It’s my dream to help the keiki in Hawaii. To empower them to live meaningful, prosperous lives with dignity. However, as kanaka maoli and a University of Hawaii student, it’s tempting to find opportunity elsewhere. And how can I help these children thrive here when our leadership hasn’t given us the opportunity to prosper?

The hourly income residents need just to meet their basic needs is $17.63. At an appalling $10.10 per hour, it’s no wonder 1 in 4 residents desperately need public assistance.

There have been times when I’ve had to choose between buying food or paying my electric bill, knowing I’m at risk for getting my electricity shut off and having to pay late fees and reconnection fees. Or I could overdraft my account to purchase food, but the overdraft fees are $35. It’s expensive being poor. And it’s a perpetual oppression that our leadership is choosing for us.

The COVID-19 pandemic has, no doubt, been a struggle for us all. But that only makes a living wage more urgent. We’ve been told we’re devoid of facts and misinformed. In fact, the federal minimum wage was enacted during The Great Depression. This was done to protect workers from exploitation, stimulate the economy, and to provide, as stated in the U.S. Code of Congress, “a minimum standard of living necessary for health, efficiency and general well-being, without substantially curtailing employment.”

The unemployment rate was 25% in 1933 compared to today’s just under 10% unemployment rate. So, we are in a better position to move toward a living wage. The United States made a full recovery from economic disaster even after implementing a minimum wage. We must have the courage to act now.

But since appealing to reason has been unsuccessful, let me share the emotional cost of what we’re experiencing. Legislators, if you were earning $10.10 an hour, even with what you may be allowed as perks, I guarantee panic would set in. Maybe a sense of hopelessness. A welling in your chest of stress and anxiety that rarely dissipates. Have you ever been fearful every time the phone rings because it could be your landlord or a bill collector? Have you ever found yourself holding your breath when reading an email or listening to a voicemail, hoping that it’s not someone demanding payment that you have no way of paying? That’s how I feel. I’m sure many others can relate.

We are visibly struggling, and instead of being in service to the people of Hawaii, lawmakers are betraying us. Accepting 10% raises this year and another 2.5% next year — but they won’t even consider increasing our minimum wage by less than $2 by July 2022? Our elected officials are directly making our financial distress and mental health worse. They have the power to help us, but they choose to ignore us. We have to work 3.5 full-time jobs equivalent to 140 hours a week — leaving us with 28 hours for sleeping and spending any time with family. That doesn’t include money for emergencies, medical expenses, or any expenses beyond basic needs.

Lawmakers might think my perspective is extreme. No. Our rent is extreme, our grocery and medical bills are extreme. Our poverty and homelessness are extreme. Our suffering is extreme. This is not about money. This is about our keiki. This is about our future. We are asking that state House leadership listen to us, hear us, and take action.

We are grateful for the pressure unions are exerting this week on lawmakers for a roll call vote. Our representatives need to give us some hope that we can prosper here. That our keiki can prosper here. Raise the minimum wage.

Kristina Danley is an honors student in the social work program at the University of Hawaii-Manoa.