Information and Resources for the Health of Pacific Islanders
and Allies in Hawai'i and Beyond
This website is a resource for those looking to understand the history of Micronesian migration to the Hawai'i and the US, and also provides information on the current status of health care coverage for migrants from the Compact of Free Association/Freely Associated States who live in Hawai'i. Check back for updates and resources, as issues are currently unfolding!
IMPORTANT NEWS FOR HAWAI'I 2015:
IF YOU HAVE OR NEED INSURANCE THROUGH THE HAWAI'I HEALTHCARE MARKETPLACE (I.E. THE HAWAI'I HEALTH CONNECTOR), YOU MUST ENROLL OR RE-ENROLL FOR AN INSURANCE PLAN TO BE COVERED IN 2016.
EVEN IF YOU HAVE ENROLLED IN A MARKETPLACE PLAN AND ARE CURRENTLY COVERED, YOUR COVERAGE WILL BE TERMINATED ON DECEMBER 31, 2015 UNLESS YOU RE-ENROLL.
FAILURE TO OBTAIN HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE MAY RESULT IN SUBSTANTIAL FINANCIAL PENALTIES IN ADDITION TO PROHIBITIVE HEALTHCARE COSTS SHOULD YOU NEED MEDICAL SERVICES.
Please see this blog post for more details.
UPDATE: NEED HELP GETTING INSURANCE? SEE OUR BLOG POST HERE FOR OUTREACH AND ASSISTANCE EVENTS THROUGHOUT HAWAIʻI!
IF YOU HAVE OR NEED INSURANCE THROUGH THE HAWAI'I HEALTHCARE MARKETPLACE (I.E. THE HAWAI'I HEALTH CONNECTOR), YOU MUST ENROLL OR RE-ENROLL FOR AN INSURANCE PLAN TO BE COVERED IN 2016.
EVEN IF YOU HAVE ENROLLED IN A MARKETPLACE PLAN AND ARE CURRENTLY COVERED, YOUR COVERAGE WILL BE TERMINATED ON DECEMBER 31, 2015 UNLESS YOU RE-ENROLL.
FAILURE TO OBTAIN HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE MAY RESULT IN SUBSTANTIAL FINANCIAL PENALTIES IN ADDITION TO PROHIBITIVE HEALTHCARE COSTS SHOULD YOU NEED MEDICAL SERVICES.
Please see this blog post for more details.
UPDATE: NEED HELP GETTING INSURANCE? SEE OUR BLOG POST HERE FOR OUTREACH AND ASSISTANCE EVENTS THROUGHOUT HAWAIʻI!
NATIONAL UPDATE: HEALTH EQUITY BILL TO BE INTRODUCED IN U.S. SENATE - SUPPORT NEEDED!
U.S. Senator from Hawaiʻi, Mazie K. Hirono, has announced that she will introduce a measure in the U.S. Senate restoring equal access to Medicaid for U.S. residents present under the Compacts of Free Association.
Please see our blog post for more details.
ORGANIZATIONAL ENDORSEMENTS ARE NEEDED - please contact Kinsey Hasstedt at khasstedt@guttmacher.org or Amina Abbas at aabbas@apiahf.org to sign on in support!
Please see our blog post for more details.
ORGANIZATIONAL ENDORSEMENTS ARE NEEDED - please contact Kinsey Hasstedt at khasstedt@guttmacher.org or Amina Abbas at aabbas@apiahf.org to sign on in support!
*COFACAN members: Meeting Minutes, Action PLan and outreach list (click here)*
Join COFACAN? Click Here. (Also -- don't forget to "like" our facebook page!)
Art and Love #samecanoe collaboration by: Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner, Lee Kava, Jamaica Osorio, Kat Lobendahn, Makerusa Porotesano, Justin Takaha White, Marissa Buendicho, Melinda Smith, Tagi Qolouvaki, Anjoli Roy, Donovan Kūhiō Colleps, Noʻu Revilla, Bryan Kuwada, Joseph Gorre, Rajiv Mohabir, Jacob Camacho, Carrie Collier, & Aiko Yamashiro.
May 2014
COFACAN Statement and Call to Action
April 15, 2014
Brothers and sisters, we call upon your support and the wisdom of our ancestors as we navigate through difficult waters. On April 1, 2014, the Ninth Circuit Court handed down its ruling on the Korab v. Fink case. This case involves the issue of whether the state can enroll citizen residents from the Compact of Free Association nations (COFA) in the medically insufficient Basic Health Hawai'i healthcare safety net. The Ninth Circuit ruled 2-1 in favor of the state, removing a preliminary injunction that stopped the implementation of Basic Health Hawai'i. The ruling therefore allows the state to limit COFA citizens to Basic Health Hawai'i if it so chooses.
