Since ancient times, the ancestors of today's Micronesians have emigrated from Southeast Asia in search of food and a new life. Toward the end of the 19th century some Carolinians settled in the Marianas. During the first half of this century, Chamorros settled in Yap, Palau, and Pohnpei; Chamorros of Guam traveled and settled in the US; Palauans moved to Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands and Yap. Toward the end of this century, FSM migration began in earnest to Guam and the Northern Marianas mainly, and the Marshallese established communities in the US and Hawaii. Palauans also traveled extensively, perhaps more than any other group.
This shift in migration is a result of new political and economic developments as well as the desire for further education. During the Trust Territory administration, many Micronesians were employed at Saipan and some remained after the termination of the Trust Territory. Upon the implementation of the Compacts of Free Association, citizens of the three new nations (Palau, Marshalls and FSM) were free to live and work in the US and its territories including the Northern Marianas.
More and more, people from the FAS (Freely Associated States: FSM, Rep. of Palau and Rep. of the Marshalls), traveled north (Guam and CNMI) and west (to the US) for further education and employment. Many filled jobs that did not appeal to local residents in garment factories and business establishments. There are a good number of them in the teaching, nursing and other professional categories as well as in government positions. Others have migrated to join their families who settled in Guam, CNMI and the US recently or years before.
Recently, Hawaii, Guam and the CNMI have raised the issue of impact from the compacts particularly in the areas of education, health and other related public services. Initiatives in the form of legislation, regulations and court action have been made to limit the stay of FAS as well as privilege entitlements. In the meantime, the new lifestyle of the migrants have introduced social and economic challenges within their home away from home. The familiar stable family and social pattern that exist back home is replaced by a nuclear family unit or a loose household of friends and close relatives.
From both the perspective of the migrants and the hosting entity, several challenges have emerged. This forum invites participants to share their views on this emerging migration trend and to offer suggestions for solutions to problems if any. Some of the questions that participants may address include:
Social and economic implications in the FAS in terms of economic development efforts, availability of adequate and qualified labor force, and extended family support system.
Impact of the initiatives by Guam, CNMI and Hawaii to limit residency and other privileges of FAS. How would this affect the historical and cultural ties that have existed in Micronesia for many years.
Challenges and opportunities on future FAS migration.
Elizabeth Rechebei 11/28/99
My introduction and the questions on this topic are meant to elicit your views and share them with others. I would like to pose additional questions on the topic, if only to encourage more participants in this forum. The questions are: Will the trend increase in the near future and why? The demographic makeup of any nation is an important aspect of planning. I would like to know if this phenomenon requires a more serious research and whether there is any need to prepare for the consequences (either negative or positive or both). This has serious implications in terms of human resource development and education. What drives people to migrate from any of the island nations in Micronesia? Is there cause for concern? Does this have any ramification in terms of the political, social and economic developments in the emerging island nations of the FSM, Palau and the Marshalls?
Fr. Fran Hezel 11/30/99
It's always little dangerous to make big generalizations, but the Pacific today is just as clearly divided into the famous three divisions (Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia) as it ever was. Forget about the culttural traditions of the people who live there, let's look at the patterns of development that they have followed. For many years now Polynesians--Samoans, Tongans, Cook Islanders, Niuans--have been leaving their islands in great numbers and taking up residence somewhere else. The somewhere else may be Canberra or Christchurch. It could be Salt Lake City or Daly City. Whatever the case, there have been thousands moving along the Pacific highway towards Australia and New Zealand, and toward Hawaii and mainland US. There have been more Samoans in the US than in American Samoa for years now. They have been sending money and goods back to the relatives at home, every now and then adopting a kid or bringing one of their family to live with them, and now and then returning to their home island to show their face and perhaps stake their claim to land and title. One of the biggest sources of income for many of these countries is remittances--the money that is sent back from relatives abroad.
Melanesia has very little of this. Whatever the reason, the countries there don't seem to have the doors out that Polynesians have. So they stay and farm. If the island is fortunate and has resources it might be able to do some mining or logging, but education standards tend to be low and unemployment is high. There are social problem resulting from the kind of economic squeeze that people find themselves in.
