana Hall of Fame inductees, members of the 1969 and 1970 undefeated championship football teams. After the dinner was over, I sat at a table with my father, Tu'ufuli, and a few of his former team- mates as they were catching up on news and reminiscing. My father is in his mid-sixties, a retired athlete and educator, and he lives in American Samoa. Born on the island of Tutuila, he played football through to the professional ranks in the United States and Canada, and over the years he has traveled extensively as an athlete, coach, and trainer.
As we sat talking, suddenly an attractive, middle-aged woman walked up to us, brimming with emotion and excitement. "Is this Tu'ufuli?" she asked as she reached out, clasping his hand in hers and holding on for a moment. "I just wanted to shake your hand-We've never met but I was a cheerleader, cheering you on, and you were just legendary! Legendary!" she exclaimed. He smiled, graciously remarked how nice it was to meet her, and introduced us. With...