The Attorney General has promised that the state will not deny citizens from the Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau equal access to healthcare in Hawai'i until the Korab vs. Fink case is finally resolved. However, BHH remains on the books. It is unclear what will happen when the case is ultimately decided, or when a new governor is elected. We stand together in hope and prayer that the State of Hawai‘i will continue to support our COFA citizens’ healthcare as it has from the beginning. We continue to advocate for the State of Hawaiʻi to remove Basic Health Hawai'i from Hawaiʻi Administrative Rules and repeal Haw. Admin. Rules Chapter 17-1722.3.
We will continue to work with all who support us to take a unified stand to hold the federal government accountable in addressing the healthcare needs of COFA taxpayers and residents of the United States. To the people of the COFA nations and our supporters, we humbly ask for your support to stand with us in our effort to persuade the state leaders to not forsake us. Let us trust that they will not forsake us. We are working closely with the leadership of the State of Hawai‘i, theU.S. Congress and with our partners throughout the nation to support a federal solution to repair the injustice of the Welfare Reform Act of 1996. We believe that the State and U.S. government must act consistently with the spirit of our long relationship between the COFA nations and the United States. Historical background, summaries and factsheets on the history of this issue and the Korab vs. Fink court case can be found at our website www.healthypacific.org.
These are our goals moving forward:
1. Request a full panel ("en banc") review from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
2. Maintain current levels of Med-QUEST eligibility for our COFA citizens.
3. Repeal HAR Chapter 17-1722.3 (Basic Health Hawai'i) from the Hawai'i Administrative Rules (HAR).
4. Work in partnership with the State of Hawai'i and our national supporters towards a federal solution to restore Medicaid benefits for COFA citizens.
Here are some important actions that we must accomplish together:
1. Let COFA citizens know that they are still currently covered under MED-QUEST until the state of Hawai'i decides their next steps.
2. Ask your organization to write a public statement in support of the COFA community. Your letter can request the state of Hawai'i to repeal HAR Chapter 17-1722.3.
3. Participate in meetings and activities to get informed and involved.
4. Visit the www.healthypacific.org website for the latest news and info, and help spread the word about action alerts and other important announcements (use the hashtag #samecanoe on social media).
We have heard reports that COFA citizens on Med-QUEST may be receiving notices regarding changes to their health coverage. These notices may be related to a new mandatory re-enrollment period that affects every Med-QUEST recipient. This new enrollment period is in effect from April to October. The letters for this re-enrollment should not be confused with the Basic Health Hawai'i Plan. Please contact your local community health center, case worker or DHS office if you need help filling out this form, and know that you have the right to an interpreter or translator by law. Ask if you don't understand!
Basic Health Hawai'i is not yet in effect; however, if anyone receives any official documents regarding this plan we urge these citizens to e-mail us at restoringjusticehi@gmail.com so that we can investigate and follow up on these reports. Please continue to check the website www.healthypacific.org for updates and answers to questions that have been submitted. This canoe is ours to paddle, together. As islanders, we appreciate and welcome the generous support of our hosts and partners in Hawai'i who would join us in this struggle to maintain our common humanity.
The Attorney General has promised that the state will not deny citizens from the Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau equal access to healthcare in Hawai'i until the Korab vs. Fink case is finally resolved. However, BHH remains on the books. It is unclear what will happen when the case is ultimately decided, or when a new governor is elected. We stand together in hope and prayer that the State of Hawai‘i will continue to support our COFA citizens’ healthcare as it has from the beginning. We continue to advocate for the State of Hawaiʻi to remove Basic Health Hawai'i from Hawaiʻi Administrative Rules and repeal Haw. Admin. Rules Chapter 17-1722.3.
We will continue to work with all who support us to take a unified stand to hold the federal government accountable in addressing the healthcare needs of COFA taxpayers and residents of the United States. To the people of the COFA nations and our supporters, we humbly ask for your support to stand with us in our effort to persuade the state leaders to not forsake us. Let us trust that they will not forsake us. We are working closely with the leadership of the State of Hawai‘i, theU.S. Congress and with our partners throughout the nation to support a federal solution to repair the injustice of the Welfare Reform Act of 1996. We believe that the State and U.S. government must act consistently with the spirit of our long relationship between the COFA nations and the United States. Historical background, summaries and factsheets on the history of this issue and the Korab vs. Fink court case can be found at our website www.healthypacific.org.
