The heightened national awareness of the Asian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) group has put a welcome focus on a population that across America has been too easily overlooked or misunderstood.
But this is a multifaceted group, to put it mildly. Hawaii’s long history of cultural diversity means that there really is no excuse here for failing to understand this broad population in its true complexity. So it’s good to see some efforts being made to bridge the information gaps.
The difficulties faced by the Micronesian community have persisted for decades, not unlike what all ethnic groups in the state’s population have experienced as they acclimate to island life.
The latest flash point has concerned criminal justice and policing, but the disconnect between Pacific Islanders and their Hawaii society demands a wide-ranging set of policy actions.
One first step is to break down barriers. The death of 16-year-old Iremamber Sykap in an April 5 confrontation with police sparked an outcry within his Micronesian community, raising concerns about racial profiling. The family has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the city and police officers.
Honolulu police began a series of meetings recently with officials and Hawaii residents from the Federated States of Micronesia. Henry Shrew, acting consul general of the FSM in Honolulu, wrote to Police Chief Susan Ballard, pointing to allegations of racial bias by HPD toward Micronesians.
The police shooting of Sykap underscores “how Micronesians are feeling the threats of being singled out in their communities in Hawaii,” Shrew wrote.
Assistant Chief Rade Vanic, who will become interim chief upon Ballard’s retirement June 1, told the Honolulu Police Commission last week that HPD plans include more programs for the Micronesian community through the Police Activities League.
It is encouraging that the department is also exploring recruitment of potential officers who are Micronesian; having a police force that looks like the people it serves remains crucial to successful community policing.
An essential part of implementing policies targeting ethnically underrepresented groups is knowing their numbers and a range of data about their needs. Unfortunately, this information needs to be broken out in more detail.
At least two ethnic identifier categories spelled out in federal regulations — “Asian” and “Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander” — are too broad, said City Councilwoman Esther Kia‘aina, who introduced a measure to urge “disaggregation” of these groups.
As a staff member with the late U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, Kia‘aina worked on an initiative that in 1997 disaggregated the Hawaiian/Pacific Islander group from Asians. The federal Office of Management and Budget that year set a new standard that guides the gathering of data for federal civil rights compliance on everything from housing to food stamps and other benefit programs.
Resolution 21-100, undergoing Council committee review, would urge state and county data collection to go beyond the OMB standard, breaking out data in 13 ethnic groups.
That makes a great deal of sense, especially given that groups such as Filipinos comprise large, distinct populations, in this case one that can be lost in its umbrella “Asian” category.
Further, the state Senate sent out a similar call for better racial data by adopting Senate Concurrent Resolution 5. Among other steps, it urges Gov. David Ige to establish a “Task Force on 21st Century Data Governance” to assess the data situation.
The goal, a valid one, is to get a clear sense of Hawaii’s diversity. Creating a healthy community begins with recognizing each unique part — and then responding appropriately to its needs.
