A safe harbor for Pacific Islanders

UC Irvine is committed to creating an environment in which everybody can thrive – even those who account for just 0.1 percent of the student population: Pacific Islanders.

They come from many islands but can be broken down into three main subcategories: Polynesian, Micronesian and Melanesian. One thing these students have in common is that life is quite different on the mainland, and the transition can be hard to navigate.

To help address this and foster fellowship, a Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander work group was formed in May 2022. It comprises campuswide faculty and staff, including Cevadne Lee (UCI Public Health), Melenaite Fifita (UCI Public Health), Judy Wu (School of Humanities), Bryan Jue (admissions), Ashley Cheri (Center for Educational Partnerships), Huma Madinawala (admissions), Tiara Na’puti (School of Social Sciences), Kathy Dong (Student Life & Leadership), Peter Thach (campus social worker), Edgar Dormitorio (Student Affairs) and Sherwynn Umali (Student Affairs).

Workgroup members hope that a physical resource center will provide support and community for Pacific Islander students, and in 2022, Student Affairs and the Office of Inclusive Excellence got together to apply for an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution grant to fund such a resource center. But they were unsuccessful.

One of the first things the work group did do was host a potluck in fall 2022 for Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian students. Those attending were able to make friends and network with other students with similar experiences. They also got to spend time in the Cross-Cultural Center and meet faculty and staff who would support them.

“When we have students who are struggling and don’t have a sense of belonging, we try to create spaces for them that are familiar,” Umali says. “Our [Pacific Islander] students need that kind of space so that they can use it as a launching pad to grow and thrive at UCI.”

And they have done just that. Since the potluck, Pacific Islander students have taken it upon themselves to build community. The Pacific Islander Student Association – whose members identify as Native Hawaiian, Tongan, Samoan, Carolinian, Indo-Fijian, Fijian and Chamorro – was established last fall on campus.

It has a small board consisting of co-presidents and founding members Leighani Sablan and Malia Baricuatro, secretary Hi’ilawelani Ashley and communications director Lorrina Lee.

PISA has held an Indigenous Peoples Day bonfire event in collaboration with the American Indian Student Association, and it also hosted another potluck bringing together Pacific Islander students and community groups. Salban particularly would like to highlight the local Pacific Islander organizations and other supporting organizations that attended the potluck event: ‘Ainahau O Kaleponi Hawaiian Civic Club, Pacific Islander Health Partnership, Empowering Pacific Islander Communities, Orange County Asian Pacific Islander Community Alliance, F.O.U. MOVEMENT, Santa Ana United Methodist Church, UC Irvine Student Life and Leadership, American Indian Student Association and the UC Riverside Pacific Islander Student Association.

In addition, PISA is working toward the goal of a resource center by continuing its outreach and growth, even connecting with Pacific Islander associations at UCLA and UC Riverside and other Pacific Islander groups from Los Angeles, the Inland Empire and San Diego.

Identifying as a Pacific Islander from Saipan – part of the Northern Mariana Islands – PISA co-President Sablan understands the importance of fostering fellowship. Since the start of PISA, she and the other board members have been busy organizing biweekly general meetings, community-building workshops and the now-annual potluck, as well as recruiting new members.

“Given our small population,” Sablan says, “it’s really hard to find other Pacific Islanders here on campus. So having a starting point through PISA is important for the incoming students.”