Mahalo nui to immigration attorney Jennifer Jung of the Hawai'i Immigrant Justice Center at the Legal Aid Society of Hawai'i for passing along the word regarding naturalization and housing assistance opportunities, and for sharing an adaptation of a traditional story of bravery, peace and respect by Chuukese interpreter and community organizer Innocenta Sound-Kikku.  Please help us spread the word about these important announcements!

Naturalization/Citizenship Fair - June 7, 2014

Mahalo nui loa to Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa, the Hawai'i Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the Hawai'i Immigrant Justice Center and the William S. Richardson School of Law for sponsoring this free workshop for immigrants who would like assistance preparing their naturalization application forms.  Please call 536-8826 to see if you are eligible to apply for citizenship, and to reserve a spot (limited to first 40 qualified individuals).

Click on the flier to the left for more information.

What:  Free assistance with naturalization (citizenship) applications for eligible immigrants 
When:  Saturday, June 7, 2014
Where:  Hawai'i State Capitol, 415 S. Beretania St.
Who:  Immigrants eligible to apply for citizenship (must call 536-8826 to determine eligibility and reserve a space)
Cost:  Free

Section 8 Voucher Waitlist Re-Opened - Deadline to Apply May 21, 2014.

The City and County of Honolulu is re-opening the waitlist for its Section 8 Housing Voucher Program.  This program provides financial assistance for rental housing costs to low-income individuals and families.  Approximately 100 qualifying applicants will be randomly selected to be added to the waitlist; the current waiting time before vouchers are actually provided is estimated at two years.

Apply for a chance to be added to the Section 8 waitlist online here:  https://www.waitlistcheck.com/application/form.php?ID=654-HI003, or click on the flier above for walk-in application information and locations.

For more information on the waitlist re-opening, click on the flier above, or see the City and County of Honolulu Press Release.  For details on the Section 8 Housing Voucher Program generally, see also the Hawai'i Public Housing Authority Section 8 FAQ page and the Honolulu Community Assistance Division website.

Lien Apinam:  A Traditional Story of Peace and Respect in Chuuk

Please find below an excerpt of an adaptation of a traditional Chuukese story by Innocenta Sound-Kikku.  If you are or know of an immigrant dealing with family violence issues, please read the brochure on the left about available services from the Hawai'i Immigrant Justice Center (click on the brochure to download a copy):

"Once upon a full moon there settled a peaceful group of people on their enchanted island in the 
middle of the Pacific Ocean. This island was called Lukunor, meaning 'out of reef,' because it was located on the outskirt of the region of Chuuk Islands and Pohnpei Islands. The people of Lukunor survived by living off their land and ocean. 

During every twelfth moon the young warriors of Lukunor journey to a neighboring island called Satawan to pay tribute and make sacrifices to their ancestors and chiefs. However, on another neighboring island called Ettal, their warriors also set sail toward Lukunor to invade it..."

To see the rest of the story, click on the brochure above (or click here to download).

Jose Antonio Vargas, Pulitzer-prize winning journalist nationally recognized for his outspoken advocacy for immigration reform and for "coming out" as an undocumented Filipino-American immigrant, was honored today by the state legislature with a certificate of recognition, at a luncheon conference in the Hawai‘i State Capitol. 

Sponsored by Faith Action for Community Equity (FACE) and the University of Hawai‘i Presidential Center Initiative, the luncheon provided an opportunity for key legislative leaders and supporters of immigration reform to discuss issues facing Hawai‘i’s immigrant communities. 

Senate President Donna Mercado Kim, Senator Will Espero, Representative Romy Cachola, and Representative John Mizuno presented Vargas with a Certificate of Recognition, noting his successful and unlikely career as a Filipino-American undocumented immigrant who has helped to raise the national consciousness of the experiences of undocumented people, and the need to reform America’s immigration and foreign policies.  City Councilmember Stanley Chang and members of Senator and gubernatorial candidate David Ige’s staff also attended the luncheon, along with representatives from U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono's office.

