
Issues discussed included access to federal healthcare safety nets, the need for education and youth empowerment, bullying and discrimination in public schools, and citizenship issues related to military service.
"My daughter came home and told me she no longer wanted to go to school, because someone said she was ugly because she was Micronesian," related one parent. "I told her to go back to school, and to tell the person who told her those things that that she loves them -- and that she is proud to be Micronesian."
Cathy Wasem, Senior Program Management Officer with the Office of Pacific Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, also urged attendees with healthcare concerns to continue exploring subsidy opportunities under the Affordable Care Act, although she noted that Hawai'i's health exchange has continued to encounter difficulties in implementation.
"My daughter came home and told me she no longer wanted to go to school, because someone said she was ugly because she was Micronesian," related one parent. "I told her to go back to school, and to tell the person who told her those things that that she loves them -- and that she is proud to be Micronesian."
Other attendees remarked at the prevalence of such bullying incidents throughout public schools in the state.
Department of Education officials emphasized the need for parents to speak to school administration about any incidents of bullying or discriminatory behavior, and to file a complaint with the federal Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights if necessary. Engaging with the Department of Education's "proactive" review of Title IX issues in the Hawai'i public school system was also suggested, particularly since doing so would allow parents and students to discuss their experiences with anonymity. Department of Education representatives committed to following up regarding this latter suggestion.
Before the close of the exchange, federal officials also committed to coordinate between agencies to address some of the issues raised, and to continue their dialogue with the local COFA community in subsequent visits to Hawai'i and elsewhere.
Special thanks to Esther Kia'aina, Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas at the Department of the Interior, for her initiative in convening the exchange and for her lifelong commitment to the people of the former Pacific Trust Territories, now known as the Freely Associated States or COFA nations.