Where is Micronesia? Until fifteen years ago, it was straddling the middle. The more prosperous places with American citizenship and close political ties had sent off hundreds of people to the US years before. There are still thousands of Chamorros living in the US, many of them for thirty years or longer. Guam and the CNMI always had the advantage of getting people to the mainland. But as things turned out, they didn't really need this advantage since their economy has been doing very nicely in the last twenty years. Palau, which has started to develop a strong economy in the last few years, has been sending out its people for 25 years now. This is the reason the population has remained steady all those years. They were sending out 200-250 people each year to the US or Guam. The rest of Micronesia, including Kiribati, doesn't have much to show in its economy yet. But the Marshalls and FSM have started sending out people in large numbers too. At present FSM has close to 15,000 people living abroad. Marshalls has at least 5,000 people and perhaps closer to 8,000. Palau has about 6,000 living outside. Altogether there are at least 25,000 Micronesians living abroad. One out of every eight Micronesians is now overseas.
So Micronesia has joined Polynesia in exporting its people. Perhaps in the future, like Polynesia, it will be receiving remittances from these people to help its economy. In other words, Micronesia is doing just what the Philippines does--send out people who can't good paying jobs at home to work abroad. For that matter, it is doing what Guam did for many years as well when it sent out many of its people to the US.
All this is going to make a big difference economically and in other ways. Maybe we can try to explore some of the changes in this forum discussion.
Arthur Joel 12/07/99
Currently the migration situation seems to be somewhat driven by outside forces that may just be the simple "be like the Jones next door syndrome", that is that on the islands we all have a kind of attraction towards conformity whatever it may be. The escalation in numbers migrating towards Guam, Hawaii or the United States may be all in the name of vanity and/or the novelty. Getting something or acquiring some kind of knowledge or skill that is not normally expected of an island dweller, and naturally the next-door neighbor will try and achieve the same "Status", if you will.
The statistics may show much migration, but in more than what is reported cases, the same people that bulk up the records will be back on whatever island they are from in less years than we care to record. Life at this time for a normal run-of-the-mill Micronesian from FSM in the the United States is practically very doubtful on a long term basis due to economic hardships faced and sometimes downright condescending discrimination(possibly very rare cases, but probable).
The alarm is in the return trip when these temporary migrants will return home and now want to emulate what they have so abundantly experienced in other lands that they will go to elaborate lengths to satisfy their spoiled views. This is where problems will likely arise. But this site and what it is doing and if enough people glean these sites and get some enlightenment and also participate in molding these kinds of thinking we may emerge with a much better mold.
I respectfully submit as a Micronesian of Pohnpei origin.
David 12/14/99
It appears that in the Philippines, export of labor has become a big, successful venture for the people and reaping benefits for the government. It is probably not a fair comparison, as the Philippines has such as large population that the "brain drain" is not felt the way it may impact the islands. World populations are changing as the global community is much more transient as a whole than it was 10 or 20 years ago. This wave of transition will bring with it a returning and an emigrating population back to the islands eventually. Technology on the islands has to be able to keep up to or advance to the expectations of the returning residents. I feel this is really the crux of the issue and has been a prominent component of keeping Guam's people on Guam, bringing with it industry and of course jobs.
Micheal Levin 12/27/99
I work at the US Bureau of the Census, but with the Department of the Interior, on various projects involved with collecting and analyzing statistical data for the Insular Areas. One of the major projects is the impact of the Micronesian migration resulting from the implementation of the Compacts of Free Association. My job really is to assemble objective data for others to analyze. So, let me present the available data for Micronesian analysts and others:
We have US and other Census data for 1980 for "the TTPI", Guam, CNMI, and Hawaii (which shows little because the migration had not yet started); 1990 data for the above, except FSM and the RMI which had left the TTPI; 1995 data for Palau and CNMI, 1994 for the FSM. Some other censuses, for example State censuses for the FSM exist, and the 1988 Marshall Islands census, but these do not show emigration; they do show internal migration which often occurs before further migration. The Department of the Interior's Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) has partially funded some of these censuses. OIA has also funded a series of surveys to help assess the impact of the Compacts, particularly for Guam, CNMI, and Hawaii. These include surveys of Micronesians in Guam (1992 and 1997), Palauans in Guam (1995), Micronesians in the CNMI (1998), Hawaii (1997 and 1999), and a pilot survey of Micronesians in the US Mainland. This last survey is only partially completed, and awaits funding to do more work.
