Faleomavaega, Eni F. H. (Eni Fa‘aua‘a Hunkin), 1943-2017

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Eni Fa'aua'a Hunkin Faleomavaega Jr. (August 15, 1943 – February 22, 2017) was an American Samoan politician and attorney. He notably served as the territory's lieutenant governor from 1985 to 1989 and as delegate to the United States House of Representatives from 1989 to 2015.

Born in Vailoatai, American Samoa, he grew up in Oahu, Hawaii, graduating from Kahuku High School before attending Church College of Hawaii where he completed his associate's degree. He then transferred to Brigham Young University in Utah and earned a B.A. in political science and history in 1966. He received his J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center in 1972 and LL.M. from the UC Berkeley School of Law in 1973. He served as an enlistee in the United States Army from 1966 to 1969, completing a tour in Vietnam. Faleomavaega served as the administrative assistant to American Samoa Delegate A.U. Fuimaono from 1973 to 1975 and as staff counsel for the House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs from 1975 to 1981. He served as the Deputy Attorney General of American Samoa from 1981 to 1984.

Faleomavaega entered elective politics when he ran alongside A. P. Lutali in the 1985 gubernatorial race. He served as Lieutenant Governor of American Samoa from 1985 to 1989. Faleomavaega was elected as a Democrat to the House of Representatives in 1988, serving from January 1989 until January 2015. As a delegate, he has worked to receive more federal funding for his home territory, particularly for health care and other essential services. He was a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Committee on Natural Resources, and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Faleomavaega lost re-election in 2014 in a nine-candidate race, taking roughly 31 percent of the vote. He died at his home in Provo, Utah on February 22, 2017.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
Role Title Holding Repository
contributorOf Asian Pacific Americans in Congress oral history collection, 2003-2011 Library of Congress. Asian Division
Relation Name
associatedWith American Samoa. Governor corporateBody
alumnusOrAlumnaOf Brigham Young University. corporateBody
memberOf United States. Army corporateBody
memberOf United States. Army Reserve corporateBody
memberOf United States. Congress. House person
alumnusOrAlumnaOf University of California, Berkeley. School of Law corporateBody
alumnusOrAlumnaOf University of Houston. College of Law corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
Provo UT US
Houston TX US
Berkeley CA US
District of Columbia DC US
Subject
Occupation
Lawyers
Legislative assistants
Lieutenant governors
Representatives, U.S. Congress
State Government Official
Activity

Person

Birth 1943-08-15

Death 2017-02-22

Male

American Samoans,

Americans

English,

Samoan

Information

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