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Adjusting to Education in Hawaii: Students from Micronesia

Sarah Vinluan

Chaminade University of Honolulu

ED 652 Multicultural Education

Summer 2018
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Adjusting to Education in Hawaii: Students from Micronesia

The terms “Micronesia” and“Micronesian” can be vague or confusing. Micronesia is made

up of thousands of small islands which have 17 ethnic and cultural groups, 7 distinct political

entities, and at least 20 languages and dialects. The term “Micronesians” became popular after the

signing of the Compact of Free Association in 1986. This created the Freely Associated States

(FAS). The FAS consists of the Federated States of Micronesia (Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap),

the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau (Heine, 2002).

The Compact of Free Association allows an unlimited amount residents of the FAS to live

and work in any United States territory or state. Marshallese, Micronesians, and Palauans can enter

and work without having to reach visa requirements or green card status (Heine, 2002). Hawaii is a

popular U.S. destination of immigration. These immigrants seek better education, job opportunities,

and health care. Many of their home islands are still in the early stages of economic, health care,

and education development.

This paper will focus on the education experiences of immigrant students from the FAS. Although

the FAS is comprised of many ethnic groups, they have similar education and school experiences in

their home islands and in Hawaii.

The number of immigrant families with school-aged children from Micronesia has been

steadily increasing in Hawaii. This means that the amount of immigrant children in school

classrooms are also increasing, bringing about many challenges. Between 1997 and 2002, there was

a 43% increase of students from the FAS in Hawaii public school classrooms (Heine, 2002). This

number increases each year.

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Similar to other immigrant children, students from Micronesia face various challenges when

adjusting to a new environment and school. The main learning and adjustment barriers these

students face are language skills, school system expectations, and a cultural mismatch between their

culture and the host culture.

The primary barrier for most students is language. Most Micronesian children who move to

Hawaii cannot speak fluently in English or their home language which creates a greater challenge

when trying to learn English in the classroom. Heine (2002) states that English language skills of

FAS student are frequently below their grade level.

Poor language skills can be attributed to the use of language in schools in Micronesia. The

common practice in their school systems is that native language is used in grades first through third.

English lessons are expected to be taught but it depends on the comfort level of the teacher and the

available learning materials. Beginning in fourth grade, the English language is expected to

gradually become the predominant language of instruction.

These school practices do not allow the students to become fluent in their native language

before learning English. Studies have shown that in bilingual children, native language proficiency

is a strong predictor of second language development (Heine, 2002). The transition from the first to

second language takes place too quickly. Without strong skills in their native language, it is likely

that students will not develop strong language skills in English.

This leads to significant language barriers when adjusting to life in Hawaii. Not being able

to understand or speak English leads to embarrassment for a child with not only English speakers

but also others of their own ethnicity. In addition, some Micronesian students complain that

teachers are less willing to listen to them because of their language skills (Iding, Cholymay, &
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Kaneshiro, 2007). Lastly, it also creates greater challenges in obtaining academic language

proficiency which is needed to succeed in school.

A second learning barrier that students from the FAS encounter in Hawaii is the

expectations of the school system. Many of the families move to the United States without adequate

knowledge of the procedural requirements in American schools. In the FAS school system, rules

about daily school attendance is not strictly enforced or given much attention. Micronesian students

and families are often taken by surprise at how seriously attendance is taken in American schools

and that poor attendance can even warrant the involvement of law agencies in extreme cases (Heine,

2002).

Instructional approaches in classrooms are also very different in American schools

compared to those in Micronesia. In America, students are expected to problem solve and make

decisions independently. Additionally, there is a strong independent and competitive nature in

classrooms. This is very unfamiliar to Micronesian students as they are taught that problem solving

and decision making should be shared within the family or community.

The third adjustment barrier that immigrant students face is a cultural mismatch. Many of

the values and priorities that children learn in their home islands do not always apply in their new

home environment of the United States. One example is that in some Micronesian cultures,

borrowing without asking is acceptable. In many of the island communities, community belongings

and sharing is a key characteristic of how people care for one another. However, borrowing

someone else’s items without asking is not acceptable in American schools and students are

punished for it.

In Hawaii, it is a common trend for Micronesian students to often miss school. In America,

school attendance is highly valued but in many parts of Micronesia, family relationships and other
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obligations take priority over school and work. In Micronesian culture, keeping social and family

relationships harmonious and helping when needed is more important than personal goals. From

their perspective, people can count on family and friends more than their jobs or education (Heine,

2002). This usually affects parents which subsequently affect their children and their school

attendance. Since the education system in the FAS does not emphasize regular attendance, parents

and their children may have poor school attendance in Hawaii without realizing the consequences.

