Sunia, Fofō I. F. (Fofō Iosefa Fiti), 1937-

SUNIA, Fofó Iosefa, a Delegate from American Samoa; born in Fagasá, Pago Pago, American Samoa, March 13, 1937; attended the public schools in Samoa; B.A., University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, 1960; administrative officer, Samoan affairs-liaison functions for Governor, translator, interpreter, 1961-1966; election commissioner, American Samoa, 1962-1970; founder, Samoan News, 1964; director, tourism for Government of American Samoa, 1966-1972; senator, legislature of American Samoa, 1970-1978; president and chairman, American Samoan Development Corporation, 1965-1971; elected as a Democrat to the Ninety-seventh and to the three succeeding Congresses and served until his resignation on September 6, 1988 (January 3, 1981-September 6, 1988); is a resident of Pago Pago, American Samoa.

<p>As the first Delegate from American Samoa, Fofó I. F. Sunia spent most of his four terms in Congress trying to give voice to and to carve out a new role for his small, faraway constituency in the South Pacific. He quickly found it to be a constant process of having to educate his colleagues. “To be sitting amongst people who really didn’t understand who you are or even why you’re here—that struck me as a point of some frustration,” Sunia observed. “I guess I was expecting a little bit too much. I thought that everybody was going to know that there was a representative from American Samoa come January and (would say), ‘We’ve got to make way for him’ and ‘We know all about his territory.’ That wasn’t so.” While he advocated bringing American Samoans further into the political, economic, and military embrace of the mainland, he also was wary of protecting Samoan traditions and culture. Sunia’s career collapsed, however, when he was implicated in a fraud scheme to enrich himself by paying ghost employees on his official payroll.</p>

<p>Fofó Iosefa Fiti Sunia was born on March 13, 1937, in Fagasa, Pago Pago, American Samoa. He was the eldest of eleven children of Fiti and Savali Sunia. His father, Fiti, was a minister and Sunia himself later served as a deacon and lay minister in the Christian Congregational Church of Samoa. His brothers, Tauese and Ipulasi, later served as governor and lieutenant governor of American Samoa, respectively. Sunia graduated from Samoana High School in Pago Pago in 1955 before leaving Samoa for Honolulu, Hawaii, to earn his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Hawaii. After graduating in 1960, he returned to Samoa, working as a translator and interpreter for the territorial governor. In the early 1960s, Sunia founded and edited the Samoa News.</p>

<p>Sunia’s work for the territorial governor and as a journalist provided a segue into local politics. For much of the 1960s, he served as the territorial election commissioner (1962–1970). He also held a post as the first director of tourism for American Samoa from 1966 to 1972 and was president and chairman of the American Samoan Development Corporation from 1965 to 1971. In 1969 Sunia ran for and won a senate seat in the American Samoa legislature and served from 1970 to 1978. Sunia married Aioletuna V. (Ta’amū) Sunia in 1960, and together they raised eight children: Fiti, Melina, Iosefa, Vaaomala, Alexander, Cynthia, Lupe, and Fiafia. In addition to serving in his church, Sunia also was a matai, or chief, of a Samoan clan. Fofó means “talking chief” in Samoan, and Sunia preferred that title to simply being called “chief.”</p>

<p>Fofó Iosefa Fiti Sunia (born March 13, 1937) was the first non-voting Delegate from American Samoa to the United States House of Representatives. He was born in Fagasā, Pago Pago, and attended the University of Hawaii.</p>

<p>Sunia was the administrative officer for the Samoan affairs-liaison functions for the Governor of American Samoa, and served as a translator and interpreter and an election commissioner from 1961 to 1966. He founded the Samoan News newspaper in 1964 and became director of tourism for the Government of American Samoa in 1966, serving until 1970. Sunia was elected a territorial Senator in 1970 and was a member of the legislature until 1978. He also formerly served as president and chairman of the American Samoan Development Corporation.</p>

<p>Sunia was elected as a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives, and served from January 3, 1981 until his resignation on September 6, 1988, after he was indicted on federal charges of running a payroll padding scheme. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five to fifteen months in prison and to pay $65,000 in restitution.</p>

<p>He is currently a resident of Pago Pago.</p>