A former New Zealand Member of Parliament for the Labour Party. Gosche was bestowed with the Samoan matai title Vui at his grandmother’s village of Lano, Samoa in April of 2007. He currently serves as Chairman for Counties Manukau District Health Board (CMDHB).
Former professional NBA Basketball player and CEO of Top Rank Properties. He was the founder of Youth Outreach United (Y.O.U), which sponsored the South Pacific Games in Carson, California for many years.
Former Lieutenant Governor of American Samoa and Democratic House of Representative in Congress. He served in the United States Army from 1966-1969, the United States Army Reserve from 1982-1989 and the Vietnam War with the rank of Captain.
Assistant Vice Chancellor (Pasifika) at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand. Laban has previously served as a Member of Parliament for Mana Electorate representing the Labour Party, Minister of Pacific Island Affairs, Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector, and Associate Minister of Social Development, Economic Development, and Trade. In 1992 she was bestowed the Samoan chiefly title of Luamanuvao.
A former Manu Samoa, New Zealand All Black, Auckland NPC and Auckland Blues rugby player. Jones is also a former Coach of the Manu Samoa rugby team. Jones was voted 3rd best All Black of the 20th century, and former All Blacks coach, John Hart, called Jones “almost the perfect rugby player”.
A Pacific Island Poet, particularly in Spoken Word poetry, and a Professor who lectures in New Zealand & Pacific Literature at Auckland University’s Department of English. She runs a website in Pasifika Poetry, and is also the co-Chair of the South Pacific Association of Language and Literature.
First Samoan to play professional Baseball in the United States. Tolia “Tony” Solaita was a Major League Baseball player for the New York Yankees, Kansas City Royals, California Angels, Toronto Blue Jays, and Montreal Expos between 1968 and 1979. He also played four seasons in Japan for the Nippon-Ham Fighters from 1980 to 1983.
Luce-Aoelua was an advocate of Civil Rights for Samoan and Pacific Islanders in the United Sates of America.
CEO and founder of Education with Purpose Foundation for Pacific Islanders, and a former WNBA player. First Pacific Islander to graduate from Stanford University and the first and only Pacific Islander to play professional women’s basketball (overseas and in the U.S.). A Motivational Speaker and Owner of Publishing with Purpose, LLC.
Former Professional Heavyweight Boxer who represented New Zealand by way of Samoa. Boxing Gym Owner of David Tua Health & Fitness (based in Onehunga).