These are our goals moving forward:
1. Request a full panel ("en banc") review from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
2. Maintain current levels of Med-QUEST eligibility for our COFA citizens.
3. Repeal HAR Chapter 17-1722.3 (Basic Health Hawai'i) from the Hawai'i Administrative Rules (HAR).
4. Work in partnership with the State of Hawai'i and our national supporters towards a federal solution to restore Medicaid benefits for COFA citizens.
Here are some important actions that we must accomplish together:
1. Let COFA citizens know that they are still currently covered under MED-QUEST until the state of Hawai'i decides their next steps.
2. Ask your organization to write a public statement in support of the COFA community. Your letter can request the state of Hawai'i to repeal HAR Chapter 17-1722.3.
3. Participate in meetings and activities to get informed and involved.
4. Visit the www.healthypacific.org website for the latest news and info, and help spread the word about action alerts and other important announcements (use the hashtag #samecanoe on social media).
We have heard reports that COFA citizens on Med-QUEST may be receiving notices regarding changes to their health coverage. These notices may be related to a new mandatory re-enrollment period that affects every Med-QUEST recipient. This new enrollment period is in effect from April to October. The letters for this re-enrollment should not be confused with the Basic Health Hawai'i Plan. Please contact your local community health center, case worker or DHS office if you need help filling out this form, and know that you have the right to an interpreter or translator by law. Ask if you don't understand!
Basic Health Hawai'i is not yet in effect; however, if anyone receives any official documents regarding this plan we urge these citizens to e-mail us at restoringjusticehi@gmail.com so that we can investigate and follow up on these reports. Please continue to check the website www.healthypacific.org for updates and answers to questions that have been submitted. This canoe is ours to paddle, together. As islanders, we appreciate and welcome the generous support of our hosts and partners in Hawai'i who would join us in this struggle to maintain our common humanity.
Mahalo to the COFA community groups below for joining as signatories to the COFACAN Statement of Unity and Call to Action. For more information as to how your group can join in this statement, please e-mail us at restoringjusticehi@gmail.com.
Thank you very much also to the following national organizations, which have submitted statements in reaction to the Korab v. Fink decision on Basic Health Hawai'i:
Statement by the Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum
Statement by the National Asian American Pacific Women's Forum
Statement by the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations
Statement by the Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum
Statement by the National Asian American Pacific Women's Forum
Statement by the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations
OUR CAMPAIGN: RESTORE HEALTHCARE, SAVE LIVES
Check out our Take Action page (click here) for new ways to promote Health Justice in Hawai'i and the United States!
As described in our Resources: The PRWORA Problem page, the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act (PRWORA) excluded U.S. residents and taxpayers present under the Compacts of Free Association (COFA) from eligibility for most federal benefits. Notwithstanding the U.S.' unfinished responsibility to provide true independence and self-sufficiency for the Freely Associated States -- former "trust" territories that continue to sacrifice their islands, people and 2,000,000 square miles of ocean for the benefit of the United States -- our Pacific Islander community members nevertheless remain ineligible for important federal safety nets, including food stamps, SSDI and Medicaid.
Hawai'i Governors Neil Abercrombie and Linda Lingle, citing this lack of federal support, have recently imposed a bare-bones state health care plan on COFA citizens only, a plan that has already led to serious adverse health and socioeconomic consequences for a number of our U.S. resident taxpayers, workers, students and community members present under COFA.
HealthyPacific.Org disagrees with the use of dubious cost-saving arguments to justify denying equal access to life-saving healthcare for a targeted segment of our community, whose members already face significant social, economic, cultural and linguistic barriers even here in Hawai'i. Accordingly, HealthyPacific.Org and its allies have respectfully asked Governor Abercrombie to stop his appeal of an injunction against the facially discriminatory Basic Health Hawai'i diminished-services healthcare plan.
