Column

Compact of Free Association (COFA) Status: An Imperial Policy on the Move

By Emily Mitchell-Eaton

“I am so honored to be part of this Symposium on “Unpacking the Compacts of Free Association.” I want to extend my deep appreciation to Keoni Moen Williams and the other members of the Asian-Pacific Law & Policy Journal for inviting me to participate in this important conference. I am especially humbled to be here in the presence of so many inspiring Micronesian leaders in the struggle for COFA migrants’ rights and other social justice movements across Oceania. I am a geographer who studies human migration, and my research explores the tensions and intersection between U.S. imperialism, decolonization, and immigration policy.”

 

On Essential Islands

By Nathan Fitch

“In 2018, at the invitation of the college there, I traveled to the Federated States of Micronesia (“FSM”) to screen a documentary that I had made called Island Soldier. The film explores the service of Micronesian citizens in the United States armed services during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. As I arrived in the islands, bleary from my long flight (more than twenty hours of travel with layovers), the United States Peace Corps program was about to end after 60 years of continuous operation. The program has long been a visible symbol of the relationship between independent countries in the Western Pacific.”

Out-Competing China: A View of the COFAs from Washington

By Patricia O’Brien

“Since March 2022, the considerable efforts of the United States to invigorate and reshape its approach to the Pacific Islands have not dislodged the Compacts of Free Association (COFA) agreements between the U.S. and Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). The COFAs remain the lynchpin in Pacific engagement for the U.S. It has been over one year since the announcement of the Biden Administration’s Indo-Pacific Strategy of February 2022, and China continues to loom large over the multiple efforts of the U.S. in the Pacific, including renegotiation of the COFAs.”

Poems on Identity, History, Politics, and Relationships from Pohnpei, Micronesia

By Carol Ann Carl

“Kaselehlie. My name is Carol Ann Carl. Home for me is the beautiful island of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia. Pohnpei, one state of four that make up one island nation. Beautiful islands where people come to dive, surf, and hike on their vacation. Beautiful islands where people come to dive, surf, and hike on their vacation. One nation of six that make up the entire Micronesian region. Give me a moment, let me try to clear the common misconception. We have the Yapese, the Kosraean, the Pohnpeian, the Chuukese. The Federated States of Micronesia is just one country you see.”

Jurisprudence of Justice Katsuya Uga of the Supreme Court of Japan

“As a Justice of the Supreme Court of Japan, Justice Katsuya Uga’s motto is to face each matter with sincerity from a fair and neutral standpoint to draw reasonable conclusions by closely reading the materials, organizing thoughts, and attentively listening to the views of other justices. Further, he has quoted the words of Princess Ayako, the third daughter of the late Prince Takamado, as an impressive phrase of wisdom: “What we have today will not necessarily be there tomorrow.” With these words in mind, he strives to do everything he can daily without putting things off until the next, spending every day free of regret.”

Jurisprudence of Justice Katsuya Uga of the Supreme Court of Japan

“As a Justice of the Supreme Court of Japan, Justice Katsuya Uga’s motto is to face each matter with sincerity from a fair and neutral standpoint to draw reasonable conclusions by closely reading the materials, organizing thoughts, and attentively listening to the views of other justices. Further, he has quoted the words of Princess Ayako, the third daughter of the late Prince Takamado, as an impressive phrase of wisdom: “What we have today will not necessarily be there tomorrow.” With these words in mind, he strives to do everything he can daily without putting things off until the next, spending every day free of regret.”

Building the Courts of the Future: Technology, Access to Justice, and COVID-19 in the Judiciary

“The past year has brought unprecedented challenges for the administration of justice. At the same time that COVID-19 has posed significant health and socioeconomic challenges to our community, it has also forced the courts to rethink the way we do business from the ground up. And while we, like everyone in our community, are looking forward with anticipation to a post-COVID world, some of the ways in which the courts have adapted to the pandemic will undoubtedly be enduring. The changes precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic have created courts that are more efficient and responsive to a community more accustomed to doing business online.”

Insights into Wrongful Evictions and Housing Discrimination During COVID-19 with Representative Linda Ichiyama

“The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted Hawaiʻi’s economy. Over 50,000 people filed for unemployment insurance in Hawai‘i this time last year—the beginning of the COVID-19 shutdown. Although the State unemployment rate appears to be improving, the effects of the economic shutdown are still being felt today. The State of Hawaiʻi initially responded to the economic hardship that renters were facing by implementing an eviction moratorium. In its current form, the moratorium blocks evictions by landlords for non-payment of rent by tenants. However, issues have arisen regarding the dissemination of information and enforcement of the moratorium.”

Preventative Lawyering Assists Communities with Pandemic Challenges

“The case we examine in this article may seem like a straightforward report of a legal violation that only requires providing a client with tailored legal information and program information. However, a deeper inspection reveals the far-reaching consequences of the pandemic for our clients and demonstrates the importance of messaging and collaborating alongside communities who are not often prioritized. Additionally, we clearly see how, specific to Pacific Islander communities in Hawaiʻi, advocacy that goes beyond simple legal service provision and works to uplift community partnerships is most needed.”