Approximately 50 members of the public were also in attendance, including many members and supporters of the Compact of Free Association Community Advocacy Network (COFACAN).  COFACAN has expressed strong support of comprehensive immigration reform, particularly measures S.744 and H.R.15, which would restore access to Medicaid for U.S. residents present under the Compacts of Free Association.  Both measures are stalled in a Republican-dominated House of Representatives, with House Speaker John Boehner refusing to hear either measure despite mass protests, sit-ins, and hunger strikes throughout the country.

Topics of discussion at the luncheon included the need to provide access to drivers licenses for undocumented people, which would increase access to transportation and vehicular insurance, mitigate the high levels of racial profiling and civil rights violations reportedly occurring in Maui and Honolulu counties, and provide some security for the 5% of Hawai‘i’s workforce that are currently undocumented.  Senator Will Espero noted that he was working on a bill draft to be introduced in the 2014 legislative session. 

Also discussed was the need to address the public safety concerns around Secure Communities (S-Comm), a partnership between local police departments and the federal Department of Justice that has primarily resulted in the deportation of hundreds of minor offenders and others not convicted of any crime.  The widely criticized program requires local police officers to provide federal agencies with data on anyone they take into custody, including those arrested for minor violations, such as driving without a license, or for “administrative violations.”  Such a law enforcement practice has marginalized the immigrant community, which is often the target of criminal activity, by insulating undocumented immigrants from police protection while potentially facilitating racial profiling; a review of 2011 S-Comm data indicates that while the vast majority of those deported under S-Comm had only minor convictions, if any, almost none of those deported under S-Comm were arrested for serious crimes. 

Vargas pointed out that fear-driven and unsubstantiated narratives such as the “immigrant drug smuggler,” while promoted in the media and used to justify programs such as S-Comm, only increase opportunities for criminal elements to further exploit legally vulnerable immigrant communities.  Both Vargas and audience members indicated that undocumented immigrants do not immigrate to become a “menace to society,” but largely seek opportunities to work and to keep their families together in the same way that Irish, Jewish, and other immigrants have done throughout the country’s history.  Vargas also noted how his own research indicated that foreign country conditions leading immigrants to seek better opportunities in America were almost invariably a result of American foreign policy over the last several decades.

America’s history of immigrant assimilation may in fact be repeating itself from a political perspective, as audience members noted that millions of undocumented people also belong to “mixed” families of both documented and undocumented family members, sometimes living together in the same household.  Vargas cited studies indicating at least 17 million individuals in America live in “mixed” households, and that he personally was the only one of 28 family members in the United States that did not have a documented status.  Most of these family members were voting American citizens, Vargas said. 

Asked what the chances were of a drivers license bill passing, Senator Espero and Representative Mizuno both stressed that strategic grassroots engagement would be key.  “Literally every one” of the audience members in attendance would need to contact key legislators to advocate for the passage of the bill, urged Senator Espero.  In the end, he gave the measure a “50-50 shot.”

From COFACAN:

Good news!  H.R.15,  the House version of comprehensive immigration reform that restores Medicaid access for U.S. residents present under COFA, has gained a key supporter-- Republican Representative Jeff Denham of California!  This is the third bill in the House, along with H.R.912 and S.744, that would restore federal Medicaid access for U.S. residents present under the Compacts of Free Association.  

Please consider contacting Representative Denham to thank him for his support of this measure, that would restore health justice for members of our COFA community!  

In the meantime, we can help build on this momentum -- 

If you would like to contact your representative to encourage their support of this measure, please go here: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/ and enter your zip code.  It will take you to a page with link to your Congressperson's website.  E-mail or call them at the number provided (weekends or after hours are good -- you can just leave a message on their answering machine) and please let them know that 

1. You live in their district, and 
2. You support comprehensive immigration reform bills HR15 and S744 including especially the restoration of Medicaid for U.S. residents present under the Compacts of Free Association.  

