A Growing and Diverse Diaspora
Pacific Islanders — including Native Hawaiians, Samoans, Tongans, Chamorros, Marshallese, Micronesians, Fijians, and many others — constitute one of the fastest-growing demographic groups in the United States. While Hawaiʻi remains home to the largest concentration, significant Pacific Islander communities exist in California, Utah, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, and Texas.
This diaspora is not monolithic. It encompasses people from sovereign island nations, U.S. territories, and the 50 states — each group with distinct legal statuses, migration histories, cultural traditions, and political relationships with the U.S. government.
The COFA Question: Free Association and Its Limits
One of the most significant and often overlooked policy issues involves citizens of the Freely Associated States (FAS) — the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau. Under the Compact of Free Association, citizens of these nations may live and work in the United States without a visa.
However, for years COFA migrants were excluded from federal benefit programs, including Medicaid, despite paying taxes and contributing to their communities. Advocates celebrated a major victory when the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 restored Medicaid eligibility for COFA migrants — a change that went into effect in 2024 after states updated their systems.
The Compacts themselves were recently renegotiated, with the U.S. government committing to renewed funding in exchange for continued strategic military access to the Pacific — a relationship that remains complex and contentious.
Health Disparities
Pacific Islander communities face pronounced health disparities that were thrown into sharp relief during the COVID-19 pandemic, when NHPI communities experienced some of the highest infection and mortality rates in the country. Contributing factors include:
- Higher rates of multigenerational households, which accelerated transmission
- Disproportionate representation in essential and frontline work
- Limited access to culturally and linguistically appropriate healthcare
- Historical undercounting in data collection, which delayed targeted public health responses
- Elevated rates of diabetes, hypertension, and obesity linked to dietary shifts caused by colonization and food insecurity
The Data Disaggregation Problem
For decades, Pacific Islanders were lumped together with Asian Americans in federal data collection under the umbrella category "Asian/Pacific Islander." This aggregation masked disparities — because when Pacific Islander outcomes were averaged with the larger and often better-resourced Asian American population, the gaps disappeared statistically.
The 1997 revision of federal racial classification standards formally separated Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (NHOPI) as a distinct category. However, implementation has been inconsistent, and advocates continue to push for better disaggregation at the state and local level to ensure community needs are visible in policy decisions.
Cultural Identity and the Second Generation
For many young Pacific Islanders raised on the mainland, navigating identity is a complex process. They may speak limited amounts of their heritage language, feel distant from traditional practices, and face pressure to assimilate — while also experiencing racial discrimination and being seen as outsiders in American society.
Cultural organizations, churches (which play a central role in many Pacific Islander communities), and community centers serve as anchors. Pacific Islander–focused cultural festivals, language schools, and youth programs have proliferated in cities like Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, and Seattle, helping second-generation youth maintain connections to their roots.
Advocacy Organizations Making a Difference
Several organizations are leading advocacy efforts for mainland Pacific Islander communities:
| Organization | Focus Area | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC) | Civic engagement, policy advocacy | Los Angeles, CA |
| Pacific Islander Community Association of Hawaiʻi (PICAH) | Social services, cultural programming | Honolulu, HI |
| Micronesian Islander Community (MIC) | COFA migrant services, health access | Portland, OR |
| Pacific Islander Knowledge 2 Action Resources (PIKAR) | Health equity, COVID response | National |
Looking Ahead
As Pacific Islander communities grow on the mainland, their political voice is also expanding. More Pacific Islander candidates are running for office at local, state, and federal levels. Data equity, health access, COFA policy, and cultural preservation remain the key issues on the advocacy agenda in 2025 and beyond.
Understanding the diversity and complexity within Pacific Islander communities is essential for policymakers, journalists, and neighbors who want to be genuine allies in advancing equity and justice for these communities.