**Governor Abercrombie has not responded, and his appeal has now resulted in a published, precedent-setting Ninth Circuit opinion that may allow states to discriminate against COFA and many other immigrants in healthcare and a potentially broad range of other basic human services.**
However, additional opportunities to address this shameful and dangerous U.S. policy have recently arisen. Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa has introduced a bill that would amend the PRWORA Act to include residents present under COFA as "qualified aliens" specifically eligible for Medicaid, and has included a provision in a House immigration reform measure that would do the same. Senator Mazie Hirono has also successfully added an amendment to the comprehensive immigration reform bill that would do the same. These federal bills are both supported by Hawai'i state resolutions urging key Congressional decisionmakers to close the PRWORA loophole and reinstate eligibility for federal benefits for U.S. residents present under COFA. You can support these efforts and join our cause right now, simply by visiting our Take Action page, or sending us an e-mail via the Contact Us page.
Hawai'i Governors Neil Abercrombie and Linda Lingle, citing this lack of federal support, have recently imposed a bare-bones state health care plan on COFA citizens only, a plan that has already led to serious adverse health and socioeconomic consequences for a number of our U.S. resident taxpayers, workers, students and community members present under COFA.
HealthyPacific.Org disagrees with the use of dubious cost-saving arguments to justify denying equal access to life-saving healthcare for a targeted segment of our community, whose members already face significant social, economic, cultural and linguistic barriers even here in Hawai'i. Accordingly, HealthyPacific.Org and its allies have respectfully asked Governor Abercrombie to stop his appeal of an injunction against the facially discriminatory Basic Health Hawai'i diminished-services healthcare plan.
**Governor Abercrombie has not responded, and his appeal has now resulted in a published, precedent-setting Ninth Circuit opinion that may allow states to discriminate against COFA and many other immigrants in healthcare and a potentially broad range of other basic human services.**
However, additional opportunities to address this shameful and dangerous U.S. policy have recently arisen. Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa has introduced a bill that would amend the PRWORA Act to include residents present under COFA as "qualified aliens" specifically eligible for Medicaid, and has included a provision in a House immigration reform measure that would do the same. Senator Mazie Hirono has also successfully added an amendment to the comprehensive immigration reform bill that would do the same. These federal bills are both supported by Hawai'i state resolutions urging key Congressional decisionmakers to close the PRWORA loophole and reinstate eligibility for federal benefits for U.S. residents present under COFA. You can support these efforts and join our cause right now, simply by visiting our Take Action page, or sending us an e-mail via the Contact Us page.
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Listen! A brief summary of our issues in Hawai'i can be heard on the Hawai'i Public Radio spot on the right, or by clicking here.
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Blog updates! |
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Feature Video: Darlene Keju Historic Speech on Nuclear Testing in the Marshall Islands
From Microwave Films: This is Darlene Keju's speech in 1983 that sparked a public attack on Darlene from a US Ambassador, and motivated establishment of networks of church/anti-nuclear/environment groups in Europe to focus on issues in the Pacific. This is the first time this video has been available on the Internet... (see Resources: Background for more details)
News and updates in brief...
At Home While Away: Forging a Path for Opportunity, Family, Community
MUST SEE! Please see this new video by Nathan Fitch, featuring eight Micronesian immigrants who have left their island homes to forge a new path in the United States. Follow these five men and three women as they embark on their new lives serving in the military, starting their own businesses, and taking care of their families and communities in the U.S. and at home. For more information, visit www.athomewhileaway.org; the video is also available on our Resources: Background page.
Health Justice on HPR!
A brief synopsis of Basic Health Hawai'i and the health justice issues facing Hawai'i residents present under the Compacts of Free Association can be heard on this Hawai'i Public Radio spot, also found on our Resources: Basic Health Hawai'i page: http://cpa.ds.npr.org/khpr/audio/2014/06/cofa_0609_0.MP3
Center for Pacific Island Studies Resources
Please see our Resources: Background Page for new links to resources and information relating to the Pacific, including resources for health professionals in providing cross-cultural services for Marshallese patients. Courtesy of the Center for Pacific Island Studies at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa.
Star-Advertiser Insight: "Micronesians United: Spurned by federal court, Pacific migrants seek justice through politics"
Please see our Resources: The PRWORA Problem page for a recent Honolulu Star-Advertiser Insight article on COFACAN, a community group dedicated to restoring health justice and equality for U.S. taxpayers present under the Compacts of Free Association.
Star-Advertiser Editorial: "Help COFA migrants until feds step up"
Please see our Resources: Basic Health Hawaiʻi page for a link to the recent Honolulu Star-Advertiser editorial reaction to the Ninth Circuit decision in Korab v. Fink, overturning the district court preliminary injunction on the discriminatory and life-threatening Basic Health Hawaiʻi public healthcare plan.