More importantly, please forward this ask on to your friends and relatives, and let them know that their support is critical to passing this legislation!  With only a few weeks left in this Congress, your voice could be the critical push that we need to get this historic measure passed.  Mahalo piha!

On July 18, Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa, in partnership with the Asian Pacific Islander Health Forum (APIAHF) and the Association of Asian Pacific Health Organizations (AAPCHO) hosted a Congressional briefing on the exclusion of US residents present under the Compacts of Free Association from the federal Medicaid program.  

Mahalo nui to Priscilla Huang of APIAHF for the following report-on the briefing, along with a copy of the handouts distributed.

The video recording linked below is also available on our  Background: The PRWORA Problem page. 

From APIAHF: 

On July 18, 2013 the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) along with Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa and the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO) hosted a briefing on Capitol Hill entitled Health Equity: Access to Care for Compact of Free Association (COFA) Migrants from the Freely Associated States; the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. The briefing featured the following panelists: Dr. Neal Palafox, Professor, University of Hawai’i; Kathy Ko Chin, CEO/President of APIAHF; and Kathy Grisham, Executive Director of St. Francis House Community Clinic in Springdale, Arkansas.

Each speaker provided a unique perspective on the health and health care needs of COFA Migrants. Congresswoman Hanabusa presented opening remarks about the importance of health care access for COFA Migrants from both a fiscal and moral perspective. Dr. Neal Palafox provided an overview of the U.S. relationship with the Pacific, the Compact between the FAS and the United States, the impact of COFA migrants on the Pacific jurisdictions, and expressed the need for an equitable solution to fulfill the U.S. obligation in the Pacific. Kathy Ko Chin spoke about the legislative history of COFA eligibility for Medicaid, the policy impact of current Medicaid legislation on COFA Migrants, and the possible impact the Affordable Care Act will have on this community. Kathy Grisham highlighted her experience as a health care provider in a large Marshallese Community in Springdale, Arkansas and the challenges she has witnessed in the COFA Migrant community in gaining access to care.

Attendees included staff from various Congressional offices, the Department of the Interior, the Government Accountability Office, Department of Health and Human Services, Marshallese Embassy, and Micronesian Embassy. The congressional briefing was generously supported by funds from APIAHF and AAPCHO. The materials in the briefing packets included documents from Rep. Hanabusa’s office, APIAHF, St. Francis Clinic, Dr. Palafox, and HealthyPacific.org.

Below are links to the briefing packet contents and briefing recording.

Briefing Packet

Briefing Recording

Thank you very much to our friends at the AAPCHO, APIAHF, and Representative Colleen Hanabusa's office for setting up this important informational briefing on health access for COFA migrants in the U.S.

Supporters of Health Justice:
Please take a moment to contact your Washington, D.C. contacts and/or any of the Subcommittee on Health Representatives listed here and ask them to attend Representative Hanabusa's Informational briefing on Medicaid for COFA Migrants this Thursday, July 18, 2013 from 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. at 2456 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C.  Your one call could make a real difference! Please click on the flier to the left for more details.

For more information on the House bill, H.R.912, introduced by Representative Hanabusa, please see our blog post here.  For more information on the problem that this bill and Senator Hirono's similar Medicaid provision in the Senate Immigration Reform Bill S.744, please see our Background: The PRWORA Problem page.

From COFACAN:

Dear COFACAN Awesome Family,

Thanks to your hard work and perseverance, including the substantial testimonies submitted in support for Friday's hearing, the VMI committee members present Friday voted UNANIMOUSLY to PASS SCR108, UNAMENDED!   The fact that there were NO amendments made to this resolution in either the House or Senate indicates that this measure will quickly be adopted by the ENTIRE Hawai'i state legislature.  

This state resolution will provide our Congressional delegates with a significant statement of support for their efforts at the federal level (and provide a model for COFA communities in other states to do the same).  I am convinced that we have also provided a great deal of education for many of our state legislators, who now have a better understanding of the Freely Associated States' history and relationship with the United States.  In addition, our legislators have witnessed our ability to organize and engage both our communities and the state's political processes which may be very useful for further work in the future.  

