Aloha Colleagues,
At our immigrant-led women’s fund in Hawai‘i, Nurturing Wāhine Fund, we empower women and girls through culturally-rooted care, economic justice, and meaningful connection, ensuring everyone has the resources and rights to thrive. One way we do this is through our Community Dinners, which offer a dignified way for newcomers to build relationships and earn income by preparing home-cooked meals. Regardless of immigration status, these gatherings use cuisine and conversation to foster a deep sense of belonging.
That belonging, however, can be fragile.
Just last month in Maui, Filipino teachers with valid U.S. State Department visas were detained without being given a chance to show documentation. These are people doing vital work in our schools. As an immigrant myself, I know the anxiety of constantly trying to fit in, only to be reminded of how quickly dignity can be stripped away and how swiftly feelings of shame and isolation can be forced upon us.
Hawai‘i is Kānaka Maoli land and we honor Native Hawaiian people as its first stewards. Immigrants arriving in Hawai‘i often share parallel struggles with Kānaka Maoli with harms rooted in systems of power and wealth that have marginalized both Indigenous and immigrant communities, alike.
In response, Nurturing Wāhine Fund is deepening our commitment to Community Dinners and uplifting our grantee, Tagnawa, whose report, Equality in Flames, details how the 2023 Maui wildfires intensified gender inequality among Filipino women, who make up approximately 40% of Lahaina’s population.
From a survey of 757 Filipinx wildfire survivors:
- 16% engaged in survival sex for essentials (food, clothing, money)
- 24% faced barriers to aid due to caregiving responsibilities
- 41% lacked access to mental health services
Please read and share the report.
For the greater good,
Aleeka Kay Morgan
Nurturing Wāhine Fund
Executive Director