Marshallese Americans

Last updated
Marshallese American
Total population
47,300 (2020 Census) [1]
Regions with significant populations
Hawaii  · Washington County, Arkansas  · Benton County, Arkansas  · Spokane, Washington  · Orange County, California  · Mercer County, Ohio  · Enid, Oklahoma
Languages
Marshallese language  · American English language
Religion
Protestantism (Baptists)
Related ethnic groups
Other American groups of Micronesian origin (Chamorro, Palauans, Micronesians)

Marshallese Americans are Americans of Marshallese descent or Marshallese people naturalized in the United States. According to the 2010 census, 22,434 people of Marshallese origin lived in the United States at that time, though that number has grown significantly over the last decade. A 2018 estimate put the number at approximately 30,000, while the 2020 census found a population of 47,300. [2] [1] The United States has the highest concentration of Marshallese people outside the Marshall Islands. Most of these Marshallese people live in Hawaii and Arkansas, with significant populations in Washington, California, Oklahoma and Oregon. [3]

Contents

History

In 1986, the Marshall Islands and the United States established an agreement called the Compact of Free Association, [4] according to which the archipelago attained its full sovereignty. The treaty allows United States to provide defense, "social services and other benefits to the Marshall Islands" in exchange for military bases on the islands.

Under this treaty, Marshall Islanders can also travel and work in United States without having visas, [4] [5] [6] although they must be legal permanent residents and go through the same naturalization process equal to that of all other nationalities. [5] [6] Because they have the legal right to travel and work in the U.S., few Marshallese immigrants seek or attain citizenship. [6]

Immigration from the Marshall Islands to the United States first began in the 1980s. Additionally, when numerous layoffs occurred in the Marshall Islands in 2000, there was a second wave of migration of Marshallese to the U.S.

Most have emigrated to Hawaii [ citation needed ] and Arkansas when Tyson Foods, the largest poultry meat distributor in the world, employed numerous Marshallese people on the islands. Therefore many Marshallese employees were transferred and relocated to Springdale, Arkansas, to the corporate headquarters of Tyson Foods. John Moody, the first Marshallese settler in Arkansas, came there in the 1980s. [7]

Many Marshallese emigrate to the United States to give their children an education, while other Marshalleses seek better working conditions or a better health system than the one found in their country. [4]

Furthermore, since 1996 many Marshallese children have been adopted by American parents. Between 1996 and 1999, over 500 Marshallese children were adopted by American families. These adoptions are a result of social marginalization and economic poverty suffered by the population of the archipelago. [8] Adoptions were further driven by unethical trafficking schemes for which some perpetrators are facing prosecution. [9]

Demography

Number of Marshallese by US State, counted during the 2010 Population Census. White-shaded states had less than 100 Marshallese. Marshallese by US State 2010.jpg
Number of Marshallese by US State, counted during the 2010 Population Census. White-shaded states had less than 100 Marshallese.

Most Marshallese Americans reside in Hawaii and Arkansas. In 2020 it is estimated that some 15,000 Marshallese call Arkansas home. Most reside in Washington County, mainly in Springdale, home of Tyson Foods where many of them work. [10] The 2020 US Census found that were 8,677 living in Hawaii at the time. [11]

Other significant Marshallese populations include Spokane (Washington) and Costa Mesa (California). According to Karen Morrison, director of Spokane’s Odyssey World International, a nonprofit that provides services for immigrants, Spokane County is home of a community of 2,400 or 3,000 people of Marshallese origin. In 2006 Spokane-area schools had a lot of Marshallese students, so that "Spokane Public Schools has 370 students whose primary language is Marshallese"; these students form the second group, more numerous than the Spanish-speaking students (360 people) and following the Russian-speaking students (530 people) in these schools (in reference to non-English languages). [12]

The houses of the Marshallese of the USA house several generations of the same family [13] [12] and are sparsely furnished. In general terms, the population (which now has a western diet) has been adversely affected by diabetes, heart disease, tuberculosis, obesity, [13] and COVID-19. [10] [14]

Many Marshallese are Baptist. The Marshallese Bible study group at Cross Church, a Baptist congregation in Springdale, has grown quickly in recent years, although the service is done mostly in English, since the church lacks ministers who speak fluent Marshallese. [4]

Children born in the United States to Marshallese families have dual citizenship. [12]

Notable people

United States Nuclear Testing

During the first 10 years of the Cold War, the United States detonated nearly seventy nuclear bombs in the Marshall Islands. [15] The radiation from these bombs were covered by a concrete dome, Runit Dome, to protect the community from nuclear waste. Since being built, the interior of the dome has been leaking which has raised concerns for Marshallese locals. The effects of the nuclear testing resulted in destruction of entire islands, birth defects, and health problems of local residents, including cancer. Until recently, (2022), the United States has not offered services or apologies to the Marshallese community and has not aided in their recovery since 1986 when the first compact required the U.S. to place $150 million into a trust fund for nuclear-related claims.

