Pacific Magazine > Daily News

Progress In Dealing With Micronesia Immigrants, Senator Says

By Giff Johnson on Majuro
Friday: April 04, 2008

Hawaii State Senator Kalani English sees tremendous progress in dealing with Micronesia area migration to Hawaii and other U.S. states after many years of neglect.

As the pace of out-migration to America escalates, Micronesia area leaders are now engaging with Hawaii state officials to address the problems that have largely been ignored, English said in an interview before wrapping up a five-day visit to the Marshall Islands earlier this week.

English has been championing the need for the U.S. government to take greater responsibility and provide funding for the impact of thousands of islanders migrating to Hawaii under the terms of a treaty with Washington.

“Our side is open and willing, and now the Marshall Islands side is, too,” English said. “Good progress between Hawaii and the Marshall Islands can get results and it will be difficult for the (United States) federal government not to support it.”

The three freely associated states (Marshall Islands, Palau, Federated States of Micronesia) and Hawaii “are on the same page and now (American Samoa Congressman)
Faleomavega Eni Hunkin is on the page,” English said. “I¹m excited because things are lining up. Our combined forces are much greater than one alone.”

He made his comments after participating in hearings organized by the Faleomavaega in Majuro.

Hawaii is seeking U.S. federal government reimbursement of tens of millions of dollars the state says it is paying to provide education and health services to migrants pouring into Hawaii from these western Pacific nations that are closely associated with the U.S. Hawaii spent more than $91 million of services to freely associated state citizens, but received only $10 million reimbursement from the federal government in 2006, English said.

English said his aim is to create a situation where “we have measurable outcomes. It will give more ammunition for the Hawaii (congressional) delegation.”

The Hawaii congressional delegation is pushing to get the federal government to eliminate the $30 million cap on money for Hawaii, Guam and the Northern Marianas that is known as “Compact impact funding” so that the federal government begins picking up the tab of the Compact of Free Association, which it approved with these three nations, English said.

Islanders from these three Pacific nations have visa-free entry to the United States. With economic conditions worsening in the Marshall Islands and Federated States of Micronesia, an estimated 2,500 are migrating annually to the U.S. Researchers estimate that close to 30 percent of the 70,000 Marshall Islanders and 25 percent of the 107,000 Micronesians now live in the U.S.

Despite recent media coverage in Hawaii about the increasing number of islanders living in homeless shelters, English said he believes that attitudes of Hawaii residents “are still open (to the migrating islanders). That¹s why it¹s important for Marshallese/Micronesians to engage.”

He said there is one Samoan-run church in the Waipahu area of Oahu that has been very active in providing services to low-income Marshallese, which he sees as a good sign.

“It¹s one immigrant group helping another,” he said. “Everyone in Hawaii was an immigrant at one time.”

He said he wants to see Marshallese and Micronesians integrate well into Hawaii, and is keen to see more get job training so that they can climb up the ladder.

He noted that the five-star Four Seasons Hotel chain on the Big Island of Hawaii and Lanai has been actively hiring islanders from Kosrae, one of four states in the Micronesian federation, because of their good work ethic. Fortune Magazine recently ranked The Four Seasons chain as one of the best companies to work for in the United States.

“The business community recognizes the potential of Micronesians,” he said.

Getting the Micronesian governments involved with the states will help push the federal government to improve the current situation of migrants, he said.