IGNITING OUR VOICES
MICRONESIANS IN THE ALOHA STATE
Micronesia is not just one state, island or place. The term collectively describes the numerous amount of small islands and atolls in the western Pacific. Micronesia encompasses Palau, Kiribati, Nauru, the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia, which are Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae.
A PROFILE ON DEURENG
“I just want to tell them, to like, never give up. Always aim higher,”
Deureng Kanai, a 19-year-old student at Kapiolani Community College, is constantly faced with the issue of discrimination for being a Micronesian. Yet, this is nothing new to the Micronesian immigrants currently living in Hawaii.
Kanai is from Palau, an island located in the western Pacific and a part of Micronesia. Since moving here, she has not only heard all of the stereotypes, but has also received the social stigma and discrimination associated with being from that part of the Pacific.
BACKGROUND
“Because of the stereotypes, I'm kind of afraid to say that I’m Micronesian,” Kanai said. “But then at the same time, I'm like, I want to stand up because we're all different and people think that we are all one country.”