Viewed by Itself, Pacific Islander Experience Looks Very Different (Full Report)  Josie Huang | March 25th, 2014, 9:05am
http://www.scpr.org/blogs/multiamerican/2014/03/25/16178/pacific-islander-native-hawaiian-asian-american/

 

Empowering Pacific Islander Communities and Asian Americans Advancing Justice

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders lag the rest of the country in attaining college degrees, according to a new report released jointly by Empowering Pacific Islander Communities and Asian Pacific Islanders Advancing Justice.

Pacific Islanders are often grouped with the much larger population of Asians-Americans. For one, their countries of origin share relative proximity, and joining forces helps create the critical mass needed to advocate on policy issues.

But a new report released Tuesday morning underscores just how much more difficult the Pacific Islander experience can be when it comes to education, health and staying afloat financially.

“Those are some of the issues that in many ways are undergirded by poverty,” said Iosefa Aina, an associate dean at Pomona College and a board member for Empowering Pacific Islander Communities, or EPIC.

EPIC, which is based in Los Angeles, co-authored the report with frequent collaborator Asian Americans Advancing Justice. The groups say the report is one of the most detailed looks at Pacific Islanders living in California and other parts of the mainland.
Key findings show:

• During the recession, the number of unemployed Pacific Islanders rose more than any other racial group — 123 percent — and the number living in poverty grew by 56 percent.
   
• Rates of diabetes and obesity are higher than the national average. Aina said that has a lot to do with sedentary lifestyles and consuming processed food because of the low cost and accessibility.
  
  
• About 18 percent of Pacific Islanders, including Native Hawaiians, have a bachelor's degree, lower than the national average. In this regard, they share some similarities with some immigrants from southeast Asia for whom rates of educational attainment also lag the general population.

Joanna Lee, a principal researcher with Asian-Americans Advancing Justice, said the report will help show policymakers that the Asian & Pacific Islander community is not a monolith.

While the number Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders living in the US now tops 1.2 million, that's "masked under the 18 million or 17 million Asian Americans that live in the country," she said.

"So it's really important to look at this data to really understand the community and understand how to better serve the community," Lee said.

California is home to the largest Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander population outside of Hawaii. Aina said that many households took root in the state after World War II , when many people moved to the mainland to serve in the military and were followed by relatives.

Population growth has been steady in California over the last decade. The Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community has expanded 29 percent to nearly 286,000 people.

Despite some discouraging news in the report, Aina described the potential for change, especially within the community's large segment of young people. (The median age is 26.5 for Pacific Islanders, the lowest among racial groups.)

“What we see is an opportunity to train our young people, to build the capacity within our community to do research, become doctors and lawyers," Aina said.
Read the full report here:

a Community of Contrasts- Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the United States

Hmmm...

Guam Is The Most Interesting Destination In America And Here's Why

Huffington Post

Posted: 03/18/2014 7:00 am EDT  

Updated: 03/18/2014 7:00 am EDT  

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/18/guam-travel-destination_n_4953530.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false 

Imagine a hybrid of Texas and Hawaii, or a cross between Spain and Japan: A remote island paradise with a rich, indigenous heritage, a contentious and diverse colonial history, and absolutely stunning vistas.

Welcome to Guam.

In many ways, Guam is a wonderfully unique contradiction. It's a remote island and an international melting pot; it's an American territory, but the gateway to Asia; it's home to an intensely local culture, but it's filled with outsiders. And to top it all off, it's insanely beautiful.

Below, the 11 reasons Guam just might be America's most interesting and exotic destination.

1. The diving:
The water is crystal clear and, unlike much of the world, Guam's coral reefs are actually thriving. Piti Bomb Hole features such lushly perfect coral craters that it looks like they were sculpted by bombs. Between Apra Harbor, where WWI and WWII ships sunk on top of each other, to Gun Beach, where stingrays go for breakfast, divers and snorkelers are never, ever bored.

Apra Harbor
 
2. Chamorro food:
With clear influences from Spanish and Mexican cuisine, Chamorro food features tortillas, tamales, atole and chilaquiles. Locals especially crave Finadene (a soy sauce-based condiment) and Chicken Kelaguen, which features lemon, chile peppers and coconut shavings.


