Pacific+Islander+Resources

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//Spokesman articles:// http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/jan/29/free-spirit-led-garry-middle-school-aide-from-mars/ http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/apr/04/low-graduation-rates-among-marshallese-students-pr/ These articles describe some school-based initiatives and information related to Marshallese students in Spokane Public Schools. user:Anny1

This is an article in the Spokesman Review from 2012 that looks at the growth of Marshallese in Spokane over the years, their culture, how they came to Spokane, how they are doing in schools, and the values of the culture.
 * Marshallese in Spokane user:ochoav**

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/mar/04/marshallese-making-a-new-life-in-spokane/

This site shows some of the more local knowledge that would not be known by studying the facts on other websites. Something I learned from the site was the motto of the Marshall Islands, which is, "Accomplishment through joint effort," which explains their behavior more. They always travel together and find happiness by having larger gatherings with song and dance. http://www.travelingeast.com/oceania/marshall-islands/ten-interesting-facts-about-marshall-islands/
 * Facts about the Marshall Islands** user:DominicM4DominicM4

//PBS Video/Article:// http://www.aetn.org/programs/anewisland This website has both an article and an hour long video about the Marshallese population in Arkansas. It talks about how people ended up in Arkansas, different traditions that have been brought with them to the US, etc. user:mjmickey

This resource explains the history of the Marshall Islands. It gives information on the culture and life style that community members live. It also includes geography, government and economy facts.
 * Marshall Islands: A Brief History user:mhayes1997**

[]

This is a video concerning parent involvement of parents with Marshallese students and help involvement with the community. This video also shows Marshallese students who go onto higher education. The video shows how the education system in Hawaii has embraced Marshallese students and their culture. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyQM41FyGLQ
 * Marshallese students in the American education systemuser:lmpet96**

This website gives a great rundown of the Marshall Islands. It covers a variety of areas, from its history, to its politics, and even the etiquette. I think this a great resource to give someone a basic knowledge of the Marshall Islands.
 * Culture of The Marshall Islands user:afraga95**

http://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/Marshall-Islands.html


 * Marshalll Islanders: user:Ezykan**

@http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/28/opinions/gallery/marshall-islands-two-degrees/ @http://mistories.org/intro.php @http://www.stevehebert.net/a-slice-of-the-marshall-islands-in-northwest-arkansas/ These three links provide different narratives and perspectives of life in the Marshall Islands. **Marshall Islanders Becoming Refugees of Climate Change** user:amarrero96 This article talks about the struggles and the sinking of the Marshall Islands, and how this affects many of them as becoming "climate change refugees" and what kind of rights they will receive, if any. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/marshall-islands-climate-refugees_us_577e7996e4b01edea78cc4bc

It's in the title. This has many sub-links to other related aspects about the culture of home life and marriage in the Marshall Islands. It is related to what we talked about it class regarding how Marshall Islands may be more matriarchal. Neat stuff. http://www.safaritheglobe.com/marshall-islands/culture/relationships-marriage-family/ user:bpollard7 **Addressing the Literacy Needs of Marshallese Adolescents user:athenas97** This article discusses the literary challenges Marshallese students face and how the history and sociocultural use of language in their culture influences their biliteracy. This article also suggests teaching approaches to help students face these challenges. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1057&context=teachlearnstudent **The Environment and the Marshallese Nathan** This really well made NY Times article captures the geography and how the local populations are reacting to the environmental changes happening in the Marshall Islands. If anything, the pictures really capture what the landscape and life is like on the Marshall islands. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/12/02/world/The-Marshall-Islands-Are-Disappearing.html?_r=0 **Sport in the Marchall Islands user:griffmjgriffmj** This article talks about the sports that are prevalent in the marshall islands. Because of the geography of the islands, the sport landscape focus alot around water sports but also they play a lot of basketball and volleyball. http://www.topendsports.com/world/countries/marshall-islands.htm **Marshallese Culture** user:CassieLynn5 This site goes through multiple sections of Marshallese culture including food, religion, dance, navigation, and all sorts of interesting unique facts such as stick charts used for navigating the ocean, and sailing on canoes http://www.rmiembassyus.org/Culture.htm
 * Relationships, Marriage, and Family Life in the Marshall Islands**

