A Community of Contrasts:Paradise Lost and Found in Los Angeles

Friday, May 29, 2015 9:00 am – 11:00 am

• Tana Lepule (@empowerePI), Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (@EmpoweredPI)• Alisi Tulua, Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (@EmpoweredPI)• Michael Nailat, United Way of Greater Los Angeles (@LAUnitedWay)

@AAPIP #SCGEvents

“What’s difficult about being from Hawaii is thateveryone has a postcard view of your home.” Hawaiilives vividly in people’s minds as nothing more than a

weeklong vacation – a space of escape,fantasy and paradise. But Hawaii ismuch more than a tropical destination or a prettymovie backdrop — just as Aloha is way more than agreeting.

‐ Janet Mock, Native Hawaiian activist & author Host of  So POPular on MSNBC’s Shift network

http://janetmock.com/2015/05/08/aloha‐movie‐hollywoods‐historical‐appropriation‐of‐hawaiian‐language‐culture/

A Community of Contrasts: Paradise Lost & Found in Los Angeles

A Community of Contrasts: Paradise Lost & Found in Los Angeles

One of the fastest growing racial groups statewide‐ Asian Americans – 34%‐ NHPIs – 29%‐ Latinos – 28% 

~106,000NHPIs in Greater LA Area

~55, 000NHPIs in LA County – largest of any county in CA

~15,000NHPIs in City of Los Angeles –largest of any city in CA

A Community of Contrasts: Native Hawaiians & Pacific Islanders in California, 2014, p.38

This Greater LA Area has the largest number of NHPI in the continental U.S. 

ASIANSBangladeshiBhutaneseBurmeseCambodianChineseFilipinoHmongIndianIndo‐ChineseIwo JimanJapaneseKoreanLaotianMalaysianMaldivianNepaleseOkinawanPakistani 

Disaggregating AANHPI

SingaporeanSri LankanTaiwaneseThaiVietnameseOther Asian

POLYNESIANSHawaiianSamoanTonganTahitianTokelauan

MICRONESIANSGuamanian or ChamorroMarshallesePalauanChuukesePohnpeianSaipaneseYapeseKosraeanCarolinianI‐KiribatiMariana IslanderMELANESIANFijianPapua New GuineaSolomon IslanderNi‐Vanuatu

NHPI Classifications

United States Designations

U.S. Nationals: from American Samoa

COFA migrants: from Micronesia, Palau, Marshall Islands

Foreign nationals: from Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, & others

A Community of Contrasts: Native Hawaiians & Pacific Islanders in California, 2014, p.17

Funding Priorities

What Per Capita Incomes Do Our Communities Earn?

A Community of Contrasts: Native Hawaiians & Pacific Islanders in California, 2014, p.43

Match These Groups with the Data:

A. AIAN B. Asian AmericanC. Black or African AmericanD. Guamanian or ChamorroE. LatinoF. Native HawaiianG. NHPIH. SamoanI. TonganJ. White

1

2

3

4

5

6   

7

8

9

10

NHPI Per Capita Incomes Are Comparable to Other Underserved Communities

Rates Higher Than Any Racial Group

In Greater LA, 32% of Tongan Americans live in poverty and 59% are low income

33% of Samoans, 35% of Tongans are homeowners; 45% for Latinos

1 in 5 or 20% of NHPI families have 3 or more workers

In LA County, 47% of Tongan American youth live in poverty

A Community of Contrasts: Native Hawaiians & Pacific Islanders in California, 2014, p.43

$22,660

$21,887

$16,393

$15,535

$9,651

Black or AfricanAmerican

NHPI

Samoan

Latino

Tongan

Per Capita IncomeU.S. Census Bureau, 2006‐2010 American Community Survey 5‐Year Estimates, Table B19301

How Are We Faring in Education?

1

2345678

Match These Groups with the Data:

A. AIAN B. Black or African 

AmericanC. Guamanian or 

ChamorroD. LatinoE. Native HawaiianF. NHPIG. SamoanH. Tongan

A Community of Contrasts: Native Hawaiians & Pacific Islanders in California, 2014, p.40

Educational Pipelines Are Failing NHPI Youth

In CA, our rates are similar to African Americans and Latinos 45% of 3‐4 year‐olds are enrolled 

in preschool; 43% for Latinos

78% high school graduation and 14% dropout rates; 76% and 14% for Latinos

43% of NHPI community college students completed degree/cert or transferred; 39% Latinos, 38% African Americans

62%

59%

54%

54%

52%

52%

49%

44%

43%

Total Freshmen

Guamanian or Chamorro

Latino

Native Hawaiian

NHPI

Samoan

Fijian

Tongan

Black or African American

Lower than Average UC Freshmen Admission RatesUniversity of California Office of the President, Student Affairs, Undergraduate Admissions, March 2014.

What About Our Health?

28%

35%

Total Pop.

NHPI

Obesity

9%

15%

Total Pop.

NHPI

Diabetes Native Hawaiian & 

Samoan women in LA County had higher overall cancer rates than any racial group. 

Large numbers of NHPIs live in areas disproportionately impacted by environmental hazards.

In Greater LA, 18% lack health insurance; average is 11%

962 8641083

607 583741

LA County Orange County San BernadinoCounty

Age‐Adjusted Death Rates per 100,000 PeopleCalifornia Department of Public Health, Center for Health Statistics and Informatics.

NHPI Total Population

Empowering Pacific Islander Communities

MissionTo promote social justice by fostering opportunities that empower Native 

Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities through culturally 

relevant ADVOCACY,RESEARCH,

and DEVELOPMENT.

Empowering Pacific Islander Communities

Advocacy

Research

Development

ADVOCACYBuilding Bridges for a Unified Voice

RESEARCH/DATATelling Our Stories Through Numbers

9 States, 66 NHPI Community Organizations, 89 NHPI Community Leaders

SNNA

TCSC

GCN

NPIEN

TAYFPIHP ‘Ainahau

FPT

SAYOC

KCF

UCLA‐PIER

Alliance

DEVELOPMENTBuilding Community Capacity

Directly touched more than 15,000 lives,Subgranted more than $40,000 over last 2 years 

A COMMUNITY OF CONTRASTS: Paradise lost and found in Los Angeles

Q&A

Facilitated by: Michael Nailat

THANK YOU!

www.EmpoweredPI.org

www.advancingjustice‐la.org