Pacific Islander
Last updatedWhat to know
Pacific Islander refers to the Indigenous populations of three sub-regions of Oceania: Melanesia (comprising Fiji, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu); Polynesia (American Samoa, the Cook Islands, the Hawaiian Islands, French Polynesia, Niue, Pitcairn, Rapa Nui, Samoa, Tonga, Tokelau, Tuvalu, and Wallis and Futuna); and Micronesia (Guam, Palau, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, and Kiribati). In 2019, the US Census Bureau estimated there were around 1.4 million people of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander descent in the US, representing about 0.4 percent of the population.
Though Pacific Islanders are sometimes grouped with Asian Americans (a group that itself encompasses a massive variety of cultures and experiences) when discussing in a general sense, as in the term AAPI, some activists think this grouping can flatten the significant differences among subgroups of Asian Americans and especially ignore the unique experiences and needs of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. Some institutions and sources use different terms, including Asians and Pacific Islanders and Asian Pacific Americans. Some advocates also suggest creating two distinct categories: Asian Americans, and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. The US government currently uses AANHPI to encompass all three groups.
As with any such identifier, if necessary and relevant to coverage to include, being as specific as possible and taking into account an individual’s preference whenever possible ensures coverage accurately reflects how someone self-identifies.
Additional resources
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Data Links (US Census Bureau)
- How Pacific Islanders have been left to fend for themselves in the pandemic (Vox)
Summary
Pacific Islander refers to an Indigenous inhabitant of Melanesia, Micronesia, or Polynesia. Though Pacific Islanders are sometimes grouped with Asian Americans when discussing in a general sense, as in the term AAPI, some activists think this grouping can flatten the significant differences among subgroups of Asian Americans and especially ignore the unique experiences and needs of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. As with any such identifier, if necessary and relevant to coverage to include, being as specific as possible and taking into account an individual’s preference whenever possible ensures coverage accurately reflects how someone self-identifies.