3. History:
The U.S. territory enjoys the culture of the Chamorro people (the indigenous Pacific islanders), but with heavy Spanish, Japanese, and American influences. It was first colonized by Spain in the seventeenth century, was occupied by Japan for two years during World War II, and is home today to a relatively large U.S. military presence.

Fort Soledad
 
4. The culture:
Are you ready for this? Many equate the culture in Guam to that of Texas. Seriously. Between an obsession with high-school football and little league to the people themselves, apparently the Lone-Star state and the lone island have a lot in common. Guam locals have big hearts and even bigger parties (called village fiestas), and a frontier mentality means that communities are tight-knit and take care of one another.


5.The hiking:
To get you drooling, just try Instagram searching the following: Pagat Caves, Cetti Bay, Sigua Falls, Ague Cove, Talofofo Falls and Marble Cave. Yes, please!

Talofofo Falls
 
6. The beaches:
A pretty beach is a pretty beach, right? Apparently not. Guam enjoys near perfect weather year round (temperatures range from the low 70s to mid 80s) and the water, according to one local, is warm and uniquely delightful, as if "Mother Nature herself drew you a warm bath."


 7. Sunsets:
This is the kind of majesty you have to see for yourself.

Agana Bay and Alupat Island at sunset.
 
But seriously, the sunsets are incredible:

Tamuning beach
 
8. The music:
Reggae and ukelele lovers rejoice. With such a laid-back lifestyle, it's easy to stumble upon great live music at the beach, the bars or the ubiquitous barbecues.


9. Exoticism:
Admit it: vacationing in Hawaii is so last century (ahem, "Mad Men"). Guam, on the other hand, is the new exotic destination for America.


10. A head start:
Guam is "where America's Day begins" -- quite literally. With it's own timezone (Chamorro Standard Time), Guam wakes up 14 or 15 hours ahead of the Eastern Time Zone, depending on Daylight Savings Time. The island celebrates New Year's first in America and movies often premiere ahead of the rest of America.


11. Romance:
Perhaps the island's most famous landmark is Two Lovers' Point, a dramatic and steep cliffside overlooking the Philippine Sea. According to Chamorro legend, two star-crossed lovers, forbidden from being together in life, leaped from the cliff so that they could be together in the afterlife. Not surprisingly, weddings are held there regularly.



__________________________________________
Food for Thought

 
Words & phrases to watch out for:

• 'it's home to an intensely local culture, but it's filled with outsiders'
• 'Piti Bomb Hole features such lushly perfect coral craters that it looks like they were sculpted by bombs'
• 'It was first colonized by Spain in the seventeenth century, was occupied by Japan for two years during World War II, and is home today to a relatively large U.S. military presence'
• 'a frontier mentality' 
• 'Exoticism'

 This article touches upon the surface, but lacks depth. Exoticism??? Considering the historical injustices that Native peoples who inhabit the borderline states are continually faced with, the conjecture of a 'frontier mentality' is just wrong on so many levels...Many of the "pristine" places mentioned are in danger of being over-developed and outright destroyed. As a result of certain activities Apra Harbor, alone, is a heavily contaminated area.

From urbandictionary.com

  Guahan

 

An island in the Pacific Ocean that is a territory of the U.S. Guam features the highest obesity rate, and highest rate of smokers in comparison the U.S. Over 60 percent of Guam's locals are utilizing goverment benefits because they are too lazy or too unintelligent to work. The local Chamorrons are very proud of their culture. The Spanish invaded Guam in the 1600's. They killed most of the males and impregnated the fat females. Guam was also invaded by the Japanese during WW2. All the local males were killed, or pushed off Two Lovers point. The Japanese efficiently killed all Chommoro males. This corrected thousands of years of inbreading. The gene pool is slowly getting better. However, most local males on Guam possess the intelligence of a small child. The females are actually quite intelligent. Guam features the worst education in the United States. Their Private Schools are the equivalent to inner city public schools in the U.S. The students don't care about their education, because they can apply for Food Stamps and Welfare through the use of U.S. citizens tax dollars. 

I'm from Guahan, so most likely, I'm on welfare. 

by C De Faz September 10, 2010 

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=guahan

 you misspelled 'government' & 'inbreeding'

fantasy, exotification of 'other', 'virgin' lands

pagan: heathen; one who has little religion & who delights in sensual pleasures & material goods.

       -Meriam-Webster Dictionary