New Episode of Micronesian Connections, Feat. Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner on "Micronesians in the Arts"
Please see our Resources: Background page for a new episode from Micronesian Connections, featuring Marshallese poet and scholar, Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner discussing Micronesians in the Arts!
Giff Johnson: Important Background Piece on the COFA Nations and the United States
Please see our blog post for an important informational piece on the relationship between the COFA nations and the United States, including implications for current U.S. policy, as prepared by Giff Johnson, author, editor and long-time resident of the Marshall Islands. For more information on Mr. Johnson's speaking tour to Oregon, Hawai'i, Tokyo and elsewhere, please visit www.donteverwhisper.com.
OBAMACARE and COFA Migrants: Clarification on eligibility and financial support
See our blog post here for clarification on COFA migrants' eligibility in the new healthcare marketplaces and for financial assistance with health plan premiums and out-of-pocket costs under the Affordable Care Act, i.e. "Obamacare."
meet Don't Ever Whisper biographer Giff Johnson -- nov. 1
Please take this rare opportunity to meet Giff Johnson, author of Darlene Keju's biography, Don't Ever Whisper, on November 1st at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa Burns Hall, as he discusses recently-unclassified secret U.S. documents on nuclear testing in the Pacific, and the ongoing impacts that this legacy has had in addition to related issues in the Marshall Islands. Download the flier or see our blog post for more details.
new Hope in the House: Immigration Reform bill includes healthcare restoration for u.s. residents present under cofa
Encouraging news: a new comprehensive immigration reform measure in the U.S. House of Representatives includes a provision restoring access to Medicaid for U.S. residents present under the Compacts of Free Association! Check out Sec.214A of the measure here. See our blog post for more details!
making new Connections: Micronesian Connections Episodes available online
Please check out Episode 14 of Micronesian Connections, featuring Father Francis X. Hezel, teacher, historian, author, Jesuit priest, and long-time resident of Chuuk.
HealthyPacific.Org in the news: Al Jazeera!
Please check out this latest article by Al Jazeera detailing the issues facing U.S. residents present under the Compacts of Free Association, as well as the history of the U.S. relationship with the Freely Associated States. Mahalo nui to author Jon Letman for his great coverage of our issues and for giving a voice to many of our concerned community members here in Hawai'i nei.
Hana Hou Hou: Article on Land of Eb Star Jonithen Jackson
Check out this latest article from Hana Hou magazine on Land of Eb star Jonithen Jackson, whose film portrayal of life as a Marshallese on Hawai'i Island has been receiving international recognition in a number of film festivals. Mahalo to Hana Hou, the in-flight magazine of Hawaiian Airlines, for spotlighting the ingenuity and passion of one of Hawai'i's own.
New: Video recording of the July 18, 2013 Congressional briefing on Medicaid for COFA Migrants
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. To view the video, see our Background: The PWORA Problem page. To read a report on the briefing, please see our blog post here.
New video! Boys and Girls Club of Hawai'i Video on "Micronesian" Culture
Mahalo nui to the Summer Filmmaking Program at the Charles C. Spalding Boys & Girls Club for this inspirational perspective on "Micronesian" culture and the experiences of growing up in Hawai'i's culturally diverse community, as told in the words of our youth and community leaders who identify as "Micronesian" in Hawai'i. Kudos to the filmmakers, youth and staff of the Charles Spalding Teen Center and the Boys & Girls Club of Hawai'i! This video can also be found on our Resources: Background page.
BGCH Micronesian Culture from BGCH Media on Vimeo.
Snapshot in time: Marshallese resistance and struggle for justice in their own homelands, as reported by Darlene Keju and Giff Johnson
Please click here for Darlene Keju and Giff Johnson's snapshot coverage of Kwajalein Atoll, its historical role in the nuclear arms race, and the Marshall Islanders who fought to reclaim their ancestral lands in their ongoing struggle for justice in the face of systemic discrimination, colonization, and outright oppression by the United States Department of Defense.
GAO: "Impact" claims questioned
The fiscal "impact" claims used by Hawai'i and other jurisdictions to ask for greater federal funding are inconsistent and highly suspect, according to a Government Accountability Office report. Coincidentally, these same claims have arisen in jurisdictions where social prejudice against COFA migrants is high, and Hawai'i has even used such a claim to justify the denial of equal healthcare access to COFA residents (resulting in 27 deaths before a federal injunction was imposed). See our Resources: Background Page or click here for a copy of the report.