Kathy Jetn̄il-Kijiner has written many poems to highlight this mistreatment of the Marshallese community. They filmed Rise, standing on Runit Dome and speaking about their community's struggles.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marshall Islands</span> Country near the equator in the Pacific Ocean

The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands, is an island country west of the International Date Line and north of the equator in the Micronesia region in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. The territory consists of 29 coral atolls and five islands, divided across two island chains: Ratak in the east and Ralik in the west. 97.87% of its territory is water, the largest proportion of water to land of any sovereign state. The country shares maritime boundaries with Wake Island to the north, Kiribati to the southeast, Nauru to the south, and the Federated States of Micronesia to the west. The capital and largest city is Majuro, home to approximately half of the country's population.

The demographics of the Marshall Islands include data such as population density, ethnicity, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

Austronesian settlers arrived in the Marshall Islands in the 2nd millennium BC, but there are no historical or oral records of that period. Over time, the Marshallese people learned to navigate over long ocean distances by walap canoe using traditional stick charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Springdale, Arkansas</span> City in Arkansas, United States

Springdale is the fourth-most populous city in Arkansas, United States. It is located in both Washington and Benton counties in Northwest Arkansas. Located on the Springfield Plateau deep in the Ozark Mountains, Springdale has long been an important industrial city for the region. In addition to several trucking companies, the city is home to the world headquarters of Tyson Foods, the world's largest meat producing company. Originally named Shiloh, the city changed its name to Springdale when applying for a post office in 1872. It is included in the four-county Northwest Arkansas Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is ranked 102nd in terms of population in the United States with 546,725 in 2020 according to the United States Census Bureau. The city had a population of 84,161 at the 2020 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnson, Arkansas</span> City in Arkansas, United States

Johnson is a city in Washington County, Arkansas, United States. The community is located in the Ozark Mountains and is surrounded by valleys and natural springs. Early settlers took advantage of these natural features and formed an economy based on mining lime, the Johnson Mill and trout. Although a post office was opened in the community in 1887, Johnson did not incorporate until it required the development of a city government to provide utility services in 1961. Located between Fayetteville and Springdale in the heart of the rapidly growing Northwest Arkansas metropolitan statistical area, Johnson has been experiencing a population and building boom in recent years, as indicated by a 46% growth in population between the 2000 and 2010 censuses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bikini Atoll</span> Coral atoll in the Marshall Islands

Bikini Atoll, known as Eschscholtz Atoll between the 1800s and 1946, is a coral reef in the Marshall Islands consisting of 23 islands surrounding a 229.4-square-mile (594.1 km2) central lagoon. The Atoll is at the northern end of the Ralik Chain, approximately 530 miles (850 km) northwest of the capital Majuro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enewetak Atoll</span> Coral atoll in the Marshall Islands; site of U.S. nuclear testing during the Cold War

Enewetak Atoll is a large coral atoll of 40 islands in the Pacific Ocean and with its 296 people forms a legislative district of the Ralik Chain of the Marshall Islands. With a land area total less than 5.85 square kilometers (2.26 sq mi), it is no higher than 5 meters (16.4 ft) and surrounds a deep central lagoon, 80 kilometers (50 mi) in circumference. It is the second-westernmost atoll of the Ralik Chain and is 305 kilometers (190 mi) west from Bikini Atoll.

The Micronesians or Micronesian peoples are various closely related ethnic groups native to Micronesia, a region of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. They are a part of the Austronesian ethnolinguistic group, which has an Urheimat in Taiwan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Islander Americans</span> Ethnic classification

Pacific Islander Americans are Americans who are of Pacific Islander ancestry. For its purposes, the United States census also counts Aboriginal Australians as part of this group.

Springdale Public Schools is the public school district for students of primary and secondary education in Springdale, Arkansas and surrounding areas. The district contains three high schools, four junior highs, four middle schools, eighteen elementary schools, and a school of innovation. Established in 1884, the district and its schools are accredited by AdvancED. It is the state's largest school district, with more than 23,000 students.

Micronesian Americans are Americans who are descended from people of the Federated States of Micronesia. According to the 2020 US Census, a total of 21,596 residents self-identified as having origins in the country, which consists of four states. More than half of these residents identified their origin as Chuuk State (12,464) with the rest as follows: 4,918 people from Pohnpei, 2,066 from Yap, and 2,148 people from Kosrae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Kabua</span> Marshallese politician; Former President of the Marshall Islands (2020-2024)

David Kabua is a Marshallese politician who served as President of the Marshall Islands from 2020 to 2024. He has represented Wotho Atoll in the Legislature of the Marshall Islands since 2008 and served terms as Minister of Health and Internal Affairs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hilda Heine</span> Marshallese politician

