a conversation with we are Oceania: Navigating good jobs from a micronesian perspective
Listening to the voices of Hawaiʻi's workers and understanding their needs is crucial for building a thriving workforce in the state. The Hawaiʻi Workforce Funders Collaborative (HWFC) facilitates collaboration among stakeholders to develop effective solutions. Over the past six months, HWFC partnered with Islander Institute to explore what constitutes a "good job" in Hawaiʻi. Their insights, gathered through community discussions, are compiled in a report titled "A Good Job in Hawaiʻi." The article below - taken from a conversation with Josie Howard of We are Oceania - is part of a series of pieces that highlight different narratives from this work.
We are Oceania (WAO) offers centralized support to the Mirconesian in Hawaiʻi and beyond as they navigate the complexities of migration and transitioning to new geographies, cultures, and the accompanying ways of being. With over 150 partner organizations across Hawaiʻi, the US, and Micronesia, WAO supports the Micronesian community to access healthcare, legal services, education, work placement, English language resources, and more. HWFC connected with WAO CEO, Josie Howard, to talk about the unique needs and perspective of the Micronesian community when it comes to defining and finding a good job in Hawaiʻi.
Context: Navigating a New Place and Culture
Micronesia is the youngest nation in the world, with a highly mobile population. Impacted by climate change and the need for resources and opportunity, many Micronesians have migrated to Hawaiʻi in the last twenty years. Although there are similarities in island culture between Micronesia and Hawaiʻi there are also significant differences: learning English, communal vs. individual identity, and differing economies are a few issues Micronesians face when they leave home.
In sharing about culture with respect to work and education, WAO CEO Josie Howard explains, “It’s all about relationship and navigational framework. When we come to a new place, we get to know it, respect it, and become aware of our surroundings. [In Micronesia], education is a way to earn money, but otherwise people live off the land. In Hawaiʻi, you don’t need school to earn money. However, with a subsistence economy system, a lot [of Micronesians] don’t understand financial literacy and the cost of living here. These are parts of a new system they need to learn how to navigate. In Micronesia there is a known and specific set of expected contributions determined by culture and community. Here, it is an individual thing. People don’t think of higher paying jobs right away when they move to Hawaiʻi - they’re focused on their family and community relationships which are their support net. These relationships come with obligations - there is no choice [in our culture].”
Respect and Belonging
In light of the cultural and geographical spaces that Micronesians navigate to be in Hawaiʻi, it makes sense that for this community, a good job is one where they feel belonging. Similar to the findings of the Goob Job in Hawaiʻi Report, Howard shares that for her people, “It’s not about high pay. They need belonging, purpose, and respect.”
Part of respect is employers bridging the cultural gap and taking the time to understand Micronesian culture. Misunderstandings between employers and Micronesian employees have created social stigma, which in turn creates an environment ripe for more misunderstandings and perceived disrespect. “Culturally, Micronesians feel that people don’t know them and see what’s important to them. They have strong nonverbal skills, but certain nonverbal cues are the opposite in Micronesian culture as they are in American culture. For example, in our culture looking away or down when someone is speaking is a sign of respect and listening, but here people may think you’re distracted or don’t care if you’re not making eye contact. Micronesians don’t want to show disrespect to their bosses so they avoid confrontation by saying yes, even if they really mean no or maybe, or will walk away from a job rather than creating conflict if a boss is being unfair or yelling at them in front of their peers. When these things happen, it amplifies challenges and makes Micronesians feel like people are disrespecting them and aren’t viewing them as assets,” explains Howard.
Opportunities to Thrive
With a sense of belonging and respect, workers have the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment and ability to thrive. Howard sites several businesses where large numbers of Micronesians, many of whom are related to each other, are on staff and have contributed to ongoing success. From restaurants to car washes to Goodwill Industries, Micronesians, like all of us, thrive when we have a voice, are seen as assets with specific strengths, and are allowed to contribute.
Howard recounts that while working with Goodwill, she implemented a cultural framework that helped many Micronesians transition into work culture in Hawaiʻi. “When Goodwill hired Micronesian women in their store, they doubled output. Micronesians can take ownership and work hard if they feel they belong. But then everyone asks for the same day off when something is happening in the community. If you value the employees, you find a way to make it work for them and understand that they need to show face in the community. Let half go in the morning, and half in the afternoon. Doing this meant the employees worked harder because they felt understood and respected.”
With this approach, what started as a job training and placement program for 30 individuals grew to a transitional program for all COFA citizens within a year. Goodwill’s increase in productivity and the success of the transition program that came from implementing culturally informed management and workplace policies indicates that these may well be best practices that could eventually become the norm in Hawaiʻi.
What makes a Good Job?
For Howard, the answer to this question lies in context. A good job needs to make sense in terms of culture and environment. In short, we need to learn the culture of workers and create jobs that address the greater challenges we all face, like climate change,. The Good Jobs in Hawaiʻi Report seeks to draw out the values, and by extension culture, of the local workforce. In comparing the “A Good Job in Hawaiʻi” Framework to the orientation of the Micronesian community, we can see:
To be home: The Micronesian community needs work that teaches skills and allows them to live and be an asset wherever they want to live - whether that is Hawaiʻi, returning home to Micronesia, or continuing on to somewhere else in the world.
To make a contribution: Being able to contribute to the family in the short term is the main motivator to work for many Micronesians. In the long term, Micronesians are looking to do work that addresses the big issues, like climate change, that have an existential impact on their home islands .
To have good health: For Micronesians, community connections are intrinsic to having good health. A good job takes this into account and allows for relationships within the workplace, but also allows for adequate time off to tend to relationships outside of work.
Howard explains taking the time to honor individual needs and differences is critical to creating good jobs and inclusive workplaces. “We each need to be able to hold our own cultural lens, and through that lens understand others’ cultures.” When employers build a workplace culture that meets employees where they are and can be responsive to their cultural needs, they are creating good jobs.
