Discrimination of Micronesians in Hawaii Essay

Since the COFA (Compact of Free Association) Act was formalized between the Pacific Island nations of Micronesia and the United States in 1986, there have been rising influxes of Micronesian citizens that have the privilege of entering the U. S. without the need for a visa or time limit. These FAS (Freely Associated States) include the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia. While there is no obligation to immigrate to a specific state within the U. S. , many choose to settle on Hawai’i. Due to its proximity to their home islands and tropical environment, the Micronesian population in Hawai’i has been steadily increasing during recent years. It is estimated that around 15,000 COFA migrants are currently residing in Hawai’i, where they subsequently face many barriers as new immigrants, including language, social and cultural barriers. Specifically, there is an ever-growing presence of Micronesian stereotyping and marginalization that is frequently exhibited by other ethnic populations in Hawai’i. Because they are seen as the â€Å"newest† population to arrive on the islands and the fastest growing, Micronesians are subject to many forms of discrimination. In recent years, our local community has been ill-equipped and misinformed about the Micronesian population. Consequently, our unfamiliarity has contributed to their isolation and discrimination within the Hawai’ian Islands. It is important for us as residents of Hawai’i to bridge the gap that exists between Micronesians and what we perceive as our own â€Å"local society†. Due to our society being misinformed and social control factors at work, we perceive Micronesians as being inept, destitute and imprudent. There are several barriers that hinder Micronesian assimilation within the islands. One such barrier is within the health care system. In Dr. Yamada’s article titled, â€Å"Discrimination in Hawaii and the Health of Micronesians†, he says Micronesians are often victims of â€Å"inferior care or denial of services†. There are instances of Micronesian patients that are denied services and being referred to another clinic, or being discriminated against due to their perceived lack of adherence to treatment plans. Personally, I believe that there is a kind of â€Å"ignorance† that health care providers bestow upon Micronesian patients. In 2006, I began working as a volunteer for the Kaka’ako homeless shelter and clinic started by Dr. Jill Omori that included inhabitants comprised mostly of Micronesian ethnicity. Many of them were unable to find a job and help themselves financially. Those individuals who lacked the means to support their family also sought refuge at the shelter. I observed that a lot of the older Micronesian shelter inhabitants could not speak English, and those who did only had limited basic knowledge and phrases that they used. What was surprising, however, was that most of the doctors and medical students who treated these patients did not having a working knowledge of the Chuukese language, which is spoken by the majority of the Micronesians. Many of these patients used the help of their children who were fortunate to attend public schools. Thus, a language barrier had existed, and still to this day, is continually a major factor in the fair treatment of health care delivery among Micronesians. In the health care system, it can be challenging to relay medical information from English into Chuukese. Pobutsky et. al. uggests having health education materials translated and readily available for Micronesian patients. Pobutsky also notes that having interpreters fluent in Chuukese is essential. Regarding denial of health services, Yamada talks about how COFA migrants were denied MED-QUEST (a Medicaid program) benefits in July 2010 by the Hawai’i State Administration. It was reinstated 4 months later because the denial was in direct violation of the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment of the U. S. Constitution. Such discrimination is not only seen in our health care system, but also within the confines of social and economic settings. Yamada suggests that examining and countering â€Å"prevailing social forces† will help eliminate discrimination. By my personal interpretation, he is saying we must realize that social forces – such as the criminal justice system and the government – are shared by all of us as one single community in Hawai’i. By being responsible and looking out for one another regardless of race or ethnicity, we can close the social bridge that divide us. In other words, we must be proactive and bring to light the issues that face Micronesian immigrants who are treated unfairly. Another brief policy report from the Hawai’i Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice (HACLEJ) provides accounts of stigmatization by governmental leaders towards COFA migrants. The report further goes on to explain how there is an absence of interpreters available to help COFA migrants within labor, housing and court disputes. Within the context of the court system, it can be a challenge for someone convicted who does not have a working knowledge of the English language. HACLEJ emphasizes the need to â€Å"stimulate awareness, advocacy and action† in order to better address Micronesians living in Hawai’i. Several paths can be taken to address discrimination issues against Micronesians. Already, there are many advocates and groups that support Micronesians and other at-risk migrants. Some of these groups do not receive funding from the state of Hawai’i, and must rely on private funds to continue their work. There are also few research projects that involve Micronesians living in Hawai’i and thus there is little information in regards to ethnographic and qualitative studies. Additionally, surveys measuring Micronesians’ health needs and risk factors should be included within the context of how to better deliver health care. Within the political system, our lawmakers should be better informed and take more consideration into immigration affairs. Pobutsky et. al. gives several examples of health service programs that are currently in the process of addressing the language barriers and health concerns of Micronesians, but there is much more work to be done in order to achieve long-term success. Allocation of state and government funds should be directed towards creating more educational and social programs that can help better address disparities quite often seen with newly arrived immigrants. Based in part by my own personal experiences and also through research, many Micronesians are illiterate and lack a good work ethic to succeed in future endeavors. Because Micronesians are discriminated both in the job market and in school, they may perceive themselves as being unable to achieve success that is often seen with other ethnicities. Consequently many of them, especially Micronesian youths, engage in criminal behavior and illicit activities. My worry is that this cycle will manifest itself unchecked among these youths well into adulthood and create more harm than good within the criminal justice system of Hawai’i. As citizens of a diverse society in Hawai’i, we need to be more proactive and open-minded on issues that deal with the Micronesian population as a whole. Local perspectives that Micronesians are a kind of â€Å"deviance† on the islands and a â€Å"burden† to our society are obstructive to our continuous theme of the â€Å"Aloha spirit†. We must come together as a society and be more considerate and helpful to those who we might think less highly of. As long as institutions of power continue to ignore the problem of discrimination and disparity, then recent immigrants who include Micronesians will continue to face hardship. In our study of social control theory, there is the idea of â€Å"strain† that is frequently seen in societies that stress hard work and having a good education. More research efforts and studies must be done in order to better assess disparities present within the Micronesian population in Hawai’i, as well as having adequate funding by the state to support programs that meet the needs of the Micronesian community.