Pacific Islander Students Initiative
Inspired by the Star Thrower parable, this page offers resources and strategies to support Pacific Islander students.
Background resources
"Dear Teacher" video- Made by WHS and WIS students, this video highlights the voices of Chuukese and Marshallese students.
Check the cultural resources pages for overviews of Pacific Island cultures:
Federated States of Micronesia Marshall Islands Samoa Tonga
Getting to Know Pacific Island Students- Overview of the Compact of Free Association, the education systems in the Freely Associated States, and migration flows to the United States.
Supporting Micronesian Students and Families in Hawai'i- Presentation by Paul Hadik that provides an overview of the geography and politics of Micronesia, the experience of families moving to Hawai'i, cultural insights, and suggestions to support students.
Learn about names- Overview of naming conventions in COFA nations, the importance of names, and suggestions for culturally responsive classroom practices.
"Lessons from Hawai'i"- Poem by Marshallese poet Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner about her experiences growing up in Hawai'i. Contains adult language.
Racism and Discrimination against Micronesians in Hawai‘i: Issues of Educational Inequity- Summary of a 2022 research brief that outlines the systemic racism and discrimination faced by Micronesian residents and students in Hawai‘i.
Culturally Responsive Schools for Micronesian Immigrant Students- Research article by Hilda Heine, former president and minister of education of the Marshall Islands, that gives an overview of the strengths, needs, and background of students from the the Marshall Islands and Micronesia. Introduces effective teaching approaches for these students, and addresses FAQs from teachers. A bit old, but the issues are still relevant.
Serving Micronesian Youth and Families: Culture, Family Dynamics and Social Etiquette- Summary of shared cultural values of the Federated States of Micronesia and Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Engaging Families from Micronesia: "Angang Chok Aramas"- Episode of the Imua Literacy podcast focusing on "how to best serve our families from the islands of Micronesia" with guest Dr. Kathy Ratliffe of the University of Hawai‘i.
Conversation starters
Tell me about your name. How do you pronounce it? Do you have any nicknames? What do you want me to call you?
Where did you grow up? (Many students have grown up here, on the mainland, or Guam)
- If from outside the U.S (Marshall Islands, Chuuk, etc)--> What island are you (or your family) from?
What languages do you use or understand?
Tell me about your family. Tell the student about your family, too.
What do you do for fun?
What do you like most about school? What do you like least about school?
How do you like to learn? What are some things teachers do that help you learn? What are some things teachers do that make school difficult?
Who was your favorite teacher (last year, ever)? Why?
What do you want to do after high school?
What's something people don't know about you that you wish they knew?
More Ideas
Visit a student's home island on Google Earth. He/she can probably show you landmarks like the church, the school, their family home, and other important places. It's a great way to learn about a student's hometown.
Learn some greetings and courtesies.
Call home with good news. Request the services of a Bilingual School-Home Assistant if needed. Or use the bilingual parent message request form to send a text message or email.
Classroom Behavior
For Marshallese and Micronesian students, raised eyebrows and the head tilted slightly up means "yes".
Avoidng eye contact with teachers or adults is out of respect.
Singling a student out for anything, even praise, is not always helpful. Written feedback or praise may be better received.
Students may be raised to be quiet in the presence of an adult or authority figure. They may be unlikely to question a teacher or ask for help.
Students will often want to give you the answer you want to hear- "Yes, I understand". Don't leave it at that, give students opportunites to show you what they know.
Many long-term English Learners have developed learned passivity- they have been "trained" to be disengaged in class and that their teacher will do most of the work. Provide them with supports so they can participate in class and develop routines to ensure that all students are expected to contribute.
The Supporting Pacific Learners guide was created by the New Zealand Ministry of Education. It focuses mainly on Polynesian students, but the practices are relevant for other Pacific Islander students. The guide includes five key strategies:
Be try-lingual!
Students say that they feel welcome, valued, and respected when teachers use their home languages.
Start here with a collection of greetings and courtesies in our students' languages.
To take it a step further, learning and using words and phrases like "good job", "I like it", "smart", etc in our students' languages is a great way to build relationships with them.