Congratulations and great job everyone!  This could not have been done without you.

Mahalo nui to Representative Takai, who helped ensure that SCR108 was re-referred to a single House committee in order for the resolution to meet the crossover deadline.  Thank you also to all those who testified in support for Fridayʻs hearing (we will get a list out of testifiers when it becomes available).   Although the whole hearing took only ten minutes, it was the culmination of all your effort and commitment. Special thanks to Jocelyn Howard, Richard Salvador, Tina Takashy, and Wayne Tanaka, who came to the State Capitol on Friday to see our resolution make it past the final stage of the legislative process.  

Please stay tuned for details on a party in June, to celebrate the adoption of our resolution(s).
 
UP NEXT: The Federal Fix.  Already, there are strong allies in Maui and in other states that are committed to joining with this cause.   We have began compiling sophisticated research with which to make our arguments, and have the tools we need to make a strong and concerted push for equality and justice for COFA citizens in the United States.  This Saturday we also began developing a structure for all the moving parts thatwe will need to work on and may be contacting some of you individually to gauge your interest in various areas.  Stay tuned for more...

Thank you and congratulations once again!

UPDATE: SCR108 has been adopted in final form by the entire legislature.  See the resolution in its final form here: 

ACTION ALERT!

SCR108 and SR74, urging the restoration of federal benefits for U.S. residents present under the Compacts of Free Association, have been scheduled for hearing on Monday, March 25, at 1:34 p.m. in Capitol Room 224, before the Senate Committees on Transportation and International Affairs (TIA), Human Services (HMS), and Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs (PSM).  

UPDATE:  HCR117 and HR88, also urging the restoration of federal benefits, will be heard on Wednesday, March 27, at 8:30 a.m. in Capitol Room 312.

YOUR PRESENCE AT THESE HEARINGS WILL BE CRITICAL TO ENSURE THAT THESE MEASURES GET PASSED.  Legislators rely on constituents' presence to gauge the importance of bills and resolutions.  With your help, the committees will pass these resolutions.  Upon approval by the committees, SR74 will only need a floor vote to be adopted as an official resolution of the Hawai'i State Senate.  SCR108, if passed, will also cross over to the House for consideration for passage as an official resolution of the entire Hawai'i State Legislature!


OTHER WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT: 
Click on the links below to submit written testimony on this measure, and please encourage others to do so as well!  See our Talking Points page for sample talking points you can use, or feel free to make your own.

SCR108/SR74 (click here and then click "Submit Testimony")
HCR117/HR88 (click here and then click "Submit Testimony")

*****************************************************************************************
Sample Testimony (feel free modify, use the other Talking Points below, or come up with your own testimony).   Also, please don't forget to spread the word!


Aloha Kākou Honorable Committee Members,

Mahalo nui loa for the opportunity to testify in STRONG SUPPORT of SCR108/SR74/HCR117/HR88, which seek to restore access to important and fundamental federal programs for U.S. resident workers, taxpayers, students, and community members present under the Compacts of Free Association, many of whom are also members of Hawai'i's Pacific Islander community.

As these resolutions remind us, the former trust territories of the Freely Associated States (FAS) have over sixty years of history of sacrifices and contributions to the United States, and to Hawai‘i.  As a result, FAS citizens have earned the right to reside, work, and seek educational and healthcare opportunities in the United States, much like any other U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident.  


Unfortunately, the 1996 PRWORA law overlooked these ongoing contributions and sacrifices when it neglected to include our FAS residents as “qualified aliens” eligible for such basic federal programs as Medicaid, SSI, nutritional supplements, and others.  By effectively revoking their previous eligibility for these programs, this law has resulted in harsh consequences for Hawai‘i’s community members, particularly for those seeking necessary medical treatment or basic educational or economic opportunity here in the U.S. and Hawai‘i, and especially for those who continue to face significant cultural, economic, linguistic, and social barriers to equal opportunity here in the states.  

