Post on 12-Jul-2015
Micronesians Students
Supporting a Culture of Understanding for
ALII!
ALOHA
Republic of Palau (Palauans)
OLOMWAAY!
Carolinians (Saipanese)
HAFA ADAI!
Guam (Chamorros / Guamanians)
IAKWE!
Marshall Islands (Marshallese)
KASELEHLIE!
Pohnpei, FSM (Pohnpeians)
MOGETHIN!
Yap, FSM (Yapese)
PAING KOM!
Kosrae, FSM (Kosraeans)
RAN ANNIM!
Chuuk, FSM (Chuukese)
WENIMOMOTO!
Outer Islands (Chuuk / Yap)
Pacific Islander Student Center at UH Hilo: www.hilo.hawaii.edu/pisc | Pacific Students: www.pacificstudents.org
MAURI!
Kiribati (Gilbertese)
o Introductions
o Framing our Discussion
o Micronesians? Who, What, Why?
o Challenges & Tips
o Lessons from Hawaii
o Discussion
*Disclaimer: experiential, very little research data on Pacific Islanders in Hawaii.
Tirow
Agenda
o Chuukese
o Product of public education
o BA (Univ. Guam), MA (Univ. San Francisco), EdD (UH Manoa, July 2017)
o Educator, Consultant
o Director, Pacific Islander Student Center
Vidalino Staley Raatior
Introduction
o funded by AANAPISI grant
o Mission: Facilitate the success of Pacific Islander students in higher education
o 200 + students (Fall 2014)
o Student development services
o Research
o Phone: 808-932-7718
o Website: www.hilo.hawaii.edu/pisc
About the Pacific
Islander Student Center
Introduction
Our Students
Pacific Islander Students at UH Hilo (Fall, 2014)
FSM, 76
Kiribati, 1
Marshall Islands, 31
Palau, 18
Papua New Guinea, 2
Samoa, 87
Solomon, 1
Tonga, 4
Vanuatu, 1
Unknown, 1
Framing Our Discussion
1) Lots of Micronesians in Hawaii! WHY?2) I don’t speak Micronesian! TRANSLATE?3) Micronesian students are not getting along with the local students! HELP!
What often brings me to schools…
Framing Our Discussion
1) Lots of “Micronesians” in Hawaii! WHO? WHAT? WHY? WHEN?2) Teachers care about helping all students succeed! HOW?
My Assumptions for Today…
Micronesians?
What is a Micronesian anyway?
Micronesians?
Why are we called Micronesians?
Micronesians?
o Chamorros/ Carolinians
o Marshallese
o Fed. States of Micronesia
o Chuukese
o Kosraeans
o Pohnpeians
o Yapese
o Palauans
o Nauruans
o Kiribati
What do we call ourselves?
Micronesians?
Sovereign
Who are we in world history?
$elf-governColonized
Navigators roamed free
US money & border for our land & ocean
Poor savages need to be civilized.
Micronesians?
o “Discovered” (Portugese – 1525
o “Claimed” (Spain – 1528)
o “Traded” (Germany – 1869)
o “Occupied” (Japan – 1914)
o “Administered” (USA -1944 )o 1946 – 1958 – 67 nuclear tests in Marshall
Islands (equivalent to 7,000 Hiroshima bombs)*
o “Self-government” (1978)
*Source: Nuclear Claims Tribunal
Labeling goes way back
Micronesians?
o 1986 – 3 Compact of Free Association (COFA) Treaties - RMI, FSM, ROP
o Today, 15,000 + COFA in Hawaii
o Open migration provision
o American Dream
o Health issues re. Atomic Bomb Testing (Bikini / Eniweitok)
o Unlimited Opportunities / Security
o Escape global warming (rising tides)
o Employment, Education, Healthcare
Why are we in the US?
Reframing Our Story
How are we infusing our lesson plans to honor the COMMON struggles, history, art, leadership style, and values of the indigenous people of the Pacific?
Are Micronesian languages, cultures, identities
celebrated in your classroom, on campus?
Enables or Disables?
Being Micronesian
What is Micronesiability?
Enables or Disables?
Being Micronesian
o Label “Micronesian” already isolates our kids
o English language already disables their learning (word gap)
o Expectations are changing & clashing (home vs school)
Enables or Disables?
Micronesiability
How are you helping students manage changing expectations, adjusting to cultural realities?
Enables or Disables?
Micronesiability
Lessons & Opportunities
o Silence vs Speaking Up
o Elders vs Youth
o Success vs Contribution
o Cultural pride vs Assimilation
o Community vs Individual
o Clan vs Nuclear Family
o Visitor vs Local
Changing Expectations
o What’s your personal biases for / against Micronesians?
o How are you showing hospitality to Micronesian students who are already feeling isolated?
o Are you being intentional in providing assignments to break Micronesian stereotypes?
o How is the school creating deliberate student interactions to enable collaborations?
Intentionality
Lessons & Opportunities
Lessons & Opportunities
o Overt negative interactions
o Negative stories about Micronesians
o Micronesians are not one people
o Feelings of isolations (language)
o “Lessons from Hawaii” (Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner, spoken words)
Discrimination & Isolation
o What moves / disturbs you about Kathy’s lessons?
o What lesson(s) do you agree or disagree with?
o What lesson(s) would you add from Kealakehe?
o Any other questions or comments?
As you listen, note the following:
Lessons from Hawaii
Marshallese slam poetKathy Jetnil-Kijiner
Lessons from Hawaii
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sbtpazYra0
o What moves / disturbs you about Kathy’s lessons?
o What lesson(s) do you agree or disagree with?
o What lessons would you add to Kathy’s?
o Any other questions or comments?
Lessons from Kealakehe?
Discussion
SULANG!
MAHALO
Republic of Palau (Palauans)
OLOMWAAY!
Saipan (Carolinians)
SI YU’OS MA’ASE
Guam (Chamorros / Guamanians)
KOMOL!
Marshall Islands (Marshallese)
KALAHNGAN!
Pohnpei, FSM (Pohnpeians)
KAMMAGAR!
Yap, FSM (Yapese)
KULO!
Kosrae, FSM (Kosraeans)
KINISOU!
Chuuk, FSM (Chuukese)
SA HACHIGCHIG!
Outer Islands (Ulithi /Yap)
Pacific Islander Student Center at UH Hilo: www.hilo.hawaii.edu/pisc | Pacific Students: www.pacificstudents.org
KORABA!
Kiribati (Gilbertese)
Need more?
Contact Us
o PHONE: (808) 932 - 7718
o EMAIL: raatior@hawaii.edu
o WEBSITE: www.hilo.hawaii.edu/pisc
o BLOG: www.pacificstudents.org