Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese

Tens of thousands of citizens from the Republic of the Marshall Islands have legally migrated to the U.S., many now settled in northwest Arkansas. Islanders are free to do so under a special U.S./RMI Compact of Free Association. When the second compact expired in September, Congress extended bilateral negotiations, which were finalized in mid-October. The renewed compact, however, fails to include requested compensation for damages wrought by U.S. nuclear weapons tests on the Marshall Islands during the Cold War.

The Arkansas Department of Human Services is engaged in a six-month review of state Medicaid enrollees, protected during the federal public health emergency by a continuous coverage requirement. Arkansans who seek to re-enroll are once again required to prove eligibility. Because Marshallese migrants in late 2020 were granted federal Medicaid entitlement, many islanders may be unaware of state redetermination requirements proving need. As a consequence they could end up losing critical health care coverage.

Republic of the Marshall Islands President David Kabua spent several days in Northwest Arkansas late last week, hosted by Arkansas Marshallese Consul General Eldon Alik. On Saturday, the RMI President met with constituents at Manit Day, a traditional cultural gathering at Jones Center Community Park, where he spoke about pressing Marshallese politics, human rights and social justice issues.

The Washington County Historical Society marked Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month with a cultural celebration and panel talk.

The Washington County Historical Society marked Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month with a cultural celebration and panel talk.

Since Congress approved Medicaid for Compact of Free Association migrants residing in the U.S. late last year, a small number of eligible Arkansas…

A Springdale teacher has resigned after administrators were made aware of a video in which the teacher berates a student for acting like Marshallese…

The nonprofit Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese is hosting “Celebrating Women Through Health and Education,” an International Women’s Day event, on Mar.…

This month, the Walton Family Foundation hosted a virtual conference in tandem with the release of a five-year strategy for the foundation and its…

Nineteen Pacific Islander organizations in the U.S., including two in Arkansas — which successfully lobbied Congress to restore Medicaid benefits to their…