During my undergraduate courses at Chaminade, I completed service learning and O&P

hours at Palolo Elementary. This school has a large population of immigrant students from the

various Micronesian islands. During my time at this school, I worked in a kindergarten and first

grade classroom. My experiences there spiked my interest in learning more about Micronesia and

their culture.

While reading the resources selected for this assignment, I had observed many of the

characteristic and values of the Micronesian culture that the articles wrote about. First, the

immigrant students that I worked with often had poor attendance. I recall one student from Chuuk

who was absent a lot because her mom had to babysit often or help family and friends. At that time,

I didn’t understand how the mom’s responsibilities had to affect the student’s school attendance.

After learning about the culture’s values, I understand that the mom’s relationship with family and

friends were priority because of the emphasis on harmonious relationships in Micronesian culture.

I had also observed that many immigrant students from the FAS were quiet and shy in the

classroom but outgoing and loud among their peers at recess. These students did not speak in class

much and would not make eye contact with the lead teacher or myself. During that time, I thought it

was very odd but I now understand that Micronesian children are taught to not look or speak to
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people in authority (which includes teachers) unless they are spoken to. Difficulty with speaking

English could have also contributed to their quietness in class.

The majority of immigrant children did not speak English fluently. This resulted in them

struggling significantly in academic subjects and unable to communicate clearly to teachers. They

were also unable to read or understand class rules which lead them to misbehave, although I believe

it was because they were not able to comprehend the rules. I recall that one of the lead teachers

would become very frustrated with these students because of their inability to speak and understand

English well. She would openly express her disappointment and frustration to the students which

made them feel embarrassed and discouraged. From this experience, I learned the importance of

being sensitive to the challenges that immigrant students face and to help them feel comfortable in

the classroom.

Lastly, many of the immigrant parents from the FAS did not speak English or understand

school procedure. This made communication challenging, especially in parent-teacher meetings.

Heine (2002) states that Micronesian families see school as a separate entity from their home life,

unlike American families who understand that parent involvement is important in their child’s

school. Many of the Micronesian parents did not understand the concepts being covered in class and

therefore could not help their children with homework, resulting in students not completing

homework assignments often. To help alleviate stress and misunderstanding with this group of

parents, schools should offer translators at meetings and parent education programs about school

procedures.

It is important for all educators to understand the culture of students and families from the

FAS. This will help them create a classroom that is welcoming and responsive to their specific

needs. One way that this can also be done is by applying the three principles of culturally relevant
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teaching. The first principle states that all students must experience academic success to be active

participants in a democracy. To help immigrant students successfully become part of the American

community, teachers must help them to succeed. The second principle states that students must

develop and maintain cultural competence and that the student’s home culture should be used as a

vehicle for learning. When new concepts are connected to a student’s previous knowledge or home

culture, they are more likely to successfully learn it. In addition, it helps them to stay connected to

their culture while learning about the new host culture. The last principle states that students must

develop a “critical consciousness” to challenge social injustice (Bennett, 2015). Many of the

students come from underdeveloped countries and developing a critical consciousness can help

them brainstorm solutions to problems in their homeland and in their new environment.

This research has helped me to become a more culturally competent educator because I now

understand more about the Micronesian geography, people, and culture. In the past, I have caught

myself using stereotypes about this ethnic group. Many of these stereotypes are incorrect and

disrespectful. This research has helped me to become more understanding, patient, and sensitive to

the challenges that Micronesian immigrants face when moving to Hawaii. This knowledge would

have greatly helped me in my previous experiences working with students from the FAS but I am

looking forward to applying this knowledge to future classroom experiences.

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References

Bennett, C. (2015). ​Comprehensive Multicultural Education: Theory and Practice.​ New Jersey:

Pearson Education.

Heine, H. (2002). Culturally responsive schools for micronesian immigrant students. ​Pacific

Resources for Education and Learning.​Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED476109

Iding, M., Cholymay, N., & Kaneshiro, S. (2007). Building bridges, not barriers: Inviting chuukese

family involvement in hawaii schools. ​Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology, 1,1​ 0-13.

Retrieved from

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-pacific-rim-psychology/article/building

-bridges-not-barriers-inviting-chuukese-family-involvement-in-hawaii-schools/665F2BE469

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