HealthyPacific.Org in the News!
Mahalo nui to Bill Jayne at the Kaselehlie Press for their coverage of this website, our sister organization the COFA Community Advocacy Network, and the health justice issues that we are dedicated to addressing. Read their article here or on our Resources: Background page.
*New* Interview with Holly Barker: U.S. Nuclear Testing on the Marshallese
For a detailed account of the history, political context, and legacy of U.S. nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands, please see Holly Barker's interview in our Resources: Background page.
From the interview:
"Project 4.1 was a biomedical experiment to understand the effects of radiations on human beings so that if the U.S. troops were to be exposed to radiation, or if the American public was exposed to radiation . . . then the U.S. military would better understand what radiation would do to the people who were exposed. . . . The Marshallese people were essentially the guinea pigs for the U.S. military. . . . What happens if you put a population into an environment that is highly contaminated and they eat radioactive food? . . . What happens if you inject a person with radiation directly into their bloodstream, which U.S. researchers did with the Marshallese?"
From the interview:
"Project 4.1 was a biomedical experiment to understand the effects of radiations on human beings so that if the U.S. troops were to be exposed to radiation, or if the American public was exposed to radiation . . . then the U.S. military would better understand what radiation would do to the people who were exposed. . . . The Marshallese people were essentially the guinea pigs for the U.S. military. . . . What happens if you put a population into an environment that is highly contaminated and they eat radioactive food? . . . What happens if you inject a person with radiation directly into their bloodstream, which U.S. researchers did with the Marshallese?"
Japanese American Citizens League Video: We Hold These Truths . . .
Please visit our Resources: Basic Health Hawai'i page to see a new video by the Japanese American Citizens League, Honolulu Chapter, providing a critical analysis of healthcare equality for U.S. residents present under COFA. The National JACL has also adopted a resolution in support of equal access to healthcare for COFA residents in Hawai'i.
New Studies on Health and Medical Issues in the Federated States of Micronesia
Please see our Resources: Background page for new studies published in the latest issue of the Hawai'i Journal of Medicine and Public Health.
From the Southbank Centre for London 2012 Poetry Parnassus: Tell Them
Mahalo nui loa to Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner for allowing us to share her incredible poetry and spoken word videos on our website. For more videos like the one above, please see our Resources: Background Page, and don't forget to check out her website at http://jkijiner.wordpress.com.
Success in the U.S. Senate!
Great news! Thanks to Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI), an amendment has been successfully added to the highly visible immigration reform bill to restore equal access to Medicaid for U.S. resident taxpayers, workers, students, and community members present under the Compacts of Free Association (COFA). See our blog post for more details...
Two new sites to check out!
Please see our Resources: Background page for new links of interest to the COFA community and its supporters:
The Pacific Islander Access Project began in response to the lack of representation of Pacific Islanders in higher education, and has focused on ensuring that Pacific Islanders are eligible for programs benefitting underrepresented minorities. The nonproit's blog, http://www.piaproject.blogspot.com/, is updated weekly and has some great information on programs that provide access to higher education for Pacific Islanders, and other related information.
Oceania Cross Currents is a blog on a variety of issues involving politics, peace, and the Pacific Ocean, authored by long-time community advocate and organizer Richard Salvador.
The Pacific Islander Access Project began in response to the lack of representation of Pacific Islanders in higher education, and has focused on ensuring that Pacific Islanders are eligible for programs benefitting underrepresented minorities. The nonproit's blog, http://www.piaproject.blogspot.com/, is updated weekly and has some great information on programs that provide access to higher education for Pacific Islanders, and other related information.
Oceania Cross Currents is a blog on a variety of issues involving politics, peace, and the Pacific Ocean, authored by long-time community advocate and organizer Richard Salvador.
We did it! SCR108 adopted by the Hawai'i State Legislature
Mahalo nui and congratulations to all who have supported our efforts to pass a state resolution urging the federal government to restore access to federal benefits for U.S. resident taxpayers, workers, students, and community members present under the Compacts of Free Association. It came down to the wire, but we did it! See our blog for more details.
More good news -- Hawaiʻi House resolutions passed by VMI
Mahalo nui to all who testified or showed up in support of HCR117 and HR88, the House resolutions urging the restoration of federal benefits for the COFA community here in the United States! Thanks to your support, the House Committee on Veterans, Military, and International Affairs and Culture and the Arts voted to PASS these measures, unamended! For more details, please see our latest blog post, and check out our View Petitions page to see the testimony received by the Committee.
