Samoa Language Week is always a big event at Ōtāhuhu Primary School in south Auckland.
Students are surrounded by Samoan culture, aiga (family) get involved in the celebrations and of course the teachers too.
Teacher Semo Letufuga said it's a joy to see the children embrace the language.
"The children are maintaining their language, especially those born in New Zealand, it's very good for them."
The latest Census results from 2023 revealed there's been an almost 17 percent increase of Pacific people in Aotearoa, meaning they now make up almost 9 percent of our total population.
But there's still a push for those born in New Zealand to prioritise speaking their mother tongue.
Auckland University student Aidan Samasoni-Tukuitonga knows what it's like to lose that gift.
"When I went to primary [school], my family wanted us to be good with the English language to open up different doors for us," he said.
"So along the way I neglected my mother tongue and I lost the language."
And it's not just the language.
"The language comes with so much more," said student Gaualofa Vaifale. "It comes with culture, identity.
"It's really about who you are as a Samoan."
Samasoni-Tukuitonga said he's prioritised re-learning the language throughout university.
"Especially being at law school, it's such an English-heavy area. We're not really represented in the classrooms so it's forced us to look within ourselves," he said.
"So that we can be comfortable in ourselves to do well in our academic journey."
