After a 15-year hiatus, Miss Samoa USA is back and promising to bring the "best of the best" to the national Miss Samoa pageant this year. 

The founder and executive members of the Miss Samoa USA committee are currently in Samoa to finalise preparations for the pageant in America this August. Their goal is to select a standout contestant who will represent the Samoan community in the Miss Samoa pageant in September.

In an exclusive interview with the Samoa Observer, Roleni Peterson-Tafi, the founder of Miss Samoa U.S.A., recounted the pageant's origins and the journey that led to its revival. Initially, Peterson-Tafi directed the Miss Samoa Utah pageant from 2001 to 2006. 

At that time, various Samoan communities across different states in America held their pageants, sending individual contestants to participate in the Miss Samoa pageant in Samoa.

However, the then Deputy Prime Minister, Misa Telefoni, suggested a more unified approach. He asked if the contestants from different states could be organised to send one representative from the entire Samoan community in the USA. 

This request also extended to the Samoan communities in New Zealand and Australia. Despite the initial challenges, the Miss Samoa USA pageant was successfully organised, sending its first contestant to Samoa in 2008, who won the title. Another contestant followed in 2009, also claiming the crown.

The pageant then went on hiatus due to various reasons but is now making a comeback with renewed vigor. Peterson-Tafi highlighted the significance of the Miss Samoa USA platform, emphasising its role in providing young Samoan women in the US opportunity to publicly showcase their culture, display their talents and beauty, and educate themselves about their cultural identity.

She shared that two of her daughters competed in the Miss Samoa pageant and it had a great impact on their lives and how they feel about their Samoan heritage. 

The revival of Miss Samoa USA has been spearheaded by co-founders Seiuli Malia Efferding and Tofuola Alofipo, who expressed their excitement about working on the pageant together with Samoan women in the US. 

"It's exciting and we just can't wait to get on with it," said Efferding and Alofipo.  

They stressed the importance of the Miss Samoa pageant in uniting the Samoan community and providing young women with a powerful platform for personal growth and leadership development.

Efferding and Alofipo added, "We want our young girls back in the States to have this experience and use this platform in Samoa to share what it's like being a tama'ita'i Samoa born and raised in America and connect with those who were born and raised in Samoa, New Zealand and Australia."

The organising committee is optimistic about the impact of Miss Samoa USA, not just for the contestants but also for the broader Samoan community in the States. Since opening applications, they received over 20 applications from young Samoan women. Using the guidelines and requirements for the Miss Samoa Pageant, they have finalised a list of eight contestants who will compete for the title in August.

"We are very much aware that the previous and current titleholders have set a high standard," they said. "That's the level we aim to achieve. This year, we are bringing the finest contestants to the Miss Samoa pageant. We are putting in a lot of effort, and our preparations are progressing well. While Australia and New Zealand have been alternating in winning the Miss Samoa crowns, we are ready to make our mark again."

While in Samoa, the committee is meeting with stakeholders and locally-based businesses as part of their preparations for the Miss Samoa USA pageant and the Miss Samoa pageant later this year.