State resolutions in support of health justice for U.S. residents present under the Compacts of Free Associationintroduced!
Great news! Versions of our petition have been introduced as resolutions in both the House and Senate of the Hawai'i State Legislature. Thanks to the efforts of the COFA Community Advocacy Network, these resolutions have received an enormous amount of support amongst our state legislators. With enough support, we will get these resolutions passed and add a statewide voice of support for Congresswoman Hanabusa's efforts for health justice! For more information, please see our latest blog post.
Key D.C. legislators identified in push for Medicaid access for U.S. residents present under the Compacts
Please see our blog post for updates and information on key U.S. Representatives for the passage of H.R. 912, Hanabusa's bill to restore Medicaid access for U.S. resident taxpayers, workers, students, and community members present under the Compacts of Free Association. Your voice DOES count -- please help us make a statement for health justice and fairness for our COFA allies!
The Land Of Eb showing at the Doris Duke Theater March 11 at 7p!
Aloha Everyone, we'd like to invite you to attend this great movie screening. The movie illuminates the story of the Marshallese community living in Oceanview on the Big Island. The screening is sponsored by the Hawai'i People's Fund, the Japanese American Citizen's League, and Kokua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services. Check out our blog for more info and to see the poster for this event. It promises to be a moving, fictional tale based on real events that illustrates the struggles and strength of what it's like to find home in another homeland. The director and star of the movie will be on hand for a panel discussion after the screening. You can check out the movie's website at www.thelandofeb.com.
New Survey on Federated States of Micronesia citizens in the United States, CNMI, and Guam
Fr. Francis X. Hezel and Michael Levin have just released their 2012 Survey of Federated States of Micronesia Migrants in the United States including Guam and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), sampling FSM households for a variety of demographic information and anecdotal insights to the FSM migrant experience in the United States and its territories. Please visit our background Resources page to access this report.
Fresh off the press: Hana Hou magazine coverage of the All-Mike Basketball Tournament
Congratulations to the Micronesian Health Advisory Coalition (MHAC) for their feature story in the latest issue of Hawaiian Airlines' Hana Hou Magazine, showcasing MHAC's second All-Mike Basketball Tournament, and with special mention of the Basic Health Hawai'i issue facing Hawai'i's Micronesian/COFA communities! Mahalo nui to Aaron Kendall, Ryan Foley, and the good people at Hawaiian Airlines/Hana Hou Magazine for bringing attention to the hard work and dedicated community spirit of MHAC and the All-Mike participants.
Why does this website exist?
In 2009, due to budget shortfalls, the State of Hawai'i announced that it would no longer support the cost of healthcare for its medically vulnerable Micronesian community through state-funded medical coverage. With the creation of the Basic Health Hawai'i Plan, an insurance plan for COFA residents that severely restricted their access to medical care, a chain of events led to the creation of an ad hoc advocacy group to confront the irresponsible standard of health care imposed on our COFA residents, based solely on their ethnic and national origin. This is our website and we invite you to join us to better understand the history of the Pacific region, the People of the Ocean and our common strengths, challenges, and goals. We all need access to health justice: pupukahi i holomua! We must unite to move forward, for we are all in the same canoe!
What is "Health Justice?"
The concept of Health Justice is based on the understanding that there are many factors in our lives that determine our ability to be healthy. Some factors we have control over and some we do not; however, everyone deserves to be healthy. It's our responsibilty to make healthy choices for ourselves, our families and our communities based on the resources available to us. It is the responsibility of our legislators and government to help ensure that we have the proper resources to be able to make the right choices. It is time for all of us to come together for the common good of the health of our communities and our collective future.
Most recognizable in this image created by artist Adam Chang are the two brown hands representing unity amongst all mankind, but especially amongst our Pacific Islander sisters and brothers, who have common ancestors. The sky blue background and the three stars were chosen to represents the national pride of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau, but is also a greater testament to all nations under the heavens coming together.
Most recognizable in this image created by artist Adam Chang are the two brown hands representing unity amongst all mankind, but especially amongst our Pacific Islander sisters and brothers, who have common ancestors. The sky blue background and the three stars were chosen to represents the national pride of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau, but is also a greater testament to all nations under the heavens coming together.