CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

99

Introduced by Assembly Member Tangipa

(Coauthor: Assembly Member Papan)

August 18, 2025

Relative to Tongan Culture and Language Week.

Fiscal committee: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

This measure would designate the week of August 18, 2025, to August 24, 2025, inclusive, as Tongan Culture and Language Week.

WHEREAS, The people of Tonga, known as the Friendly Islands, have maintained a proud and resilient cultural heritage that dates back over 3,000 years to the Lapita navigators, Austronesian seafarers whose sophisticated maritime skills and craftsmanship laid the foundation for Polynesian civilization; and

WHEREAS, Tonga is the only Pacific Island nation never formally colonized, preserving an unbroken line of monarchy and a deeply rooted system of cultural values, traditional arts, and oral history, all of which continue to shape the identity of Tongans worldwide; and

WHEREAS, The Tongan language (Lea Faka-Tonga), a member of the Polynesian branch of the Austronesian language family, remains a living testimony to the enduring legacy of the Tongan people, with formal, honorific, and regal registers reflecting the nation’s structured and respectful social hierarchy; and

WHEREAS, Tongan culture is expressed through unique forms of dance, music, clothing, and art, including the lakalaka, tauʻolunga, ngatu (tapa cloth), and taʻovala, and through values such as faka‘apa‘apa (respect), lototo‘o (humility), and tauhi vā (nurturing relationships); and

WHEREAS, California is home to one of the largest Tongan populations in the United States, particularly in communities such as the Cities of East Palo Alto, Fresno, Oakland, Inglewood, and Sacramento, where Tongan Americans continue to contribute to the cultural, economic, educational, and civic life of the state; and

WHEREAS, Tongan Culture and Language Week provides an opportunity to celebrate the rich traditions and linguistic heritage of Tonga, honor the contributions of Tongan Americans, and promote cultural understanding and pride among younger generations; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby designates the week of August 18, 2025, to August 24, 2025, inclusive, as Tongan Culture and Language Week, and encourages all Californians to learn about, uplift, and celebrate the history, language, and vibrant traditions of the Tongan people; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.