Samoan Language & Performing Arts: Bridging Histories & Creating Belonging

In the summer of 2024, Cal State San Marcos launched the university’s first ever Gagana Sāmoa Language & Performing Arts Program, giving 30 children and 30 adults the opportunity to learn Samoan language, culture, and traditional practices including song and dance. For many students, the program was their first opportunity to formally learn Gagana Samoa, the indigenous Polynesian language spoken in the Samoan islands. Culminating in a lively public performance at the Oceanside Samoan Cultural Celebration, the program allowed participants young and old to reconnect with their cultural and linguistic heritage and share it with the broader San Diego community.