The governments of Guam and CNMI collect other surveys, called Labor Force Surveys, which include samples of Micronesians also, and someone might want to look at changes in numbers and conditions of Micronesians here as well. As other writers have pointed out, while the numbers of Micronesian migrants remain relatively small compared to other past and current migrations, their impact on the Micronesian entities is great -- both in lost "brain power" and the economic consequences of remittances going both directions. As the Compact renegotiations get underway, it would be useful to look at ALL Micronesians, wherever they are, to assess whether and how real economic development takes place within the Micronesian community.
Jim Anthony 01/16/99
Thank you for mentioning the U.S. Census and Labor Force surveys. Does anyone have an assessment of the quality of those data? If there is sufficient quality, I have some research trainees whose work can be expanded to include analyses. This activity would be consistent with my group's own survey activities in the western Pacific, which are focused upon problems associated with alcohol, other drugs, and mental health. Thank you.
Jim Hess 03/31/00
Let me quote my esteemed senior colleague, Dr. Levin;
"As the Compact renegotiations get underway, it would be useful to look at ALL Micronesians, wherever they are, to assess whether and how real economic development takes place within the Micronesian community."
I fully support his perspective, and wish to expand upon it, particularly the call for attention to the full Micronesian community, wherever it may be.
One of the hazards of social analysis is that our tools can become outdated and ineffective without our recognizing it. In this case our tools are not material objects, but concepts - how do we categorize and understand the world?
Discourses on migration and development grew largely in two separate spheres, and in an era where the nation-state dominated our consciousness as the most significant political and economic entity. Thanks to now-infamous globalization and the transport and communication technologies that ennable it, nations and companies and families are increasingly engaged in webs of transnational relationships, and communities are less and less geographically localized.
Micronesians are, in my humble outsider opinion, particularly interested in creating and using geographically dispersed relationships to increase their options and reach for their goals. They spread their investments across both human and social capital creation. And they seek the best return on those capital investments, which given the limited opportunities in the islands, lead more and more of them overseas. As a result, the Micronesian communit(ies) become more developed, although specific segments and locales may appear relatively stagnant, or even to suffer losses of labor power, skills, influence, etc. Having grown up in Iowa and watched the decline of farming communities, this concerns me but doesn't surprise me. Much is lost in the process, and it is natural that we feel sorrow for these losses. What weight should nostalgia carry in making decisions? The people who bear the heaviest burden of losses are those most directly involved in making the decisions at the levels of families and people, and it is not for me to comment.
What should policy advisors recommend under these circumstances? Raising the barriers to migration is one approach, but I can't support it. Most of the outer islands in the Marshalls have populations as large or larger than any level historically recorded. Brain drain? Unfortunate, but Marie Maddison is demonstrating college graduates will return home if they are recruited with good job offers.
Development requires not only the formal skills acquired overseas, but also the development of new habits and outlooks, and new institutions. Many of the knowledge and practices are not easily transmitted formally, but require hands-on, in-place experience. The key to localized development in Micronesian islands is likely to involve increasing the return-on-investments in human and social capital available in place.
As embarrassed as I am to agree with the World Bank, this will require more engagement with external economies, albeit terms-of-trade must support local interests rather than global capital. It will also depend on the development of new technologies to further decrease the costs of communication and transportation, decreasing geographic disadvantages, as well as obtain economic returns from their political-natural resource endowments.
