Column: Immigrants help economy, but face tremendous challenges

When my charity Comunidad Latina de Hawai‘i launched four years ago, we aimed to be a one-stop shop to support the Big Island’s Spanish-speaking community. We provided ESL (English as a second language) classes, “Know Your Rights” clinics and seminars with the Equal Opportunity Commission. We worked hard to connect clients to local resources. But we always hit a wall: You can’t connect people to resources that don’t exist.

The language problem is especially serious. Hawaii’s Spanish-speaking immigrant population has increased more than 80% since 2000. Numbers rose especially fast between 2016 and 2019, as increasing numbers of Central Americans, including unaccompanied minors, sought asylum here. According to Honolulu Civil Beat, Hawaii’s Hispanic population will grow to about 12.29% of the projected total Hawaii population by 2023.

Practically speaking, this means many people cannot yet read government websites and other state-sponsored materials. They can’t apply online for benefits. And if they attempt to use the judiciary system, like file a divorce petition, court staff will often say, “Come back with an interpreter.” This isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s about equity. Too many Spanish-speakers don’t know where and how to seek vital services. Language services improved somewhat during COVID, but the effort lags. The vaccination rate for our island’s Latino community falls far behind that of other ethnic groups.

So what’s the solution? Hawaii must comply with federal interpretive and translation requirements. It must ensure that all government websites and materials are translated into Spanish. And it must provide interpreters, as required by law. The state should also step in to help or mandate that hospitals and clinics offer interpretation services.

But access is about more than communication. The government must make USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) services available beyond Oahu. Nearly 40% of agricultural workers, 68% of housekeeping workers, and over half of all chefs in Hawaii are immigrants, according to a new report by New American Economy (NAE). These are frequently low-paid jobs with long hours and don’t provide workers the time or money to make appointments on other islands. This prevents them from easily adjusting their immigration status, including working toward naturalization.

Finally, the state needs a solid infrastructure for immigrant inclusion. Mainland cities like Chula Vista and San Jose, Calif., have successfully opened Offices of Immigrant Affairs. They connect immigrants to an array of resources and partner with local economic development organizations and chambers of commerce to provide small business assistance. According to NAE’s new report, the revenue generated by Hawaii’s Hispanic-owned businesses in 2016 was $564.6 million. With more support, it could be much higher.

When my great-great-grandparents arrived in Hawaii from Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Portugal in the late 1800s and early 1900s, they banned their children from speaking their native languages. My ancestors valued integration, but they also feared marginalization. With persistence, they became fluent English speakers and became successful.

I owe my own success to them. I was born and raised on the Hamakua Coast, and have devoted my career to giving back —helping today’s newcomers integrate. But so many challenges remain. Nonprofits like mine will always help to fill the gaps, but our small teams can only do so much. We need government leadership. Hawaii should be the real one-stop shop for immigrant inclusion.

Angela Dean is the founder of Comunidad Latina de Hawaiʻi.