Sec. 19. American Samoa Citizenship Plebiscite Act
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This section may be cited as the . American Samoa Citizenship Plebiscite Act Congress finds the following: Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, persons born in Puerto Rico, Guam, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are citizens of the United States at birth. Persons born in the United States territory of American Samoa are nationals of the United States, but not citizens, at birth. The term national of the United States is defined under the Immigration and Nationality Act to include persons who, though not citizens of the United States, owe permanent allegiance to the United States.
For more than 100 years, American Samoans who are United States nationals have demonstrated their loyalty and allegiance to the United States. On April 17, 1900, the village chiefs of Tutuila and Aunu’u ceded their islands to the United States. On July 16, 1904, his Majesty King Tuimanu’a of the Manu’a Islands and his village chiefs did the same. On February 20, 1929, the United States Congress officially ratified the Treaty of Cession of Tutuila and Aunu’u and the Treaty of Cession of Manu’a.
On March 4, 1925, by Joint Resolution of the United States Congress, American sovereignty was officially extended over Swains Island and it was placed under the jurisdiction of the government of American Samoa. Since ratification of the Treaties of Cession, many American Samoans who are United States nationals have joined the United States Armed Forces and fought for the United States during World War II, the Korean, Vietnam, and Persian Gulf wars, and most recently in Iraq and Afghanistan.
It is the responsibility of the Secretary of Interior to advance the economic, social and political development of the territories of the United States. The purpose of this section is to provide for a federally authorized vote in American Samoa on the question of citizenship and if a majority of voters vote for citizenship, to describe the steps that the President and Congress shall take to enable American Samoans to be granted citizenship. The Secretary of Interior shall direct the American Samoa Election Office to conduct a plebiscite on the issue of whether persons born in American Samoa desire United States citizenship.
As United States Citizens: Individuals born in American Samoa would be United States citizens by Federal law. All persons living in American Samoa who are United States nationals will become United States citizens. Persons born in American Samoa will no longer be United States nationals. Do you want persons born in American Samoa to become United States citizens? Yes __ No__? .