By "political-natural" resources I hope to call attention to the distinction between material endowments and the processes by which they become owned or appropriated (fish are paid for and the seller can use the money at his own whim; strategic space is negotiated and compensated for with gifts of "aid" bound to restricted use upon which moral judgements are made). Development of either dispersed or localized Micronesian communities requires political action. And while business men and women are figuring out how to use the changes in factor costs tied to new technologies, we need to protect and increase investments in the basics of human capital: nutrition, health, and education.
Elizabeth Rechebei 04/02/00
Jim raised several very important points that we should explore further. The point about Micronesians "creating and using geographically dispersed relationships to increase their options" is a response to why Micronesians migrate. The mainstream of the modern world remains pretty much outside of the region in Micronesia. And yet, exposure of this world could not be avoided due to television, instant communication and other media as well as travel abroad. If Micronesians are not challenged to get a taste of this modern world, then we have cause to be concerned. If Micronesians can't survive outside of Micronesia, that will be another serious concern. These options must be available for Micronesians through their own efforts if nothing else.
Jim also raised the point about the weight that nostalgia has on decision-making. Nostalgia and memory go hand in hand. Unfortunately, nostalgia tends to guide decision-making in too many instances while memories last only a generation. We only see around the immediate and sometimes forget that the future generation may want a different kind of life than what we have at present. This is something that we need to keep in mind-we must not dictate the future of our children because their hopes and dreams will be much different from ours even more so than our dreams compared with our grandparents'.
Education is the great mind opener and so is democratic government. These are deeply entrenched in modern Micronesia that it almost seems natural that Micronesians will travel abroad and seek better lives if they choose to do so. Education or lack of it will be one factor for migration of FAS. Depending on how well education meets the needs of the people on island, those who can afford will send their children abroad. I have seen families in the CNMI relocate to the US mainland for that reason only. I also know of families in Micronesia who enrolled their children in expensive schools in the US and Hawaii. We all realize how important it is to have good education for therein lies our road to success if not survival in today's world.
I think that we should view migration of FAS as a phenomenon that will continue even if conditions in the islands are to improve. Micronesians are simply doing what everyone else has done since the first migration of humans began eons ago. On the other hand, if Micronesians do not want to see their islands' vitality completely eroded because of migration, a good reason for staying home must be in place such as adequate health, education and public service systems. Innovations suitable for the islands and yet relevant enough to fit within the global context of events should be considered. I say this because Micronesians should have the best of both worlds if they choose to do so.
Micronesia may become a transient station for people coming and going whether they are Micronesians or not. The CNMI is a good example. The majority of the population is transient population for obvious reasons. The economic situation drives the demographic makeup of the island. This appears to be the case for the long run and even if the economic situation should change, the indigenous population will not be adequate to support a viable economy that is market driven and competitive enough. Outside expertise, manual skills and labor are still going to be required. This seems to be the lot of islands that want to have similar infrastructure and services as the so-called developed countries. Is this good or bad? Hard to say except that many of our leaders fear the loss of political control and rapid evolution of culture among the indigenous peoples. At the same time, we all want economic prosperity, and decision-making tend to favor this even with the accompanying social implications of demographic changes in small island communities. There are tough days ahead for us Micronesians and we need to be ready for them. For many, migration is one solution.
Llemalt Ngirailemesang 04/07/00
Hello! Thanks for letting me join your discussion. I'm new in this kind of online discussion. In my own opinion, on the topic of migration--some people at OEK travel a lot and when they earn the mileage they keep it for themselves. If the government is smart, it would use the mileage for those who travel out for medical treatment or represent Palau (sports or meeting), for example. That's all I have to say for now... Llemy...
Elizabeth Rechebei 04/16/00
This suggestion to use accumulated mileage for medical referral is an interesting thought. Although not directly related to the topic on migration, it is something that might help the medical referral program to some extent. This was done in the CNMI at one time but no one has really analyzed its success/failure.
I would like to raise a question whether people from the FAS would also migrate for medical reasons not only in response to immediate illness but also the security of medical service should the need arise. This may be one of the reasons for relocating as well as for education and employment. Would anyone wish to comment on this?