Trump Administration Awards $250,000 to Mitigate Compact Migration in Hawaii through We Are Oceania

WASHINGTON – The Trump Administration announced $250,000 in fiscal year 2020 grant funding provided through the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs’ (OIA) Technical Assistance Program (TAP) to support We are Oceania, a one-stop service shop in Honolulu, that liaises with the government and other organizations in Hawai’i to help individuals and families who have migrated from the freely associated states make a smooth transition towards productive and meaningful opportunities in the United States.

“The Compact of Free Association allows for individuals from the freely associated states to travel to the United States to live and to work, but this has also resulted in significant social impacts to jurisdictions like Hawai’i and Guam,” said Interior Assistant Secretary, Insular and International Affairs, Douglas W. Domenech. “The support we provide to We are Oceania through the Partners in Development Foundation works towards mitigating those impacts. We believe that by improving communications and helping individuals and families to better themselves, the larger community of Hawai’i will be strengthened.”

• Partners in Development Foundation, a Hawai’i non-profit organization, will receive $250,000 that will  be used to support and strengthen the We are Oceania, a one-stop shop in Honolulu, that provides services to migrants in Hawaii. Since its launch in 2015, We are Oceania has provided support to thousands of new immigrants, primarily from the freely associated states, in areas such as health, education, and employment. We are Oceania was established to help mitigate impacts of legal migration in Hawaii made possible through the Compacts of Free Association and has recently provided important assistance to these communities in mitigating impacts of COVID-19. The Partners in Development Foundation administers funds for the program and continues to support We are Oceania in its efforts to become a stand-alone, federally-recognized, non-profit organization run by Micronesians, serving Micronesian populations.

The OIA Technical Assistance Program is made available each year by Congress to support priorities in the U.S. territories and the freely associated states. For more information on grant assistance provided through OIA, please visit: https://www.doi.gov/oia/financial-assistance.

The Assistant Secretary, Insular and International Affairs, @ASIIADomenech, and the Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) carry out the Secretary of the Interior’s responsibilities for the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Additionally, OIA administers and oversees federal assistance under the Compacts of Free Association to the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. Follow and “like” OIA on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/InsularAffairs.

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