Kamoan Mine

Paper submitted to The Space Between: Negotiating Culture, Place, and Identity in the Pacific; based on the indigenous Oceanic concept, va, a space marked by tension and transformation and by confluences and connectionsThis article critically considers the concept of Kamoan. Coined by visual artist Andy Leleisi‘uao to identify New Zealand–born Samoans, Kamoan is a hybridization of the terms Kiwi and Samoan. The authors discuss the issues surrounding what it means to be Kamoan, and the pressures Kamoans experience. Despite the difficulties they face in coming to grips with their identity, this article shows that Kamoans are successfully carving out a place for themselves in New Zealand—one that has provided a unique outlet for their voices to be heard