This resolution seeks to address this injustice and restore access to basic federal programs for FAS members of our Pacific Islander community, so that they may have an equal opportunity to fully participate in our society and pursue the American Dream as promised under the Compacts of Free Association. 

 Therefore, I respectfully urge the Committees to PASS these measures, and help Hawai‘i make a strong statement about justice and equality for these U.S. resident workers, taxpayers, students, and members of our island community.

Sincerely,

(your name)

*************************************************************************************************************************************
Other Talking Points:

1.  Closing the PRWORA loophole will benefit all in our state who seek medical treatment.  Including our COFA residents as "qualified aliens" eligible for life-saving Medicaid funds under PRWORA will lead to the investment of substantial federal monies in our Hawai‘i’s medical infrastructure, which will boost our economy and bring a higher quality of care for anyone in our state who needs to go to the doctor.

2.  A responsible adult cleans up their own mess.  The United States has made a huge mess of the islands and lives of the indigenous peoples of the Freely Associated States, and it must take responsibility in cleaning up this mess.  Reinstating federal benefits for U.S. resident taxpayers, workers, students, and community members present under the Compacts of Free Association will help the United States take ownership of this ongoing responsibility, just as a responsible adult would.

3.  No one should have to choose between going to the doctor to save their life, or keeping food on their family's table, or a roof over their child's home.  By denying healthcare eligibility for our Pacific Islander residents, the PRWORA may force the chronically ill and seriously injured to choose between saving their own lives, or ensuring that their families have the basic necessities of life in the U.S.  Aspiring nurses, doctors, or engineers may have to drop out of college just to pay off a relative's healthcare costs, impacting not just their families, but our economy and our society as a whole.    Closing the PRWORA loophole and including COFA residents as “qualified aliens” eligible for federal healthcare protections acknowledges the contributions and sacrifices of our Pacific Islander neighbors, which will benefit not just our COFA residents, but our broader society as well. 

4.  We can affirm America as the land of opportunity, where individuals are given a fair shake to pursue the American Dream.  America’s strength and pride come from its basic ideal as a land of opportunity, where all individuals should be given a fair shake in their pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness.  However, the exclusion of our Pacific Islander neighbors and allies under the PRWORA denies them the same opportunity as all other legal residents, including the ability to pursue adequate healthcare, social security, and other public safety nets intended to uphold our enlightened social contract. Closing the PRWORA loophole will ensure that America keeps its promise of opportunity to our Pacific Islander allies lawfully residing here under the Compacts of Free Association.

5.  We can uphold America’s vision of justice.  America prides itself on its sense of justice, and despite its historic contradictions, has struggled to ensure that we do acknowledge and address the injustices of our past.  However, some of the darkest moments in our recent history have yet to be fully acknowledged and addressed, threatening to leave a long and ugly scar in our reputation as a land of justice, and freedom.  Closing the PRWORA loophole and fulfilling the intent of the Compacts of Free Association will take America one step forward towards its vision of liberty and justice for all

Thanks to the dedicated and strategic work of the COFA Community Advocacy Network, state concurrent and single-body resolutions, modeled after our own petition, have now been introduced in both the House and the Senate of the Hawai'i State Legislature!

Mahalo nui loa to the Honorable Representative Takai and the Honorable Senator English for taking the lead in introducing these important measures, as well as the twenty other Senators that signed on to the Senate versions! To put that in perspective, there are only twenty-five Senators total, so it is fair to say our resolutions have a significant amount of support.

You can see information on the state resolutions here, including their respective text, committee referrals, hearing notices, and more:

Senate Concurrent and Single Body Resolutions
SCR108, SR74
(check out all of the introducers!)

House Concurrent and Single Body Resolutions
HCR117, HR88

This is just the first step in a campaign to amend the federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, to restore equal access to federal benefits for  U.S. resident taxpayers, workers, students, and community members present under the Compacts of Free Association.   These resolutions, if passed, will give Representative Hanabusa and Hawai'i's other Congressional delegates a strong, statewide voice of support in their efforts to restore Medicaid access for COFA migrants present in the United States.