Hilda Cathy Heine is a Marshallese educator and politician who has served as the president of the Marshall Islands since 2024, having previously served from 2016 to 2020. Prior to assuming office, she served as the Minister of Education. She was the first individual from the Marshall Islands to earn a doctorate degree, and the founder of the women's rights group Women United Together Marshall Islands (WUTMI).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Runit Island</span> Island in the Enewetak Atoll, Marshall Islands

Runit Island is one of forty islands of the Enewetak Atoll of the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The island is the site of a radioactive waste repository left by the United States after it conducted a series of nuclear tests on Enewetak Atoll between 1946 and 1958. There are ongoing concerns around deterioration of the waste site and a potential radioactive spill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathy Jetn̄il-Kijiner</span>

Kathy Jetn̄il-Kijiner is a poet and climate change activist from the Marshall Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climate change in the Marshall Islands</span>

Climate change in the Marshall Islands is a major issue for the country. As with many countries made up of low-lying islands, the Marshall Islands is highly vulnerable to sea level rise and other impacts of climate change. The atoll and capital city of Majuro are particularly vulnerable, and the issue poses significant implications for the country's population. These threats have prompted Marshallese political leaders to make climate change a key diplomatic issue, who have responded with initiatives such as the Majuro Declaration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marshallese cuisine</span>

Marshallese cuisine comprises the fare, foods, beverages and foodways of the Marshall Islands, including its food-related customs and traditions. Common indigenous and traditional foods include breadfruit, coconut, bananas, papaya, seafood, pandanus and bwiro. Additional imported foods, such as rice and flour, are also a part of people's diets and contribute to the cuisine as well. The practice of food preservation is a part of the history of the islands, and continues to occur today.

"Dear Matafele Peinem" is a poem by the Marshallese poet Kathy Jetn̄il-Kijiner. Written in English, the poem is a letter to her then seven month old daughter, Matafele Peinem. The poem is most notable for its having been read aloud by Jetn̄il-Kijiner at the opening ceremony of the 2014 UN Climate Summit, held at the United Nations headquarters in New York in September 2014; it received a standing ovation from the gathered delegates which lasted over one minute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tina Stege</span> Marshall Islands climate envoy

Tina Stege is the Climate Envoy for the Marshall Islands (RMI). The RMI is one of the countries in the world most vulnerable to climate change, mainly as a result of rising sea levels. Among other meetings, Stege has represented her country at the 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25) held in Madrid, Spain, the 2021 Conference (COP26) held in Glasgow, Scotland and the 2022 Conference (COP27) held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. She has also been a spokesperson for the RMI on the impacts of nuclear testing.

There is a population of Marshallese people in Northwest Arkansas, concentrated in Springdale.

References

  1. 1 2 T01001 | TOTAL POPULATION, Census.gov, United States Bureau of the Census, 2020
  2. ↑ Van der Geest, K., Burkett, M., Fitzpatrick, J., Stege, M. and Wheeler, B. (2020). Climate change, ecosystem services and migration in the Marshall Islands: Are they related? Climatic Change. 161(1): 109-127.
  3. 1 2 Van der Geest, K., Burkett, M., Fitzpatrick, J., Stege M. & Wheeler, B. (2019). Marshallese perspectives on migration in the context of climate change. IOM Policy Brief 5 (1): 1-12.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Dan Craft (December 29, 2010). "Marshallese immigration". Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette . Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  5. 1 2 Marshallese support industry in Northwest Arkansas Archived 2013-10-29 at the Wayback Machine .Consulted on 25 October 2013, to 12:50 am.
  6. 1 2 3 Republic of the Marshall Island. Consulted on 25 October 2013, to 1:15 am.
  7. ↑ Schilte, Bret (2012-07-05). "For Pacific Islanders, Hopes and Troubles in Arkansas". The New York Times . Retrieved 2020-07-28.
  8. ↑ ADOPTION AND AGENCY: American Adoptions of Marshallese Children. Consulted on 25 October 2013, to 13:30 pm.
  9. ↑ Attorney in Marshallese adoption scheme to head to prison. Consulted on 30 April 2021, to 10:52 am.
  10. 1 2 Keating, Joshua (15 September 2020). "Why a Pacific Islander Community in Rural Arkansas Became a COVID Hot Spot". Slate. The Slate Group, a Graham Holdings company. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  11. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  12. 1 2 3 The Spokesman Review: Marshallese making a new life in Spokane. Posted on March 4, 2012. Consulted on 26 October 2013, to 13:15 pm.
  13. 1 2 Encyclopedia of Arkansas: Marshallese.
  14. ↑ Golden, Alex; Thompson, Doug (14 June 2020). "Marshallese contracting, dying from covid-19 at disproportionate rate". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  15. 1 2 "Marshall Islands". Nuclear Museum. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  16. ↑ "U.S., Marshall Islands Sign Deal on Nuclear Testing Impacts | Arms Control Association". www.armscontrol.org. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  17. ↑ Hunt, Edward (2022-04-19). "The United States' Shameful Nuclear Legacy in the Marshall Islands". Progressive.org. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
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