The Truth About Taxes, Benefits...

Please share this one page factoid that addresses common misconceptions about COFA citizens and taxes, as well as misunderstandings about certain benefits and programs.

Supermoon: The Side Effects Affecting the Marshall Islands

The weekend of June 22nd to the 23rd was a time everyone in the world was looking forward to seeing the supermoon. A supermoon is a ntural phenomenon where the moon is closer to earth than usual, causing to it to appear larger and brighter. Though this phenomenon is very interesting and wonderful to look at, it has its side effects.

As many of you may know, the moon is also linked to the tide. Depending on the moon, the tide may be higher or lower. This, mixed with the ongoing issue of sea level rise, becomes a threat for some of the islands in the Pacific. On June 24th (June 25th in the Marshalls), we saw what the mixture of the two can do to the islands. A Supermoon caused the tide to rise by up to one inch higher. This caused the water to reach land level in certain parts of Majuro, resulting in a tsunami like result. Though no casualities were reported, it is clear that it is only a matter of time before events such as these become normal in the low land areas.

Lessons From Hawaii

By: Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner

(http://jkijiner.wordpress.com/)

--------------------------------------------------------

Lesson Number 1:

FUCKIN MICRONESIANS!

that’s my seventh grade friend

cussin at the boys across the street

rockin swap meet blue t-shirt

baggy jeans

spittin a steady beetlenut stream

yea one of them’s related to me

You know, you’re actually kinda smart

for a Micronesian

And that’s my classmate

who I tutor through the civil war

through the first immigrants

through history that always

seems to repeat itself

LESSON NUMBER 2:

Micronesian

MICRO(nesian)

as in small. tiny crumbs of islands scattered

across the pacific ocean. different countries/nations/cultures no one

has heard about / cares about too small

to notice. small like how

i feel

when lady at the salon

tracing white across  my nail

stops and says

you know you don’t look

Micronesian.

                        You’re prettier!

LESSON NUMBER 3:

Prettier as in not

ugly like those

other Micronesian girls

walking by the street smiling

rows of gold teeth like they got

no shame with hair greased and braided

cascading down dirt roads of brown skin, down

shimmering dresses called guams and neon colored chuukese skirts

and i can hear

the disgust

in my cousin’s voice

Look at those girls! They wear their guams

to school and to the store like they’re

at home don’t they

know?

This isn’t their country this is America see that’s

why everyone here hates

us Micronesians

LESSON NUMBER 4:

I’ll tell you why everyone here hates Micronesians

It’s cuz we’re neon colored skirts screaming DIFFERENT!

Different like that ESL kid

whose name you can’t pronounce

whose accent you can’t miss

Different like walmart/7-eleven/mickey D’s parking lot kick its and fights

those long hours

those blue collar nights

Different like parties

with hundreds of swarming aunties, uncles, cousins

sticky breadfruit drenched in creamy coconut

coolers of our favorite fish

wheeled from the airport

barbequed on a spit

my uncle waving me over

Dede a itok! Kejro mona!

Dede come! Let’s eat!

LESSON NUMBER 5:

It’s actually

NOT Micronesian

It’s Marshallese/Chuukese/Yapese/Pohnpeian

Palauan/Kosraean/Chamorru/Kiribati/

but when Hawaii insists

on lumping us all together

when they belittle us and tell us we’re small

when they tell us our people are small

when they give you a blank face

when they give you a closed door

when so many in Hawaii hate

Micronesians, when so many hate

us

LESSON NUMBER 6

That’s how I learned

That’s how I learned

That’s how I learned

to hate

me.

Tribute: Keitani Graham (Feb. 1, 1980 - Dec. 7, 2012)

Keitani Graham was an early believer in The Fourth Branch. A contributer, mentor and influence to our cause. A supporter since our inception.

A leader in example, a teacher through life, a brother in memory and a Champion for all Micronesians.

Our first interview:

Our second interview:

Basic Health Hawaii: Broken Spirits, Healing Souls. by Keola Diaz

Mr. Diaz's Portfolio comes in two parts, a video and a written portion. Please read the written portion to gain a comprehensive understanding of the history leading up to the installment of BHH.

Please click link to access a .pdf of the write-up: "The Compact of Free Association (COFA): A History of Failures." 

Acknowledgements go out to the Center for Pacific Islands Studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa for giving us access to this Portfolio, and of course Mr. Keola Diaz, for this important research.