Our work has only just begun.  Please, consider joining our efforts -- together, we can make history!

To join the campaign, and to receive updates on the status of the above state resolutions as well as opportunities to support them, please sign our petition urging Congress to restore these benefits and provide health justice to our Pacific Islander community!   And, if you would like to get more involved, please contact us at any time.

Hanabusa's bill, H.R. 912: Restoring Medicaid for Compact of Free Association Migrants Act of 2013, has been introduced and referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Key players in this committee include Committee Chair Fred Upton (R-Michigan), Vice-Chair Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), and Health Subcommittee Chair Joe Pitts (R-Pennsylvania).

You can contact these individuals simply by clicking on the below links, or calling the numbers provided.  Please let them know that you support restoring healthcare for U.S. residents present under the Compacts of Free Association!

Energy and Commerce Committee Members: Click here.
Health Subcommittee Members:  Click here.

Committee Chair Upton:
http://upton.house.gov/contact/zipauth.htm
Washington, DC Office:
2183 Rayburn House Office Bldg Washington, D.C. 20515
T: (202) 225-3761 | F: (202) 225-4986

Committee Vice Chair Blackburn:
https://blackburn.house.gov/contactform/default.aspx;
Washington, DC Office:
217 Cannon Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
202-225-2811 telephone
202-225-3004 fax

Health Subcommittee Chair Pitts:
https://pitts.house.gov/contact-me/legislative-contact-form
Washington, DC Office:
420 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2411
Fax: (202) 225-2013

Please contact us for more information, and don't forget to sign our petition before you leave!

Mahalo nui to Representatives Hanabusa, Gabbard, Bordallo, Sablan, and Faleomavaega!

APIAHF Applauds Introduction of House Bill Restoring Health Care for
COFA Migrants

March 6, 2013

WASHINGTON--The Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) applauds Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (Hawaii) on her efforts to restore Medicaid coverage for Compact of Free Association (COFA) Migrants in the United States. 

The legislation—known as H.R. 912 or the Restoring Medicaid for Compact of Free Association Migrants Act of 2013—if passed would amend Title IV of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996, which restricts access to federal public benefit programs and effectively bars COFA migrants from access to Medicaid. Because of PRWORA, COFA migrants are also currently ineligible for the expanded Medicaid benefits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

"This bill is sorely needed to fulfill our diplomatic and strategic military commitments and to restore safety net health care coverage for COFA migrants who contribute to the American economy, yet are unfairly denied access to quality health care programs," said Kathy Ko Chin, president and CEO of APIAHF. "We strongly support the efforts of Rep. Hanabusa and her co-sponsors—Reps. Madeleine Z. Bordallo (Guam),  Eni Faleomavaega (American Samoa), Gregorio Sablan (Northern Mariana Islands) and Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii)—and call on Congress to pass this bill quickly. In light of the ongoing negotiations around immigration reform, COFA migrants must also be included in discussions to remedy this longstanding issue."

Under the 1986 COFA, the U.S. government agreed to provide economic assistance to citizens from the Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands and Republic of Palau, allowing them to enter, reside and work in the United States and participate in certain federal programs including Medicaid. After the enactment of PRWORA, COFA migrants were cut off from Medicaid, forcing states like Hawaii and the territory of Guam to absorb the costs of providing health care benefits to them in the absence of federal funding. COFA migrants suffer from a number of serious health disparities caused by America’s militarization of the Pacific Islands, nuclear test bombing and lack of economic supports, including high rates of cervical cancer and other chronic diseases. Having access to affordable, quality health care is critical to addressing these disparities. 

If enacted, the bill would properly restore the federal government’s role in providing needed services for COFA migrants—including under the ACA—and give relief to the states and territories with large COFA migrant communities. 

APIAHF is actively involved in the current immigration policy reform discussions and is working to ensure that any legislation supports hardworking immigrants and their families and includes access to affordable health care for all.