**A New Island: The Marshallese in Arkansas user:Bryanbaier1** This article is a good look into the struggles that the Marshallese people had to go through. It also provides some history on why they moved specifically to Arkansas. They community wanted to show this world of Arkansas their culture and community. Link: [] **"Marshallese making a new life in Spokane"** user:jenmarty This article goes into detail about the migration of Marshallese citizens and how many have ended up in Spokane. Additionally, it outlines some of Marshallese culture, including the frequent mobility of Marshallese people as well as their common family values. http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/mar/04/marshallese-making-a-new-life-in-spokane/ **Marhallese students in the US educational system as well as the educational system in the Marshall Islands** Hailey Noyesuser:hailey.noyes This first link gives a breif overview of the educational system in the Marshall islands (how they commute, what percentage goes to primary and secondary school, as well as the resources they have and those they may be lacking). http://hellomarshallislands.weebly.com/education.html

This second article is about Marshallese student's success rates in the US public education system and some of the problems that seem to be applicable (at least for a school district in Costa Mesa California). http://articles.latimes.com/2000/oct/08/local/me-33660 **Marshall Islands Education Systemuser:emmaleem**This short article lays out the education system in the Marshall Islands. Elementary school lasts K-8, and high school lasts 9-12. However, what I found interesting is that there are only two high schools on the Marshall Islands, and most students choose not to pursue those schools.

http://www.classbase.com/countries/Marshall-Islands/Education-System Marshallese in Spokane user:sjbrown11 This is a very recent article about Marshallese students in the Spokane School District, and how low graduation rates have prompted a study and investigation into how to reverse this downward trend. It discusses some cultural aspects that lead to struggles in the American culture and how the state is taking measures to provide assistance for these students. http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/apr/04/low-graduation-rates-among-marshallese-students-pr/ Marshallese Islands Disappearinguser:jacevandebrake http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2015/06/opinions/sutter-two-degrees-marshall-islands/ This page talks about climate change and how the Marshall Islands are in danger of being completely covered in water if global temperature continues to rise. **Marshallese Stick Charts** http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-sticks-and-shell-charts-became-sophisticated-system-navigation-180954018/ This is an article from the Smithsonian about the use of stick charts by early island peoples. These stick charts were a way to navigate the seas in a time before maps, compasses or other maritime navigation tools. The charts could only be read by the maker, making them highly unique. user:drewcarleton
 * Lawrence Sitima **


 * IMPORTANT CULTURAL ELEMENTS ABOUT THE MARSHALLESE KIDS user:sitima086 **

The Marshallese are from the Marshall Islands, one of several Pacific Island. A summary of the Marshallese Cultural aspects.

1.Community-minded people
 * o Celebrate community events together, for example; sports/ games like Baseball
 * o Helping family and/ or social group takes precedence over personal achievements or success.
 * o Education might seem unnecessary to many Marshallese parents
 * o Prescribed gender roles, where girls might not feel comfortable among boys or the other way.

With this background, the following points may help to design a curriculum that may help Marshallese kids in school. i. Gender Roles Marshallese come from stratified society, where boys would want to work with fellow boys or the other way, so: ii. Promote cultural mixed groups for class tasks iii. Create more opportunities for pair and group work iv. Include games/sports/ activities in the curriculum v. Design more communicative tasks vi. Encourage Graphic Arts and Performance tasks
 * o Create gender mixed pair/group activities
 * o The strategy allows boys and girls to interact and share ideas as they wrestle with class tasks.
 * o Marshallese students want to work with fellow Marshallese
 * o Form cultural mixed groups, so that students share and learn from each other’s culture.
 * o Some Marshallese students feel uncomfortable to speak to the whole class.
 * o Pair or group work may reduce the affective filter and promote small group sharing.
 * o Sometimes allow students who want to work alone do so before they share with a fellow student or in a group
 * o Marshallese kids are very social and enjoy games/sports, have fun with them
 * o Some students are shy, they would not want to speak in a class or a group. Such activities will train them to be able to speak in a group.
 * o Marshallese are usually interested in handicraft and enjoy musical and dance performances.