Lost in the midst of the news of the US federal government shut down and the highly controversial speeches by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and other heads of states to the UN General Assembly were the speeches of the presidents of the Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The only article remotely covering these equally important speeches was found on Aljezeera entitled, “Micronesians in Hawaii Face Uncertain Future,” which covers the history of the US relationships with these sovereign Pacific Island nations. Here’s an excerpt from the article,
“Assimilation to Hawaii’s Polynesian-based society would appear natural for Pacific Island migrants who share cultural and historical parallels, but despite Hawaii’s reputation as an ethnic and cultural melting pot and famous ‘Aloha Spirit’, Hawaii’s newest wave of migrants face discrimination and continued restricted access to federal and state benefits.” Read Full Article>>